BBC Radio 2 to celebrate 60 years of Tony Blackburn on the radio

Tony Blackburn celebrates 60 years in radio later this month and BBC Radio 2 will be marking the occasion with a day of special features.

Radio 2 will highlight the anniversary on July 25th, the date Tony first appeared on Radio Caroline on in 1964.

Gary Davies (in for Vernon Kay, 9.30am-12pm) will be doing a special edition of his De Ja Woo feature where he’ll invite listeners to share their memories of Tony who will join Gary in the studio, and he’ll be chatting about his broadcasting career on The Jeremy Vine Show (12-2pm).

Tony will also mark the moment on Sounds of the 60s with a Summer of ’64 special (Saturday 27 July, 6-8am), and in The Golden Hour – having introduced Motown to British radio in 1964 and being such a huge champion of it – he’ll be playing all his favourite Motown hits (Sunday 28 July, 7-8pm).

On BBC Sounds there will be another opportunity to listen to Happy Birthday, Tony Blackburn! marking his 80th birthday in 2023, Tracks of My Years featuring the songs that have soundtracked his life, and Clash of the Pirates which celebrated 60 years of pirate radio with fellow pirate DJ Johnnie Walker earlier this year.

Happy anniversary, Tony!