Johnnie Walker (DJ)
Johnnie Walker MBE (born Peter Dingley, 30 March 1945 in Birmingham, England) is a radio disc jockey. He was educated at Solihull School.
Walker, unlike most radio personalities, approaches his radio sessions with a relaxed charm and common touch. His natural ability to remain in the background when interviewing guests is greatly appreciated by his listeners.
Walker's outlook is slightly anti-establishment, often claiming "nobody rebels anymore". He is moderately conservative and often criticises attitudes that he perceives as pedantry or political correctness.
On February 27, 2006, he announced his departure from the Radio 2 drive time slot, and now presents a Sunday show specialising in rock documentaries.
During his seven years on the coveted drive time slot, Walker has conducted many interviews, stories and features - covering less glitzy topics and bringing attention to environmental issues, spiritual experiences, musicians and artists outside of the mainstream, even alien theorists - a topic Walker likes to play around with.
Early career
Pirate radio
Walker's broadcasting career began in 1966 on offshore pirate radio station Swinging Radio England, before moving to Radio Caroline. When the Government closed the pirate stations down in 1967, three presenters were still broadcasting: Johnnie, Robbie Dale and Ross Brown. At midnight on 15 August 1967, addressing an estimated 20 million listeners[citation needed], they said that the station belonged to them, that it would continue and that the new Marine Offences Act had actually officially acknowledged the station's legality[citation needed].
BBC Radio 1
Walker then joined BBC Radio 1 in April 1969, presenting a two hour Saturday afternoon show from 1-3 pm. A year later, in 1970, Walker then presented a one hour weekday morning slot from 9-10am, moving to the weekday early afternoon show in 1971, from 1-3 pm, which then went out from 12-2 pm in 1973. The show featured the music quiz 'Pop the Question' and the Tuesday chart rundown.
In 1976, station bosses fell out with Walker over the music he played and about how it was seen not to fit in with the station's daytime music line up. He was also told off for criticising The Bay City Rollers - then at the height of their popularity - on air, describing them as "musical garbage". As a result of these disagreements, he left Radio 1 and moved to California where he recorded a weekly show for Radio Luxembourg.
Return to UK
Local radio
Walker returned to the UK in the early 1980s and in 1982 presented Radio West's evening show 'The Modern World'. In September 1983 he joined Wiltshire Radio presenting the 11 am-2 pm slot. He was subsequently heard on GWR, later to become a huge radio conglomerate, but originally just the station created by the merger of these two stations in 1985.
Return to Radio 1
In January 1987, Johnnie re-joined Radio 1 presenting the Saturday afternoon show 'The Stereo Sequence', before Roger Scott took over the show in mid-1988. In July 1988, he was briefly heard on Richard Branson's syndicated service The Superstation.
BBC GLR
In October 1988, Johnnie was one of the original presenters on the new BBC local station in London BBC GLR, in a lineup which included Nick Abbot, Emma Freud, Tommy Vance and Dave Pearce and was run by future Radio 1 controller Matthew Bannister. Here, Johnnie presented the weekday Lunchtime slot from 12-3 pm.
BBC Radio 5
In August 1990 Johnnie joined the newly launched BBC Radio 5, presenting the weekday mid-morning slot, 'The AM Alternative', which was broadcast Mondays to Fridays from 9.30am - 12 noon. He remained with Radio 5 until March 1994 when the station was re-launched as BBC Radio Five Live He then moved back to BBC GLR presenting the morning show..
Returned again to Radio 1
In September 1991, in addition to presenting for Radio 5, Johnnie returned again to Radio 1, taking over from Richard Skinner on the 'Saturday Sequence', every Saturday afternoon from 3-7 pm. He went out from 3-6 pm in March 1992.
He remained on this show until October 1993, moving to a Saturday evening show, which went out from 7-11 pm, before moving back to Saturday afternoons in November 1994 from 2-5 pm, where he remained until he left Radio 1 for good in October 1995.
In early 1996, Johnnie was heard on various Classic Gold stations around the UK on Saturday lunchtimes from 12-2 pm.
Radio 2
In 1997, in addition to his Classic Gold shows, Johnnie was heard on BBC Radio 2 presenting documentaries and filling in for presenters.
In April 1998, Johnnie was offered his own weekly show on Radio 2, presenting a two hour Saturday afternoon show, 3.30-5.30pm, then six months later, as well as Saturday afternoons, Johnnie took over from John Dunn on the Drivetime show from 5-7 pm Monday to Thursday. Des Lynam presented Friday's edition.
In early 1999, Walker came off his show having been the victim of a tabloid sting expose over his cocaine problem [1].BBC Radio 2 bosses gave Walker back his drivetime show after he was fined £2,000 for admitting possession of cocaine. He was suspended by the BBC when the drug allegations were published in the News of the World in April 1999.
Richard Allinson filled in for him on Drivetime and Janice Long took over the Saturday afternoon show. Other presenters looked after Richard's weekday Monday to Thursday 10.30pm-12 midnight slot. Walker returned to his Drivetime Show, Monday to Friday; Janice remained on Saturday afternoons.
Illness announced
Walker shocked a lot of listeners in June 2003 when he announced that he was suffering from cancer. He ended his show by stating he was beginning a course of treatment and would be taking some time off to recover, after which he played 'Bridge over Troubled Water' by Simon and Garfunkel. Stuart Maconie filled in for him, then on Thursday 24 July 2003, the BBC announced that Noel Edmonds would be joining Radio 2, to present the Drivetime show for 8 weeks. Noel took over the slot from Monday 4 August until Friday 3 October.
Walker's recovery continued, but there was to be no return after Noel's run. Stuart Maconie continued as stand-in, and at the beginning of Monday 6 October's Drivetime show, Stuart played Bruce Springsteen's 'Born To Run' especially for Walker, remarked that he was doing well, and that he was due to return at the end of the year.
On 12 February 2004, Radio 2 announced that Walker would be returning on March 1. This was then followed by his own personal message. 'Well, it's taken a lot longer than I originally thought, but I reckon I'm fit enough now to come back to the Drive Time Show on Monday 1st March. I'd like to thank Jim Moir and Lesley Douglas for keeping the door open for me all this time, and also to Stuart Maconie for doing such a great job on the show while I've been away. And a huge thank you to Radio 2 listeners for all their wonderful support since I left the show in June 2003. I've been very lucky to have had so many good wishes and kindness sent in my direction, it helped enormously with my recovery - thank you so much. It will be great for us to be re-united again from 1st March.
On Monday 1 March, Walker returned to the national airwaves. His first record was Eric Clapton's 'Hello Old Friend' which includes the lyrics '…it's so good to have you back'. Coincidentally, Walker and Clapton were born on the same day. Walker later presented a show on Radio 2 to celebrate the fact that they were both turning 60.
Johnnie Walker was awarded the MBE in the 2006 New Year's Honours List.
New Projects
In February 2006, it was announced that Johnnie was stepping down as host of Radio 2's Drivetime show, to take over a show on Sundays & also conduct interviews with Rock musicians. His last drivetime show was on the 31st March, with Neil Diamond as a guest. The final song played by Walker on the show was "Human Touch" by Bruce Springsteen. Since April 23rd, Johnnie has been presenting a new show on Sundays from 5-7 pm and also continues to deputise for Terry Wogan on Radio 2's Breakfast Show. As well as his Sunday show, Walker was also deputising for Brian Matthew on Radio 2's long-running Sounds of the 60s until the programme broadcast on 25th November 2006. He returned on the programme broadcast on 6th January 2007, following a spell in hospital. He has also returned to his Sunday show.