Johnnie Walker’s legacy in the radio industry was undeniably influenced by his early experiences in pirate broadcasting. He began his career at the age of 21 on “Swinging” Radio England, where he changed his name from Peter Dingley to Johnnie Walker. The boat was one of several floating stations outside of BBC’s jurisdiction that broadcasted 60s pop. This allowed Walker to play the rock, soul, and underground music that weren’t reaching the top of the charts.
As a DJ on the pirate mothership Radio Caroline, his personality was laid back and relaxed. He became known for his on-air code phrase of “running out of tea”, which really meant that the boat was running out of his favorite type of herbal cigarettes. As a symbol of the spirit of the pirates, he read a defiant speech at midnight of 14 August 1967 when the government decided to crack down on pirate radio stations.
Johnnie Walker’s eclectic taste in music made him a standout in the BBC Radio One lineup when he joined in 1969. Despite being accused of being “too into the music”, he continued to play album tracks and songs outside of the approved playlist. While he championed Lou Reed’s “Walk on the Wild Side”, his boss only allowed it to stay on the playlist because they had never heard the phrase “giving head”.
Walker left BBC Radio One after his controversial statement about Bay City Rollers, labeling their music as “garbage”. He went to work for KSAN in San Francisco, until punk music came along, which wasn’t favored by the manager. After a few mishaps, he eventually found a home at Radio 2, where he presented “Sounds of the 70s” until his retirement in October after 58 years on the air
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
