Tony Blackburn

Born January 29, 1943 · Guildford, Surrey, England, UK

Antony Kenneth Blackburn is an English disc jockey, singer and TV presenter. Blackburn first achieved fame broadcasting on the pirate stations Radio Caroline and Radio London in the 1960s, before joining the BBC, on the BBC Light Programme. Blackburn was the first disc jockey to broadcast on BBC Radio 1 at its launch, on 30 September 1967, and has had several stints working for the corporation. He has also worked for Capital London and Classic Gold Digital, and currently BBC Radio 2, BBC Local Radio, and British Forces Broadcasting Service. He has also had a singing career. As a DJ, Blackburn is known for his championing of Motown and soul music as well as his legendary presenting style. In 2002, Blackburn was the first winner of the British reality TV series I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! Blackburn has been a vegetarian since he was four.