Tony Blackburn
Born	January 29, 1943 (1943-01-29) (age 65) Guildford, Surrey
Occupation	disc jockey

Tony Blackburn (born 29 January 1943 in Guildford, Surrey) is an award winning English disc jockey, who broadcast on the "pirate" stations Radio Caroline and Radio London in the 1960s and was the first presenter to appear on BBC Radio 1 in 1967. In 2002 he was the winner of the ITV reality TV programme I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!. If you hold the copyright to an image (e. ... is the 29th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... , For other places with the same name, see Guildford (disambiguation). ... This article is about the English county. ... For other meanings of DJ, see DJ (disambiguation). ... is the 29th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... , For other places with the same name, see Guildford (disambiguation). ... This article is about the English county. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... For other meanings of DJ, see DJ (disambiguation). ... Radio Caroline is a European radio station that started transmissions on Easter Sunday 1964 from a ship anchored in international waters off the coast of Felixstowe, Suffolk England. ... Wonderful Radio Londons transmitter ship, the MV Galaxy Don Pierson in 1964 Wonderful Radio London also known as Big L, was a top 40 (in Londons case, the Fab 40) offshore commercial station that operated from 16 December 1964 to 14 August 1967, from a ship anchored in... The 1960s decade refers to the years from the beginning of 1960 to the end of 1969. ... BBC Radio 1 (commonly referred to as just Radio 1) is a British national radio station operated by the BBC, specialising in popular music and speech and is aimed primarily at the 14-29[1] age group. ... For other uses, see ITV (disambiguation). ... Reality television is a genre of television programming in which the fortunes of real life people (as opposed to fictional characters played by actors) are followed. ... Im a Celebrity. ...

Early career

He was born Antony Kenneth Blackburn. His father was a doctor and he was educated at Millfield School. He began his career as a singer, then worked as a DJ for the offshore pirate radio stations Radio Caroline and Radio London, before joining the BBC in the mid-1960s. Millfield is an independent school in Street, Somerset, England. ... The term Pirate Radio usually refers to illegal or unregulated radio transmission. ... Radio Caroline is a European radio station that started transmissions on Easter Sunday 1964 from a ship anchored in international waters off the coast of Felixstowe, Suffolk England. ... Wonderful Radio Londons transmitter ship, the MV Galaxy Don Pierson in 1964 Wonderful Radio London also known as Big L, was a top 40 (in Londons case, the Fab 40) offshore commercial station that operated from 16 December 1964 to 14 August 1967, from a ship anchored in... For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ...

He currently lives in Arkley, near Barnet, Hertfordshire. Arkley may refer to multiple articles: Arkley is a small village in the London Borough of Barnet. ... High Barnet or Chipping Barnet is a town in the London Borough of Barnet. ...

1960s and 70s

He was the first DJ to be heard on BBC Radio 1 when it was launched on 30 September 1967, and presented the breakfast show until 1973. The first words spoken on BBC Radio 1 were "...and good morning everyone! Welcome to the exciting new sound of Radio 1". As his singing career failed to take off, despite 14 singles being released (two of which, "So Much Love" and "It's Only Love" made the UK Top 40), he stopped singing and concentrated on radio presenting. His cheery style and corny jokes ensured his household reputation and made him a popular figure with some, though his dislike of heavy and progressive rock and punk/new wave made him a hate figure with others. His fellow Radio 1 DJ John Peel would often derisively refer to him as "Timmy Bannockburn". BBC Radio 1 (commonly referred to as just Radio 1) is a British national radio station operated by the BBC, specialising in popular music and speech and is aimed primarily at the 14-29[1] age group. ... Top 40 is a radio format based on frequent repetition of songs from a constantly-updated list of the forty best-selling singles. ...

At first he was associated mainly with bubblegum and mainstream pop, but he later championed soul music. It was largely due to him that "I'm Still Waiting" by Diana Ross, which was initially just an album track, was released as a single in the UK in 1971 and reached number one. He was a regular host of Top of the Pops and in 1968 he fronted his own show, Time For Blackburn, produced by Southern Television for the ITV network. For the author-illustrator, see Diana Ross (author). ... Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, was a long-running British music chart television programme, made and broadcast by the BBC. It was originally shown each week, mostly on BBC One, from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. ... Southern Television was the first ITV holder for the south and south east of England from 30 August 1958 until 1 January 1982. ... For other uses, see ITV (disambiguation). ...

In 1973 he released a Northern soul single under the name Lenny Gamble, and was allegedly furious when Noel Edmonds, who had recently been given Blackburn's Radio 1 breakfast show slot, revealed the alias on air. Nevertheless both broadcasters later became close friends. The Verve see A Northern Soul This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Noel Ernest Edmonds (born 22 December 1948 in Ilford, Essex) is a British television presenter, DJ, executive who made his name on BBC Radio 1 in the UK. He is more recently known as the presenter of the television gameshow Deal or No Deal. ...

