'The Man' himself
Meeting a legend of my youth
‘He’s here – he’s on!’ the female voice would excitedly tell listeners. Cue the twangy guitar of Duane Eddy playing his big UK hit, Because They’re Young.
So who was here?
Who was on?
If you need to ask these questions then you certainly weren’t tuning in to Radio Caroline in the second half of the 1960s. During that fabulous era of pirate ship radio when Caroline was for young music fans, The Station, for millions like me, Johnnie Walker was without doubt, The Man.
Johnnie, of course, went on to become a major star on the BBC’s Radio One, and Radio Two stations. Now, thirty-two years after the original Radio Caroline was finally driven off the air in 1968 by the Marine Broadcasting Offences Act, I was actually going to meet The Man. I’d been invited to be Johnnie’s 6.30pm guest on his Radio Two Drive Time Show. Yes, here was my chance to chat with a guy who in my eyes was a legend and the absolute embodiment of so many youthful memories.
You can hear this complete interview in two parts, right here.
NOTE: The telephone order line quoted by Johnnie at the end of this interview no longer exists, so please do not waste your time (and possibly money) by calling it.