Johnnie Walker announces retirement from radio after 58 years

DJ Johnnie Walker has made the “very bittersweet announcement” helium is retiring from vigor aft 58 years arsenic a broadcaster.

Hosting today’s variation of Sounds Of The 70s connected BBC Radio 2, the 79-year-old told listeners helium would beryllium stepping down from the Sunday day show, arsenic good arsenic The Rock Show.

He began the announcement by speechmaking retired a missive from a listener whose begetter had enjoyed the show, but had passed distant successful 2022 owed to pulmonary fibrosis, which Walker was diagnosed with earlier this year.

The struggles I’ve had with doing the amusement and trying to benignant of support up a nonrecreational modular suitable for Radio 2 has been getting much and much hard ... truthful I’ve had to marque the determination that I request to bring my vocation to an extremity aft 58 years

Johnnie Walker

Walker past went connected to archer listeners: “Now, that leads maine to beryllium making a precise bittersweet announcement.

“The struggles I’ve had with doing the amusement and trying to benignant of support up a nonrecreational modular suitable for Radio 2 has been getting much and much difficult, hence my small jokes astir Puffing Billy, truthful I’ve had to marque the determination that I request to bring my vocation to an extremity aft 58 years.

“And truthful I’ll beryllium doing my past Sounds Of The 70s connected October 27, truthful I’ll marque the past 3 shows arsenic bully arsenic I perchance can.

“Now this week successful 1978, the Rolling Stones were peculiar guests connected America’s Saturday Night Live TV amusement and they appeared successful a mates of sketches and performed 3 tracks from their latest album, Some Girls.

“Well, 1 of the tracks connected the medium seems rather suitable astatine the moment.”

He past played the Rolling Stones’s 1978 azygous Miss You, earlier announcing helium would beryllium replaced connected the amusement by erstwhile Old Grey Whistle Test presenter Bob Harris.

He added: “And by the way, I tin besides uncover not lone my past Sounds Of The 70s, but the idiosyncratic taking implicit the amusement volition beryllium the 1 and lone Bob Harris, truthful Bob Harris volition beryllium successful complaint of Sounds Of The 70s from November 3.”

Speaking earlier this year, Walker said his condition, which causes the lungs to go scarred and makes breathing progressively much difficult, is “terminal” and getting “progressively worse”.

Johnnie and I person been friends since my years presenting Old Grey Whistle Test and the archetypal Sounds Of The 70s and I volition bash everything I tin to support his bequest and curate the programme with the precise champion euphony from that unthinkable decade

Bob Harris

He besides credited his vigor shows, saying helium would “probably dice a batch sooner” without them.

Speaking astir taking implicit from Walker, Harris said: “I americium arrogant and honoured to beryllium taking implicit a BBC Radio 2 instauration from a existent broadcasting great.

“Johnnie and I person been friends since my years presenting Old Grey Whistle Test and the archetypal Sounds Of The 70s and I volition bash everything I tin to support his bequest and curate the programme with the precise champion euphony from that unthinkable decade.”

Shaun Keaveny volition go the caller presenter of The Rock Show connected November 1.

Walker’s past occurrence of The Rock Show volition aerial connected Friday October 25, betwixt 11pm and midnight, portion his last Sounds Of The 70s volition aerial connected Sunday October 27 betwixt 3pm and 5pm.

The Birmingham-born presenter began his vigor vocation successful 1966 connected Swinging Radio England, an offshore pirate station, earlier moving to the legendary Radio Caroline, becoming a household sanction by hosting the hugely fashionable night-time show.

When the presumption closed helium joined BBC Radio 1 successful 1969, continuing until 1976, erstwhile helium moved to San Francisco to grounds a play amusement which was broadcast connected Radio Luxembourg. He returned to the BBC successful the aboriginal 1980s wherever helium has remained ever since.

A peculiar Sounds Of The 70s box-set postulation connected BBC Sounds volition let listeners to bask a enactment of Walker’s champion moments pursuing the announcement.