In June 1973, he took over the weekday mid-morning slot, where he introduced 'The Golden Hour'. Simon Bates later carried this feature. Simon Bates (born Birmingham, 17 December 1947) is best known for being a disc jockey in the UK and New Zealand. ...

In November 1977 he took over the weekday afternoon show. During this period, he was going through divorce with his first wife, actress Tessa Wyatt. Tessa Wyatt is a British actress. ...

In September 1979 he was taken off his afternoon show after criticising an article on air about him, David Jensen and Peter Powell. He was then demoted to a Saturday morning show & the Sunday Chart rundown. David Kid Jensen (*July 4, 1950 in Victoria, British Columbia) is a Canadian-born British radio DJ. // After beginning his career in his home country at the age of sixteen, joined Radio Luxembourg at the age of eighteen in 1968. ... Peter Powell may refer to: Peter Powell (disc jockey) (born 1951), a British DJ Peter Powell (kite), the inventor of a dual-line, steerable model of flying kite Peter Powell(Clocks), a very nasty, sad, creepy little guy from Marlborough. ...

1980s and 90s

In early 1980 he took over Junior Choice on Saturday and Sunday mornings from 8-10am, while continuing to present the Sunday chart show until the end of 1981 - being succeeded by Tommy Vance. During 1982 Radio 1 dropped the name Junior Choice and the show became the Weekend Breakfast Show which Tony continued to host until his final show on 23 September 1984. In addition to his Radio 1 weekend show, Tony joined BBC Radio London in 1982, where he presented the weekday afternoon show. It was here that he showed his love for soul music. Childrens Favourites was a BBC Radio programme from 1954 broadcast on the Light Programme on Saturday mornings from 9:00. ... Tommy Vance, born Richard Anthony Crispian Francis Prew Hope-Weston (July 11, 1941 – March 6, 2005) was a British pop radio broadcaster, born in Eynsham, Oxfordshire. ... Childrens Favourites was a BBC Radio programme from 1954 broadcast on the Light Programme on Saturday mornings from 9:00. ... BBC London 94. ...

Having left Radio 1 after 17 years he took over BBC Radio London's weekday mid-morning show in 1984, mixing soul music with guests and phone-ins until 1988 when he joined Capital Gold presenting the breakfast show for many years, later moving to the drivetime slot until early 2002 when he took over the Weekday Evening Show from 8-10pm, playing soul music. BBC London 94. ... Capital Gold is an oldies radio station which started in London in 1988 on Capital Radios AM frequency, as the British Government urged radio stations to end simulcasting (broadcasting the same programmes simultaneously on FM and AM) and threatening to remove one of their frequencies if simulcasting continued. ...

Recent years

Tony left Capital Gold in late 2002; he joined London's Jazz FM following the station's acquisition by GMG Radio in March 2003 as host of Real Soul every weeknight from 10pm until midnight, initially a live programme before a contract to host the Classic Gold breakfast show that May meant the show became voicetracked - Real Soul ended in March 2004. Tony was awarded the prestigious "Oldie Of The Year" in 2003. In addition, Tony presented a pre-recorded uptempo soul show entitled the Real Party Night, broadcast across the GMG Radio network and later by CN Radio stations every Saturday evening, prior to its conclusion in mid 2005. Jazz FM may refer to: 102. ... GMG Radio is the radio division of the Guardian Media Group. ... Classic Gold is one of the biggest gold formatted radio networks in the United Kingdom, with a potential audience of 47 million. ... GMG Radio is the radio division of the Guardian Media Group. ...

In March 2004, Tony returned to BBC London 94.9, presenting a Monday evening soul show, and in addition to that, in April of the same year, he also took on the Saturday lunchtime show. BBC London 94. ...

Tony also hosted the breakfast show on Classic Gold, with co-hosts Erika North and Sandy Warr. Although his Monday evening show on BBC London 94.9 ended in July 2004, he still continued to present the Saturday lunchtime show for the station. Classic Gold Logo Classic Gold Digital Network was one of the biggest gold formatted radio networks in the United Kingdom, with a potential audience of 47 million. ... BBC London 94. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In June 2004 he was temporarily suspended from his show on Classic Gold for playing songs by Cliff Richard, in defiance of a ruling by the head of programmes that Richard's music did not match the station's 'brand values'. The dispute made national headlines and was even referred to in Parliament, with Leader of the House Peter Hain voicing his support for Blackburn. He was reinstated, amid rumours that the episode was merely a publicity stunt. The station started adding Richard's songs to their playlist after public reaction to this. Sir Cliff Richard OBE (born Harry Rodger Webb on 14 October 1940) is an English singer, actor and businessman. ... Peter Gerald Hain PC MP (born February 16, 1950, Nairobi, Kenya) is a British, Left-wing Labour Party politician and Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (he is also Secretary of State for Wales). ...

