Like many in the UK, I grew up listening to the legendary Steve Wright in the Afternoon.
As a roofer, in the mid-eighties, there was NO OTHER SHOW to listen to while making North East homes watertight.
So the leap from scrambling around the rafters with a sack of nails between my legs to being a guest on The Big Show was obviously too much for my tiny brain. The classic, it could never happen.
But happen it did.
In November 2012 I was a guest of the great man on his show talking about my book The Edge, how the best get better.
On Tuesday evening I looked back at my journal and the memories came flooding back.
Steve was brilliant. Here are three observations I made:
- He wanted to chat for a bit before the interview to make sure I was relaxed – often these things are ‘in and out’.
- When I said he was an ‘Edger’ and that I’d mention that on air, he asked me not to. He suggested the listeners want to hear about everyone other than the host.
- He told me in advance about the ‘curve ball question’ he was going to ask at the end. That was kind and it gave me a chance to prepare a great response.
He also said the interview was scheduled for 3 minutes but he’d see if he could make it a little longer. It lasted for 4 mins 37 secs .
You can listen to a recording of the interview of superstar Steve and Michael the former roofer here.
When we’d finished, I asked if I could have a photograph. He shared that he’d been getting a bit of grief from a couple of newspapers (you can guess the ones) about how he looked and felt a bit uncomfortable with having his picture taken.
Then he quipped, about how that’s why he’s perfect for radio.
I was a little saddened by this and wrote about it in my journal, adding ‘Sometimes those who appear to have the strongest self-confidence are delicate too’.
And on Tuesday it came flooding back.
I’ll miss his voice, his professionalism and his incredible sense of humour. Most of all I’ll miss his kindness.
I’d love to know your thoughts and memories of Steve Wright.
Please leave your comments below.
Michael
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What a lovely memory. Thank you for sharing. He was everyone’s big brother or mate you could meet down the pub. What a shock. So very sad. I know one of the ladies who has worked very closely with him for many years. As you can imagine his team are in bits
Hi
I like you have grown up listening Steve in the afternoon ,my faves were Mr Angry and Sid the manger and Gervais . I followed him to Radio 2 and loved the Serious Jockin .
P
RIP to one of the finest men on Radio.
Yes, the day we lost him was sad for broadcasting and mostly for his audience. He made the afternoons and Sunday mornings too. Lovely man .
I utterly loved the guy when I has Radio 1 on all day every day in the 80s. He was truly cutting edge.
I heard the news break on Radio 5 and you could tell how upset people were. It wasn’t for effect, he was clearly a lovely and very much loved guy.
The geese are finally off.
Like you, no other Radio Show existed and I loved listening to him since I was 16, now I’m 55, I was so sad to hear this news this week. He was also doing Pick of the Pops recently, which I was loving. It is a sad loss of a great guy, what a fab and professional broadcaster, just always felt like I knew and had met him. 🙂 He was amazing and will be sadly missed.
Thank you for sharing this lovely memory Michael, I have so many great memories of Steve Wright but my favourite has to be Sunday Love songs whilst making breakfast for my boys before going to church, beautiful, precious Sundays
What a legacy. To be remembered by so many for his kindness. O that we all aimed for that on a daily basis. His comment the listeners want to hear from everyone other than the host make him a one off. Now we only hear from aggressive host who won’t shut up.
What a lovely story,that is and a wonderful human being to.
That is few and far between that,that is,in this day and age.
That is a lovely story,that is and what a nice guy,he was,or is to.
I’m in tears just reading this, Michael.
Absolutely disgraceful to be hounded for how you look. You’re both inspirational men in my eyes. Thank you for sharing
Thank you so much Michael for sharing your encounter with Steve Wright. You have beautifully captured the real essence of the man. I fondly remember my late husband and I listening to Steve Wright in the Afternoon in the 1980’s and chuckling away at Mr Angry, Dave Dube Decks and Sid the Manager. Great music and a congenial host so unlike many of today’s DJs whose mantra appears to be, let’s talk about Me, Me, Me, Meee!
That was lovely to hear, thanks for sharing. Many hours spent listening to his afternoon shows over the years. I can’t deny some of his more farcical stuff used to irritate me a bit but he was a brilliant broadcaster – had the natural touch in his interviews and clearly a great rapport with those around him. All the comments I’ve read from those who knew and worked with him say the same thing – what an absolute professional with so much kindness.
Always have the radio on here. Was listening to Sunday Love songs just this past Sunday 😢. Loved serious jockin’. He was always thinking is new stuff to make it fresh, but it was never forced or fake. A really funny, caring guy. A huge loss to the radio and the country.
Lisa Tarbuck is doing a tribute show to him on Sunday. Of all the DJ’s! Sorry Steve, I’ll be turning her off. There’s only here and Elaine Paige I can’t listen to. Rest in Peace kind soul 🙏💔🌈
What a great guy and a lovely memory. I never considered how he looked, he had the loveliest voice to listen to and his sincerity on Sunday love songs was heartwarming. One of the great presenters.
What a man, what a voice, like the great man Terry Wogan before him I spent my younger years listening to them in the radio, then as I got older I enjoyed Love Songs on a Sunday. His experience, music taste and kindness will be missed on the radio and in the world! Thoughts are with his family.
RIP Wrighty.
Steve Wright was the first DJ I really connected to-started listening to him after lights out as a 12 year old on Radio Luxemburg. Steve Wright in the afternoon was an iconic show. Steve was so “normal” and humble too, contrasting massively with the egos of so many in the 80s and 90s. Such a funny man, and a great interviewer, as your account verifies. Gone too soon. I hope he knew how much he was loved 😢
I first found ‘Wrighty’ and the posse back in 1989 when I began working as a cleaner at my school. They accompanied me on my daily two-hour shift on a little red transistor radio, I can see it so clearly 35 years on!
I loved feeling part of the posse while I vacuumed, mopped and dusted each night. Even after I left school and took a year out to earn some money for university, I managed to convert the guys in the warehouse I was working in to listen in each afternoon. He continued to be a familiar voice in my daily life right up to when the afternoon show was replaced, and I was genuinely choked up when he said his final piece on air.
I loved all the characters and the stupidity. I could sing you all the lyrics to ‘Mr Spoons’ and I still have the 7” single of ‘Arnie and the Terminators – I’ll Be Back’ in the loft.
Thanks for the memories Steve.
How very sad – Steve made me feel connected to home when working in the US. I woke up with him and all was well. Hopefully he is playing his discs in the sky and getting ready to welcome us all, at some point, to listen again. All will be well.
I too grew up listening to Steve Wright, and a couple of years ago encouraged my daughter to listen to the ‘non stop oldies’ and of course ‘serious jockin No g’ Working from home, she became an avid listener too! Steve was the consummate broadcaster, and a modest genius. In my humble opinion, he and Kenny Everett were the biggest disruptors of the old staid “Auntie Beeb” style of radio! R.I.P. Steve Wright (in the afternoon)
Listening to Steve Wright is how I got to know about you. How lucky we are to have had those years listening to him the younger generations will never know about him
I’ve spent days trying to process this! Never had the pleasure of meeting the man but I feel like I have! Such a loss for the world!