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28/11/2006
DJ Alan Freeman dies aged 79
Veteran radio presenter and DJ Alan 'Fluff' Freeman has died peacefully after a brief illness aged 79.
Freeman, , who had been living in a nursing home since he was diagnosed with arthritis in 2000, had amassed a radio following as one of his generation's leading DJ talents with catchphrases that included "not 'arf" and "greetings, pop pickers".
An Australian by birth, his first DJ job after arriving in Britain in 1957, was with Radio Luxembourg as a fill-in presenter. He then secured a job with the BBC Light Programme and went on to spend over 50 years in the business. Freeman was a regular on television show 'Top of the Pops' in its heyday.
In 1961 he launched the concept of his listeners as "pop pickers" and addressed his audience as "music lovers". But his final broadcasts focused on his beloved world of opera, presenting 'Their Greatest Bits' for BBC Radio 2 from 1997 until 2001.
Freeman's warm modesty ensured that listeners rarely caught even a glimpse of the man himself as his broadcasts sought to create the perfect context within which the music itself could best be appreciated.
His self-effacing approach to his professional role ensured that he enjoyed the friendship of colleagues throughout the worlds of music and music radio.
His personal manager for the last 20 years, Tim Blackmore, said: "Alan was a naturally warm man who never quite understood the nature of his appeal.
"He cared passionately for music of all kinds, for his family and for his friends.
"Yet through all his professional success, he still retained a total bewilderment that so much success and affection should have come his way.
"His was the creation of the chart countdown, his was the stunning combination of rock music and classical music, and his was the creation of minimalism in the art of the DJ.
"We will not see his like again, and our debt in response to his contribution is without equal."
Lesley Douglas, Controller, BBC Radio 2 said: "The words 'unique' and 'iconic' are overused but in Alan Freeman's case they are absolutely appropriate. He was a great broadcaster who was loved by listeners and colleagues alike."
(SP/KMcA)
Freeman, , who had been living in a nursing home since he was diagnosed with arthritis in 2000, had amassed a radio following as one of his generation's leading DJ talents with catchphrases that included "not 'arf" and "greetings, pop pickers".
An Australian by birth, his first DJ job after arriving in Britain in 1957, was with Radio Luxembourg as a fill-in presenter. He then secured a job with the BBC Light Programme and went on to spend over 50 years in the business. Freeman was a regular on television show 'Top of the Pops' in its heyday.
In 1961 he launched the concept of his listeners as "pop pickers" and addressed his audience as "music lovers". But his final broadcasts focused on his beloved world of opera, presenting 'Their Greatest Bits' for BBC Radio 2 from 1997 until 2001.
Freeman's warm modesty ensured that listeners rarely caught even a glimpse of the man himself as his broadcasts sought to create the perfect context within which the music itself could best be appreciated.
His self-effacing approach to his professional role ensured that he enjoyed the friendship of colleagues throughout the worlds of music and music radio.
His personal manager for the last 20 years, Tim Blackmore, said: "Alan was a naturally warm man who never quite understood the nature of his appeal.
"He cared passionately for music of all kinds, for his family and for his friends.
"Yet through all his professional success, he still retained a total bewilderment that so much success and affection should have come his way.
"His was the creation of the chart countdown, his was the stunning combination of rock music and classical music, and his was the creation of minimalism in the art of the DJ.
"We will not see his like again, and our debt in response to his contribution is without equal."
Lesley Douglas, Controller, BBC Radio 2 said: "The words 'unique' and 'iconic' are overused but in Alan Freeman's case they are absolutely appropriate. He was a great broadcaster who was loved by listeners and colleagues alike."
(SP/KMcA)
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