Bob Harris (radio presenter)
Robert Brinley Joseph Harris OBE (born 11 April 1946), popularly known as "Whispering Bob" Harris, is an English music presenter. He was a host of the BBC2 music programme The Old Grey Whistle Test and was a co-founder of the listings magazine Time Out. He presents Bob Harris Country on Thursdays on BBC Radio 2 at 9 pm.
Bob Harris
1970–present
8
Harris has been broadcasting on the BBC for 50 years and has been recognised with the Americana Music Association of America Trailblazer Award, a UK Heritage Award and a MOJO Medal, as well as his OBE for services to broadcasting.
Early life[edit]
Born on 11 April 1946 in Northampton, Northamptonshire, England, Harris first followed in his father's footsteps and joined Northamptonshire Police as a cadet for two years. Harris's father was from Pontardawe in South Wales.[1][2][3]
He then helped found Time Out magazine, as co-editor. Years later, he still refers to himself as "a journalist who can broadcast".[4]
Career[edit]
The Old Grey Whistle Test[edit]
Harris presented The Old Grey Whistle Test on BBC Two from 1972 until December 1979.[5] His first appearance on the show was as chair of a debate on the Night Assemblies Bill, based on his experience as a journalist and at the invitation of producer Richard Williams. Shortly afterwards he was invited to be the main presenter. His velvety voice and quiet delivery earned him his enduring nickname (Whispering Bob). His hippie-style beard and laid-back presentation made him a favourite target for parody, most notably by Eric Idle on the 1970s BBC comedy show Rutland Weekend Television.[4]
Harris later became notorious among the younger generation for distancing himself on air from Roxy Music's first performance on the show and deriding the New York Dolls as "mock rock".[6][7] In the summer of 1974, Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood included Harris ("or the Sniffing Whistler as we know him") on a "Hates" list on their "You're going to wake up one morning and find out which side of the bed you've been lying on" T-shirt.[8] In early 1977, at the Speakeasy (a London nightclub popular with rock stars of the day) Sex Pistols fan and subsequent bass player Sid Vicious threatened Harris over whether the Pistols would appear on the Old Grey Whistle Test.[9]
1980s[edit]
In 1981 Harris moved to BBC Radio Oxford, presenting the weekday afternoon show from 3-5 pm, taking over from Timmy Mallett. He remained there until 1984. He then joined London's LBC Radio Station, presenting a weekly half-hour music review and also joined GWR, where he did shows on Saturday lunchtimes and Sunday afternoons.
From October 1984, Harris presented Norwich's Radio Broadland, a Saturday evening show, and the Sunday afternoon show on Hereward FM in Peterborough. At the same time he was still continuing with his half-hour music review on LBC and was recording shows for GWR. In 1986, he was offered the Weekend Nightline phone-in on LBC every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 10 pm until 1 am, which he hosted until 1989. He was heard on BFBS from 1986 to 1998 and on the UK Independent Local Radio sustaining service, The Superstation.
Return to BBC Radio 1[edit]
Harris rejoined BBC Radio 1 in 1989, standing in for Richard Skinner for two weeks on the weekday midnight to 2 am slot, before being offered his own weekly show on Sunday nights from 11 pm to 2 am later that year following the death of Roger Scott. Harris then took over the weekday midnight to 2 am slot from April 1990, which then became midnight to 4 am when Radio 1 started broadcasting 24 hours a day on 1 May 1991.[10]
His programme on BBC Radio 1 came to an end in October 1993 when Matthew Bannister took charge of the station, although he continued to present documentaries for the station for some time after.
Move to BBC Radio London[edit]
In summer 1994, Harris moved to BBC Radio London, (then BBC GLR), presenting a three-hour Saturday night show from 10 pm to 1 am, then additionally on Monday to Wednesday evenings from 8 pm to midnight. He later left the Saturday night show to concentrate on BBC Radio London's Monday-Wednesday evening shows.
Return to national radio[edit]
In spring 1997, Harris returned to the national airwaves, this time on BBC Radio 2, where he took up an 11 pm to 1 am Saturday night slot. He still continued to present on GLR, but at this stage he quit the Monday to Wednesday evening shows and presented a Saturday afternoon show from 2 to 6 pm.
Harris eventually quit GLR in late 1998 as he took over another show for Radio 2, Bob Harris Country, (previously David Allan's Country Club) on Thursday evenings from 7 to 8 pm, from 8 April 1999, and his Saturday night show then went out from 10 pm to 1 am. From April 2006, his Saturday show moved to an 11 pm to 2 am slot, and moved back another hour from 4 April 2010, meaning it aired early Sunday mornings from midnight to 3 am. From October 2014 until January 2017, the show was on from 3 am to 6 am on Sundays. In February 2017, his Sunday show moved back to midnight to 3 am. However, on 26 March 2017, Harris presented his last weekend Sunday early morning show on Radio 2 due to major changes to the weekend schedule. The final song played was When You Come To The End Of A Lollipop by Max Bygraves.
On 9 January 2022, Harris started a weekly show on Boom Radio, sponsored by Find My Past, which explored how songs link together with other tracks. The hour long programme was broadcast on Sunday nights from 9 pm and repeated on Wednesdays. The series ended its run on 27 February.[11][12][13]
On 10 January 2022, Harris announced he was returning to the Sounds of the 70s programme after more than 50 years away by sitting in for Johnnie Walker on the episodes to be broadcast on BBC Radio 2 on the 16 and 23 January. He also sat in for Walker for four shows in January 2023.[14] He currently presents Bob Harris Country on Thursdays on BBC Radio 2 at 9 pm.[15]
Personal life[edit]
Harris has eight children and six granddaughters. Harris married Trudie Myerscough who is also his manager, in 1991. She is the mother of his three youngest children.[24] Harris lives in Steventon, England.[25]
In 2007, Harris was diagnosed with prostate cancer, for which he was treated with hormone therapy and radiotherapy.[26]
In May 2019 it was announced that Harris would take a break from his BBC Radio 2 presenting for a while, after suffering an aortic dissection (having undergone a tear to his aorta while walking 10 days previously). He returned to Radio 2 on 19 September 2019.[27]