Another voice from my past is silenced

[LVSteve]

Steve Wright, radio DJ passed on Monday. A broadcasting genius, he took the US radio "zoo" format and adapted it to British tastes. His afternoon show was required listening through the 1980s. He had characters on his show who "phoned in" like "Sid the Manager", a caricature of a dodgy East End impresario, "The Dude", a cool sounding black guy from the US, and the wonderful "Mr Angry from Purley", who always ended up so angry, he threw the 'phone down. Thing was these 'phone-in sections often referenced topical news stories.

One I remember was when there had been complaints about the surface of the M25 motorway around London. Sid the Manager called in and kept asking Steve to speak up. Steve asked why.

"I'm on the cellulite*, lad. We're on the M25 and I can't hear what you're saying".

The punchline was that I was driving on the M25 and had just wound up the volume on the radio so I could hear. * Sid always called cellphones "the cellulite".

Another time NASA had launched a satellite but something had gone wrong and they were unable to locate it. On the Steve Wright show that weekend, The Dude called in asking who things were going. During the conversation Steve suggested that The Dude should come and see him. The reply?

"Yeah, man, I was thinking of coming over to visit, but NASA lost my baggage".

I was howling with laughter.

That I remember all this 30-40 years later gives you a clue as to how much I, and many others, loved Steve's shows. Rest in Peace, Sir.

Steve Wright: A radio giant and a feel-good friend to millions

Steve Wright: DJs pay emotional tributes to '''radio legend'''

Steve Wright: Radio 2 listeners pay tribute - BBC News

BBC Sounds - Radio 2 Remembers Steve Wright - Available Episodes

 

[coltle6920]

Had a radio station here in Colorado back in the 90's. They would call people on the phone and air it live. Once in a while it was funny albeit at the expense of others. Other times it involved calling someone about a loved one in an accident or maybe a cheating partner.

A few times after hearing about a cheating spouse or something similar the person would say something like "I'll kill that ***" and quickly hang up. You could hear the DJ's jaw hit the floor wondering how the result of that call might turn out.

Was it just staged parody? All I know is that show wasn't on the air much longer.

 

[NFrameFred]

Radio - just one more thing that brought enjoyment and entertainment to the world that has been ruined by modern conglomerates and 'social influencers'.
Townes Van Zandt (if you don't know who he was I pity you - your musical education is sorely lacking) traveled all across the country hawking his vinyl records by hitting every radio station within walking/driving distance of the main thoroughfare. Back then, you could walk into the station, catch the manager and/or DJ that was on-air and talk them into listening to your record while one of their "spins" was broadcasting. If they liked it they would broadcast it and ask folks to call in if they liked what they heard. Townes carried two suitcases filled with his albums and hitch hiked across the country to try to make a name for himself.
These days, the wasteland that is radio and 'popular music' (notwithstanding the 'oldies stations' that play music that's 50-60 years old and endures) is run by preprogrammed feeds through computers and there may rarely if ever be a DJ on site. Their target audience is 13 to 15 year olds which is why you're hearing what passes for music these days that sounds like every other thing played before it, and is being played by 'musicians' that sample and steal older artist's work 'cause they can't/don't play their own instruments. Most can't 'sing' without Autotune. The record companies push the product like an addictive drug that is escapist but having no substance.
DJ's used to be personalities and they had their fingers on the pulse and brought musicians and singers to the fore that record companies often never gave a chance. These days, they've found ways to ensure they never lose the control they've seized now. Now, you hear what they want you to hear. I miss those days . . . today, Johnny Cash, John Fogerty, and even the Beatles would have a hard time getting a record contract.

 

[jeffrefrig]

Post #3 above, exactly why I pay for Sirius/XM. Although, most of what you listen to isn't "live" but mostly recorded, but the music I choose has some sort of substance. Also, a local college station has from one end of the spectrum to the other.
I never heard of the Steve Wright the DJ, but Steven Wright the comic is pretty darned funny, if he's still alive. I'll listen to those in the OP later on.
Thanks.