成人论坛

DJ Johnnie Walker takes a deep and very personal recollection of his colourful life, with over 58 years in the broadcasting business, from pirate radio to Radio 1 to KSAN in the USA to Radio West to GLR to 5Live and ultimately Radio 2. Along the way, he soundtracks the ups and downs of his adventurous life with the music that mattered most and that defined the key moments.

Johnnie Walker made his name in the 60s with the pirate ship Radio Caroline. Johnnie's night time show was infamous, and on the night of 14 August 1967, as he and 'Caroline' continued in defiance of Government legislation, he had over 20 million people tuning in.

During his first seven-year period with Radio 1 from 1969 to 1976, Johnnie Walker established a reputation as a DJ who accorded more importance to the records he played than the chat in between. On his lunchtime show, he pioneered new names like Steve Harley, Lou Reed, Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles, and Steely Dan. Pop The Question and the Tuesday Chart Rundown were other well remembered features of the show.

Johnnie became front page news when he described the Bay City Rollers as 'musical garbage', and his outspoken views and insistence on playing album tracks led to a showdown with his Radio 1 boss, who told him that he was "too way into the music man".

Ultimately Johnnie left the UK for America, where he lived and toured the country in a silver RV. He moved to San Francisco in 1976 and started broadcasting on KSAN, until his devotion to the music got in the way again!

Johnnie returned to the UK in the early 80s, and following stints with ILR stations Radio West and Wiltshire Radio in the West Country, he returned to Radio 1 to present 'The Stereo Sequence'. Johnnie then worked on a number of stations including 5Live, Radio Radio and GLR before starting at Radio 2. Johnnie then took over the famous Drivetime slot on the station.

Then, on June 5th 2003, he announced to the nation that he was taking time off to battle cancer. He returned to the station 6 months after and then won the Gold Award at the Sonys. In April 2006, Johnnie began his Sunday show on Radio 2 reflecting spirituality. That same year he was awarded an MBE in the Queen's New Year's Honours List. On 5th April 2009, Johnnie took over Sounds of the 70s, a programme that he has loved presenting to this day.

As Johnnie's Exec producer and producer of this programme, it was an absolute privilege to take a real deep dive into Johnnie's life with him. He completely opened up and gave a really genuine account of his life with some truly deep personal thoughts - it's a real ride through all the ups and downs, from the rebel who refused to tow the line, to the cheeky music aficionado, to the profoundly spiritual person who has touched the lives of millions. Johnnie Walker, we salute you!