He performed in a science fiction audio play based on the Doctor Who television series by Big Finish Productions - The Rapture. He played himself as a DJ, in an Ibiza nightclub where sinister forces are brainwashing the patrons. Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... Radio drama is a form of audio storytelling broadcast on radio. ... This article is about the television series. ... Big Finish Productions is a British company that produces audio plays released straight to compact disc, based on British cult science fiction properties. ... The Rapture is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who. ... “Ebusus” redirects here. ...

In 2002, he appeared in the first series of the British reality TV series, I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, which he eventually won. Blackburn also occasionally fronts competitions on GMTV, including "The Clues Brothers" (a parody of The Blues Brothers), with fellow DJ Keith Chegwin. GMTV (Good Morning Television) is the national ITV breakfast television contractor,[1] broadcasting in the United Kingdom. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Keith Cheggers Chegwin (born 17 January 1957 in Newbury) is an English television presenter and former child actor and singer. ...

In 2007, Tony was part of Beat The Boys on Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway. His obstacle was Tony Blackburn's Wheel of Steel. Ant and Decs Saturday Night Takeaway is a television programme shown in the UK on Saturday evenings. ...

In 2007, Tony collaborated with The Wurzels to re-release I Am A Cider Drinker, in aid of a Bristol Prostate Cancer charity. The Wurzels perform at the University of Bath summer ball 2007. ... This article is about the English city. ... HRPC redirects here. ...

He left the Classic Gold breakfast show, upon the merger with Capital Gold, the same year. Classic Gold Logo Classic Gold Digital Network was one of the biggest gold formatted radio networks in the United Kingdom, with a potential audience of 47 million. ... Capital Gold is an oldies radio station which started in London in 1988 on Capital Radios AM frequency, as the British Government urged radio stations to end simulcasting (broadcasting the same programmes simultaneously on FM and AM) and threatening to remove one of their frequencies if simulcasting continued. ...

His autobiography, Poptastic; My Life in Radio was published in September 2007, by Cassell Illustrated.

On September 30, 2007 he co-presented a recreation of Radio 1's very first programme with Chris Moyles to mark the station's 40th birthday. Christopher Moyles (born February 22, 1974[2]) is an English broadcaster. ...

Upon leaving Classic Gold, Tony still continued with his Saturday Lunchtime show on BBC London 94.9 & also took over a 3 hour soul show on the kmfm network in Kent each Sunday afternoon from 4-7pm Classic Gold is one of the biggest gold formatted radio networks in the United Kingdom, with a potential audience of 47 million. ... BBC London 94. ... kmfm is the name of six Independent Local Radio stations and one digital station (on the Kent Digital Multiplex) owned by KM Radio Ltd, each broadcasting locally to a region of Kent. ...

Blackburn made celebrity guest appearances on Channel 4's Countdown in early October 2007. This article is about the British television station. ... Countdown is a British game show presented by Des OConnor and Carol Vorderman. ...

Current work

In January 2008, in addition to his 2 weekend shows, Tony began presenting a weekly show on KCFM 99.8fm in Hull and East Yorkshire from 10am each Friday. KCFM is the new independent local radio station based in Hull. ...

In February 2008 He took over the weekend breakfast show on Smooth Radio in London between 7am and 10am every Saturday and Sunday. 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... Smooth Radio is a brand of radio stations in the United Kingdom owned by GMG Radio. ...

Tony was covering for Graham Dene on 102.2 Smooth Radio's Breakfast Show on Thursday 14th and Friday 15th February 2008. He is also Graham Dene's holiday cover, and steps in whenever Graham is absent Monday-Friday. Graham Dene (born April 7th, 1949) is a British radio personality. ... 102. ...

Tony has recently announced plans to hook up with American rapper Fat Joe. Fat Joe has admitted being a big fan of Tony's and it has been rumoured they are working on a song together entitled "Dollars, Pounds and the Cheese". Joseph Antonio Cartagena (born August 19, 1970), better known by his stage name Fat Joe, is an American rapper of Puerto Rican descent, and is signed to Imperial Records. ...

On 9th March 2008, Tony began a new Sunday request show (in place of his Saturday show) on BBC London 94.9.

Tony's Weekend Breakfast show can now be heard on Smooth Radio in London, West Midlands, East Midlands, North West & Glasgow. Smooth Radio is a brand of radio stations in the United Kingdom owned by GMG Radio. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... // The West Midlands is an area of central England. ... The East Midlands is one of the regions of England and consists of most of the eastern half of the traditional region of the Midlands. ... Northwest is the ordinal direction halfway between west and north on a compass. ... For other uses, see Glasgow (disambiguation). ...

External links

• Tony Blackburn at the Internet Movie Database