Johnnie Walker (DJ)
Johnnie Walker, MBE ( born March 30, 1945 in Birmingham, England, real name: Peter Dingley ) is a British radio presenter and DJ. In the UK it is one of the most popular radio personalities.
Life
After completing his schooling in 1961 Walker worked as a car mechanic and car salesman. On the side he started from the end of 1964 under the name of Peter Dee every Friday evening at the Locarno Ballroom in Birmingham hang records. In the following years he received further commitment and his side job took him more and more to complete. In 1966 he finally decided to abandon his previous day job and instead to turn his hobby into a full time job.
He was hired by Seepiratensender Swinging Radio England before its first broadcast in May 1966 as a disc jockey. However, he was allowed to occur here no longer than Peter Dee, because this name to strong resemblance to the had of his colleague Roger Day. So he slept with as a new DJ name Johnnie Walker and uses it still today.
Simultaneously with the rather abrupt termination of the transmission operation of Swinging Radio England on November 4, 1966 also ended Walker's work for this station and he moved in the same month the competition station Radio Caroline. There was not only he best known for his nightly three-hour Johnnie Walker show a very large listener audience, but he was wearing at the same time no small way to the legendary success of Radio Caroline at.
When the British Marine Broadcasting Offences Act came into force on August 15, 1967 as a law in force and threatened any support from pirate stations with punishment, it was Radio Caroline as the sole of his time numerous offshore radio, which defied the law and defiantly continued ended. And in front of the microphone sat Johnnie Walker, as was on this day around 0 Clock Radio Caroline into illegality.
After Radio Caroline began broadcasting in 1968 interrupted for several years, joined Walker in 1969 on BBC Radio 1, where he remained seven years. His desire to want to play in his shows not only singles but also album title and his claim that the Bay City Rollers were " musical garbage", led to a tangible row with the Program Director. With the consequence that in 1976 not only the station, but beyond even his homeland left and moved to California. There he worked for the station KSAN in San Francisco. In addition, he created pre-produced weekly shows that have been broadcast in Europe on Radio Luxembourg.
In 1981 he returned to England and worked for the local commercial radio station Radio West and Wiltshire Radio in Bristol, which merged in 1985 to GWR.
In January 1987, Walker went back to the BBC family. He has since had programs on BBC Radio 1, BBC GLR, BBC Radio 5, and finally BBC Radio 2, for which he, Monday through Friday, the two-hour drive time show hosted since 1998. From June 2003 to February 2004, however, he had to stop for health reasons. Currently, he hosts Sunday afternoons on BBC Radio 2, the Johnnie Walker show.
In May 2007, his life story was published under the title: " The Autobiography ", Author: Johnnie Walker.
Walker is married and has two children.
Awards
- In 2004, Walker the Sony Radio Gold Award, presented by Elton John.
- 2006 Member of the British Empire - MBE