Johnnie Walker signs off final Rock Show by thanking producer

Radio DJ Johnnie Walker has signed disconnected his last occurrence hosting BBC Radio 2’s The Rock Show by saying acknowledgment to his producer.

The seasoned presenter, 79, announced earlier successful the period that helium was retiring from vigor aft 58 years owed to sick health, having been antecedently diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).

His information causes the lungs to go scarred and makes breathing progressively much difficult, according to the NHS, and helium has regularly broadcast for respective years from his location successful Dorset.

Taking to the air, Walker told listeners that helium was “taking implicit the show”, and volition beryllium choosing “some of my favourite stone anthems to acceptable into the programme”, which helium launched successful 2018.

For his archetypal way helium played Sweet Jane from Steve Hunter, Dick Wagner and Lou Reed, ending the amusement with what helium called the “classic”, The Who’s Won’t Get Fooled Again.

He encouraged listeners to tune successful to Shaun Keaveny, who becomes the caller big of The Rock Show connected November 1.

He besides said: “I ever accidental astatine the extremity the amusement acknowledgment to Liz ‘Queen of Rock’ Barnes, she is the ‘Queen of Rock’, and she has enactment successful truthful overmuch work, putting this stone amusement together, crafting it beautifully, and mixing up aged songs and caller songs and I cognize you’ve appreciated the aged and the caller together.”

He added that his shaper had done a “magnificent job” and said “thank you” to her.

Walker besides played Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats’ I Need Never Get Old during the hour-long occurrence and, referencing the title, helium said “if lone that were true, I wouldn’t beryllium giving up The Rock Show”.

Each week the programme asks guests to sanction their “rock god”, and Walker picked Bruce Springsteen, saying helium was a “lovely man”.

His last occurrence hosting Sounds Of The 70s volition aerial astatine the weekend.

Walker’s woman Tiggy, who is his carer, shared an representation of him connected societal media preparing for the show, wearing a large curly wig and pinkish shirt.

She wrote: “For his last Rock Show connected ⁦@BBCRadio2 ⁩Johnnie ⁦@piratejw thought he’d formal for the occasion…”

Walker told listeners connected October 6 helium was “making a precise bittersweet announcement” and vowed helium would “make the past 3 shows arsenic bully arsenic I perchance can”.

Former The Old Grey Whistle Test presenter Bob Harris is the caller Sounds Of The 70s presenter from November 3.

Birmingham-born Walker began successful pirate vigor with Swinging Radio England successful 1966 earlier moving to the offshore Radio Caroline.

He departed aft the presumption closed for BBC Radio 1 successful 1969, continuing until 1976 and aboriginal moving to San Francisco, wherever helium recorded a play amusement broadcast connected Radio Luxembourg.

In the aboriginal 1980s helium returned to the BBC and has remained determination ever since.