Teddy Johnson - Radio Luxembourg, Radio 2 and Eurovision performer

Episode 23,   Apr 09, 2019, 06:55 PM

This is a story of radio, of music - and of love.

As Radio Luxembourg returned after the War, a small number of disc jockeys arrived in the Grand Duchy to entertain the UK and Ireland from afar, against a backdrop of a staid BBC. Teddy Johnson was one of its earliest presenters, deploying an ad lib conversational style which was less common from Broadcasting House. His first love, however, had always been music, as shown by his impressive list of records released. Famously, he performed the 1959 UK entry to the Eurovision Song Contest 'Sing Little Birdie' with his much-loved wife Pearl.

In his own words, aged 96, two years before his death in June 2018, recorded at Brinsworth House where he lived alongside his wife, this is the Teddy Johnson story. 

(Thanks to Bobby Crush and Alan Bailey and Brinsworth House for co-ordinating the visit and to Alan and Andy Walmsley for illustrative audio).