Star Q&A: Tony Blackburn

Radio DJ legend, dad & grandad Tony Blackburn chats to Liz Nicholls ahead of his Sounds Of The 60s live tour at a theatre near you

Q. Hello Tony! How are you? You’ve just had a big birthday, I believe?

“Hello! Yes, I’m great thank you. I just had my 80th last Sunday, at Cliveden. As you might know, it’s where the Profumo Affair happened… not that you’d remember that! I stayed there with family on my 70th too – it was great fun. It was a family get-together and was meant to be a surprise then my wife accidentally told me where we were staying and let it out the bag.

Then the person who booked us in let my daughter’s name slip so I knew she was coming, plus my son and grandchildren. Over the last two weeks we’ve done six theatre shows which I love. As long as you enjoy what you’re doing, that’s the main thing.”

Q. What’s your first memory of music?

“When I was a youngster, four or five, loving music and listening to people like Frankie Laine. I had a deep love of soul music right from the word go because my dad, who was a doctor down in Poole, he loved Jackie Wilson and we used to play him over & over again. I’ve always loved black soul music particularly. I just loved Motown, people like Marvin Gaye and Sam Cook, all the original people, I just loved them, and I’ve been lucky enough to get to know them over the years as well.”

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