British radio is again mourning the loss of one of its legends this morning following the announcement that former Radio 1
DJ Tommy Vance had died in hospital three days after suffering a stroke - he was 63. While perhaps not as important in A&R terms as John Peel, Vance was surely the voice of rock music after a long career in rock radio beginning in the US, and then on the UK airwaves, firstly via pirate station Radio Caroline, later on Radio 1, and most recently through shows on VH1 and
Virgin Classic Rock.
Paying tribute to Vance, his agent Jon Roseman told reporters yesterday:
"He was a great bloke and he was held in very high regard for his knowledge of rock which was unsurpassed. I had known
Tommy for 35 years. He certainly had one of the most recognisable voices on radio".
Fellow
DJ Dave Cash, who worked with Vance at Radio Caroline, Radio
1 and Capital, told BBC Radio Kent: "Once you became friends with Tommy you were friends for life. He was a very private guy, but to his friends he was great, you could always rely on him. He's a bit like John Peel and Kenny Everett - he's irreplaceable, he was a total professional. Tommy was part of the group that actually cared about the music he was playing."
Radio
1 Controller Andy Parfitt said: "Tommy Vance was a great broadcaster. He presented for many years on Radio 1 the seminal rock show which a whole generation of music fans remember very fondly. He will be sadly missed by listeners and fellow DJs alike."