For almost 40 years, Steve Wright has been a dependable and upbeat companion to millions of devoted listeners on Radio 1. Prior to moving his popularity to Radio 2, he was one of the most well-liked figures on Radio 1.
Wright was a titan of British radio, whether he was fronting his exuberant crew on Radio 1 in the 1980s, hosting his Big Show on Radio 2, or spinning some Sunday Love Songs. His pleasant and comforting voice made listeners feel confident in his company.
In addition, he was a real radio pioneer. He put a British twist on the American "zoo" style by assembling a group of quirky and cheerful characters (remember Mr. Angry, the apoplectic one, and Sid the Manager, who would never stop talking?) and made sure that each listener felt like a part of the show.
69-year-old Radio 2 host Steve Wright passes away
BBC Audio: Steve Wright is remembered on Radio 2.
Wright, who was born in south London, began his career as a record library employee of the BBC before going into local radio and co-hosting a programme called Read and Wright alongside another future Radio 1 DJ Mike Read.
Wright, like many other broadcasters, received a break at the commercial station Radio Luxembourg before becoming one of the new wave of DJs hired by Radio 1 in 1980.
After being assigned to a Saturday slot at first, he advanced to a weekday afternoon show the following year, which he would dominate until 1993.
He was promoted to the breakfast show in 1994, at a contentious period for the station when many of the more senior DJs were controversially fired. However, he departed the following year, citing the "challenge" of the flagship slot.
He briefly worked for commercial radio station Talk Radio before joining Radio 2 in 1996 as the station looked to expand its listener base.
He did not alter his signature vivacious approach; however, he did make certain adjustments for the elder audience. He was joked by Radio 2 controller Jim Moir, who hired him, "Whatever you do, Wrighty, don't frighten the horses."
Before bringing Steve Wright back to life in the station's afternoon slot in 1999, Wright was first heard on Radio 2 on Saturday mornings.
In a tribute on Tuesday, fellow Radio 2 host Jeremy Vine remarked, "It was three hours of relentless energy."
"He would come in at 09.00 or 10.00 in the morning every single day, five days a week, and all of us, maybe just a bit younger than him, would just watch in wonder at what he did."
The components of American radio research Wright's programme took a great deal of effort to create. "It was driven by this obsession that he had, this passion for radio," Vine explained.
DJ Tom Robinson of BBC 6 Music remembered approaching Wright for guidance in 2006 and wrote down his "nine commandments" for a great broadcast.
Among them were the following tips: "keep the energy up" and change it up with each part; "have pegs in your programme - things you always do - and always do them"; and "think ahead so you know what'll do next."
After learning of Wright's passing, another former coworker, Nicky Campbell, referred to him as "a complete and utter radio genius".
"He was such an inspiration that you could be creative, you could be irreverent, you could try and be funny," recalled Campbell.
"It was amazing to watch him think at such a rapid pace—his mind was like lightning. Steve never let a minute be uninteresting."
Wright was renowned for keeping his personal life secret off-air, to the point where others called him mysterious. He got married to Cyndi Robinson in 1985, and the two of them got divorced in 1999. They have two kids together.
In addition, he hosted other TV shows, such as The Steve Wright People Show and Top of the Pops. But his natural habitat was radio.
A recipient of the most recent New Year's Honours, he dedicated his MBE "to all the people in broadcasting who gave comfort and public service during the pandemic".
After 25 years as the host of Radio 2's heartfelt Sunday Love Songs, he took over as host of the beloved Pick of the Pops late last year.
That followed his 23-year departure from the afternoon slot. He claimed that the controller of the station had informed him that she intended to do "something different" with his mid-afternoon slot, but he didn't seem to take it personally.
He summed out his strategy during his last afternoon broadcast on Radio 2 in 2022.
"I've tried on this programme to bring just a little bit of light relief, a good genuine atmosphere, uplifting tunes, good conversation, a little bit of satire," he stated.
"I've tried to be a good companion and make the show distinctive. All I can do is hope that we have occasionally accomplished that.
No comments:
Post a Comment