Johnnie Walker: Radio’s Rock and Roll Pirate

Johnnie Walker’s long radio career was shaped by his early years as a pirate broadcaster circling the seas on Radio Caroline in the 1960s.

Even 50 years later, his wife Tiggy refers to him as “the pirate”.

This has been more than appropriate, given that there have been more than a few battles with bosses in his time on mainstream radio.

His DJ career began at the age of 21, when he was first offered the opportunity to play records on ‘Swinging’ Radio England, a boat moored four miles off the coast of Essex.

In return, they asked him to change his name – to a more rock ‘n’ roll sounding Johnnie Walker than Peter Dingley.

The boat was one of a number of floating stations that took advantage of a loophole in the law that allowed them to broadcast the sounds of 60s pop to the country in order to satisfy the BBC’s monopoly on the UK airwaves. could reach the radios of At this point there was a great deal of resistance.

Walker led to a rebellious spirit. His years at public school had developed a hatred of authority, and he went out of his way to fail his O-levels. Radio allowed him to embrace his passion – music – especially rock, soul and underground sounds that weren’t making it to the top of the singles charts.

Occasionally, he went to another boat, Radio London, to talk to a kindred spirit, a young DJ who was starting to make a name for himself for John Peel.

Walker then moved to the pirates’ mothership, the Radio Caroline.

His style was laid back, unlike the conversational and highly formatted slick patter of many other DJs.

This behavior may have something to do with his favorite sources of relaxation on board. He even had an on-air code – he said the boat was short of tea to signal that they were running out of his favorite type of herbal cigarettes.

His time on board also coincided with the government’s decision to crack down on piracy. Walker went on the air at midnight on August 14, 1967, when the law outlawing piracy went into effect.

He read a defiant speech declaring: “We are yours and we love you.” His reputation as a symbol of the pirate spirit was certain.

However, in 1969 he changed direction and joined the establishment of BBC Radio One. It was not the easiest of relationships.

He said he was accused of being “too much into music”. He used to perform his shows with album tracks and songs off the approved playlist.

When he championed Walk on the Wild Side, Lou Reed’s song about sex, drugs and transgender bohemia, he had questions from his BBC boss. It only stayed on the playlist because they never encountered the phrase “nod.”

Walker also loved Bruce Springsteen and the Eagles. Chap, chap, chap, not so much.

The cheesy sound of ’70s mainstream radio wasn’t his thing. On a Radio One program, he and Pell recalled watching, stunned, as Bay City Rollers fans caused chaos.

“Bay City Roller fans were jumping into the lake to get close to their idols who were in a boat. John Peel turned to me and said, ‘Johnny, notice, this is one of the strangest places. One of the best you’ll ever see’.

“And then looking swiftly came Tony Blackburn in another boat, manned by a Womble.”

Shortly thereafter, he parted ways with Radio One after calling the Bay City Rollers “musical garbage”. He decided to go for American Radio Independence. It had its ups and downs.

KSAN in San Francisco, with its laid-back FM rock playlist, seemed like a perfect match until Punk came along. This was not to the manager’s taste and Walker was soon looking for work elsewhere.

His sideline of sending back pre-recorded shows to Radio Luxembourg also ended when he played the records at the wrong speed.

By the early 80s, he was back in the UK and on the dole.

His return to the airwaves included a spell in independent local radio before returning to the BBC. He again appeared on BBC GLR saying that when Margaret Thatcher resigned as Prime Minister in 1990, there would be dancing in the streets.

But, despite setbacks, it eventually found a home at Radio 2.

However, it almost came to an end when the notorious News of the World fake sheikh staged a sting in 1999 and forced him to reveal his drug habit. That, he said, was his lowest point. But after a trip to rehab, a £2,000 fine and a promise that he had changed his ways, he was allowed to return to Radio 2.

And there he stayed. He was even awarded an MBE.

The music that had been frowned upon by the bosses in the 70s had now become classic rock and had a loyal fan base that recognized him as one of their own.

Being “so much into music”, he was now the definitive voice of the ’70s.

He presented a show of that name, and Radio 2’s Rock Show, until health problems forced him to retire in October after 58 years on the air.