Johnnie Walker

Birmingham-born Walker began his DJ career at the age of 20, working in ballrooms in his home town. While working as a ballroom DJ, he also worked during the day as a car salesman but decided to become a disc jockey full-time.

He left his sales job and, three days later, was with Swinging Radio England (after failing an audition with Radio Luxembourg). After an 18-month stint, he switched ships to Radio Caroline South in October 1966 – and on his late-night show, organised his “Kiss in the Car” spot for which a vast number of his fans were “licensed” to take part – before eventually joining the BBC in April 1969.

A year later, Walker presented a one-hour weekday morning slot, then moved to the weekday early-afternoon show in 1971.

In 1976, Walker had a dispute with station management over the music he played, which didn’t fit the station’s daytime music line-up. He was also reprimanded for criticising The Bay City Rollers – then at the height of their popularity – on air, describing them as “musical garbage”.

As a result, he left Radio 1 for a while and moved to the United States, where he stayed for five years, working at radio stations KSAN in San Francisco, KPFA in Berkeley, California, and WHFS in Bethesda, Maryland.

He returned to the UK and rejoined Radio 1 in 1987. Walker told listeners in June 2003 that he was suffering from cancer and ended his show by explaining he was beginning treatment and would be taking time off to recover.

He died on 31 December 2024, aged 79.