R.I.P. Brian Matthew

[qbman1]

So sorry to hear that Brian Matthew has passed away. He provided the soundtrack to a generation (not necessarily mine!!) and I am sure many will have fond memories of listening to him over the years.

[Ranchi]

That's really sad. I regret the passing of some of the older members of Radio2's Dj group. Certainly Brian Matthew & Desmond Carrington ( & to a lesser extent Hubert Gregg) provided a style of listening that mixed vintage music with background information/ themes to add an extra dimension to their shows. As an aside, I thoroughly enjoyed Bob Dylan's Themed Radio Shows a few years back. I find the replacement shows (Tony B) disappointing; frivolous and too much centred around the DJ's personality. The Friday evening drive & Saturday breakfast will not be the same in future.

[GillD46]

I listened to his last show recently.

[qbman1]

Sounds like reports of Brian Matthew's death are greatly exaggerated!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/04 ... s-aged-88/

That's a bit embarrassing for the BBC !

[Mervyn and Trish]

Yes, Critically ill but not dead.

[qbman1]

Clearly his resurrection was another Easter miracle !

[towny44]

Yes, Critically ill but not dead.

A bit like the BBC then?

[Mervyn and Trish]

Sadly it seems the BBC news was not actually wrong but premature.

Great loss

[qbman1]

Yes, he's sadly really gone now. Seems a "family member" originally tipped off the BBC with the false info last week

[Mervyn and Trish]

And then other family members said he was hardly ill at all! What a shame such a sad event had been mired in confusion.

To avoid doubt I'll post it on here myself when I'm gone!

[qbman1]

I do wonder whether said "family member" was trying to get the BBC to look stupid by announcing the news before the actual event. I suspect there has been some sour grapes about the treatment he has received from the BBC over the years - refused a job on Radio 1 when it opened for being "too old", pushed to various late night shows on Radio 2 and finally being squeezed out of Sounds of the Sixties ?

[Mervyn and Trish]

Not sure if he was unfairly squeezed out as reported in anti BBC press. The gap between ending his weekly show and his sad death, and how he sounded on that last show, makes me wonder if both the BBC and he knew then he was seriously ill.