C792 Media Guide for Radio, Television & Modern Life

Short Bio

Antony Kenneth Blackburn (born 29 January 1943) is an English disc jockey who broadcast on the "pirate" stations Radio Caroline and Radio London in the 1960s. He was in a group called Tony Blackburn and the Rovers which performed in the Bournemouth and surrounding areas. His singing career failed to take off, despite 14 singles being released, and he focused on being a DJ instead. He was the first DJ on BBC Radio 1 when it was launched on 30 September 1967, and presented The Radio 1 Breakfast Show until 1973. The first words spoken on BBC Radio 1 were "...and good morning everyone! Welcome to the exciting new sound of Radio 1." His cheery style and corny jokes ensured his household reputation and made him a popular figure with some, though his dislike of heavy and progressive rock and punk/new wave made him a hate figure with others. His fellow Radio 1 DJ John Peelwould often derisively refer to him as "Timmy Bannockburn." It was largely due to him that "I'm Still Waiting" by Diana Ross, which was initially just an album track, was released as a single in the UK in 1971 and reached number one. Having left BBC Radio 1 after 17 years he took over BBC Radio London's weekday mid-morning show in 1984. On 6 November 2010, Blackburn replaced Dale Winton as the regular host of BBC Radio 2's Pick of the Pops programme