Charlie Gillett, Broadcaster and Journalist.
Posted: Thursday, March 18th, 2010 1:59 pmFebruary 20, 1942–March 17, 2010
Charlie Gillett was a broadcaster, journalist and author who played a significant role in shaping the tastes of several generations of music fans.
After writing The Sound of the City, one of the first books to attempt a serious survey of the early history of rock’n’roll, he began his broadcasting career on BBC Radio London, presenting the weekly Honky Tonk show throughout most of the 1970s. The programme became hugely influential, popularising American roots music and unearthing British acts such as Dire Straits, Elvis Costello and Graham Parker, all of whom received their first exposure on his show before any of them had signed a recording contract. He also co-managed Ian Dury and discovered Lena Lovich.
In the 1980s he became enamoured with world music and, long before Andy Kershaw hit the airwaves, he played a pioneering role in spinning little-heard records from Africa, the Indian sub-continent and beyond on the radio. Turning his back on Anglo-American pop, he continued to champion world music for the rest of his professional life, earning the sobriquet “Mr World Music” and two Sony radio awards for his ground-breaking shows along the way. Read Full Obituary
