JOHN DUNNA much-loved presence on the nation’s airwaves whose warm,soothing tones earned him an army of listeners, John Dunn was one of best-knownvoices in Britain when he died on 27 November, 2004, aged 70.He was known to many as the “gentle giant of broadcasting”and will be remembered by his audience of more than three million with enormousaffection.Altogether, the veteran BBC disc jockey was voted RadioPersonality of the Year three times and, in 1998, was awarded a Gold Sony RadioAward for the best Drivetime Music Programme.He famously made radio history in 1996 when he broadcast hisshow live from Antarctica.John Churchill Dunn was born on 4 March, 1934, in Glasgow,Scotland. The son of an electrical engineer, he was educated at Christ ChurchCathedral Choir School and served with the Royal Air Force in Germany, where heacquired a taste for radio.An application to join Forces Broadcasting was rejected andMr Dunn instead joined the BBC in 1957, working as a studio manager on the HomeService.Deeply impressed and influenced by the wartime news readers,he himself later became a familiar voice on the World Service. Radio 2,however, would ultimately become his home when, in 1967, BBC Radio wasreorganised.The young presenter initially headed shows such as BreakfastSpecial and Late Night Extra, but it was not long until he settled into hisfamiliar early evening slot which he quickly made his own.This long-running drivetime programme met with a rapturousreception and, for more than 30 years, regularly attracted audiences of up to threemillion.Even after his retirement, Mr Dunn continued to make programmesfor Radio 2, presenting ‘Friday Night Is Music Night’, ‘The Waltz Kings’ and‘The Glory Days’. He also made guest television appearances including one on ‘Countdown’.In 1998, he was awarded a Gold Sony Radio Award for hispopular drivetime music programme. Speaking of its success, he said at thetime, “After a long, scratchy day at the office, stuck in a traffic jam and itsraining, I just wanted to remind listeners that 98 per cent of people out thereare extremely nice and we tend to forget this.”In a break from tradition in 1979, it was him and not Terry Woganwho provided the BBC television commentary for the Eurovision Song Contest.Amongst a host of awards, the so-called ‘broadcaster’sbroadcaster’ also received a Variety Club Silver Heart and the Daily MailSilver Microphone.He was made a Freeman of the City of London in 1985.He died in Croydon, Surrey, on 27 November, 2004, followinga long battle with cancer. He was 70.“One feels a great loss,” said fellow presenter Terry Woganafter his death, “that such a fine man has passed on and that we’ve lost such afine presenter.”
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