Alan Freeman

For the British record producer, see Alan A. Freeman.

Alan Leslie "Fluff" Freeman, MBE (6 July 1927 – 27 November 2006) was a British disc jockey and radio personality in the United Kingdom for 40 years.

Career

Born and educated in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Freeman worked as an assistant paymaster/accountant for one of Australia's largest timber companies after leaving school.

Freeman originally wanted to be an opera singer, but decided his voice was not strong enough. In 1952 he was invited to audition as a radio announcer and commenced working for 7LA in Tasmania, known as the teenager's station. Freeman's duties included that of continuity announcer; presenter of musical programmes incorporating opera, ballet and classical music; DJ for the top 100; news reader; quiz master and commercials reader.

After moving to radio station 3KZ in Melbourne, in 1957 he took an agreed nine-month trip around the world with the promise to return to Melbourne by January 1958. He arrived in London, England, and on deciding to stay wrote numerous letters of delay, and later apology, to his former employer.^[1]

Freeman started his British career as a summer relief disc jockey on Radio Luxembourg, and continued to present late-evening programmes on the station until the early 1970s.

In 1960 he moved to the BBC Light Programme as presenter of the Records Around Five show, which was introduced by his signature tune, "At The Sign of the Swinging Cymbal", written by Brian Fahey.^[2] In September 1961 he introduced Pick of the Pops as part of a Saturday evening show Trad Tavern. Pick Of The Pops became a permanent show in its own right in 1962, with Freeman presenting it until 1972 continuing with his 'Swinging Cymbal' signature tune. At the same time, he was one of the original team of presenters of BBC TV's Top of the Pops, a regular member of the Juke Box Jury panel, and had a brief stint as compere of the lunchtime pop music show Go Man Go on the BBC Light Programme in 1963.

During the 1960s, Freeman briefly attempted acting, notably in Dr. Terror's House of Horrors, but his limitations were apparent^{[citation needed]}, and in other films he has played himself or a similar character (e.g. Absolute Beginners). He also played God (albeit a God who sat at a mixing desk and said "Alright?") in two episodes of The Young Ones in 1984. In 1962 he recorded a dance single, "Madison Time", with the Talmy Stone Band. Released by Decca Records, F11523, it was reportedly one of the label's worst-ever sellers and is now, predictably, a rarity and collector's item.

In April 1972 Freeman joined the daily presenters on Radio 1, taking over the 3-5 pm show from Terry Wogan- he used "Soul Bossa Nova" by Quincy Jones as his theme. This continued until 1 June 1973. During this time he spotlighted youth clubs and young people, and became Vice-President of the London Association of Youth Clubs. During the 1970s he also presented the Radio 1 series Quiz Kid on Sunday evenings, which was recorded at Youth and Boys Clubs all over the country; while on Saturday afternoons he presented his Rock Show, featuring heavy and progressive rock and a rundown of the current album chart, from the beginning of July 1973 until the end of August 1978.

He left the BBC to work for Capital Radio from 1979 to 1988, presenting the Top 40 of the 70s, on 31 December 1979. Later reviving Pick of the Pops on 9 January 1982 (now called Pick of the Pops Take Two and combining the current Top 15 with an earlier chart) and The Rock Show previous to that on 7 January 1980. He returned to the BBC and Radio 1 in January 1989 to revive The Rock Show and Pick of the Pops. This run of Pick of the Pops ended on 27 December 1992, but he continued to host The Rock Show until 23 October 1993, when he, with other long-serving DJs, left the station as it was revamped by controller Matthew Bannister.

In December 1993 he presented the Alternative Chart Show on a trial one-off RSL broadcast by XFM in London. He then hosted Pick of the Pops Take Three on Capital Gold from April 1994 until January 1997. In 1996 and 1997 he also hosted The Rock Show on Virgin Radio, and he was heard presenting one-off shows on Classic FM.

He returned to the BBC on BBC Radio 2, taking Pick of the Pops back to its home from 1997 until 2000. A lifetime love of classical music and particularly opera was developed in the show Their Greatest Bits. But as arthritis got the better of his hands,^[3] he handed Pick of the Pops over to ex-Radio Trent DJ Dale Winton.

He was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1998. In May 2000 he was presented with a Lifetime Achievement award at the Sony Radio Academy Awards.^[4]

He died on 27 November 2006 in Brinsworth House, Twickenham, South West London after a short illness. He was 79.^[5] His funeral took place on 7 December 2006 at South West Middlesex Crematorium and was attended by DJs Paul Gambaccini, Dave Lee Travis, Nicky Campbell, and his Radio One Top 40 successors Wes Butters, Simon Bates and Richard Skinner.

Personal life

In March 1994 Freeman revealed on breakfast television that he had become celibate in 1981, but had been bisexual.^[6] He was memorably described by Graham Chapman as being "...keen on motor bikes and leather and men".^[7]

In later years, Freeman suffered from arthritis and asthma from a 60-a-day smoking habit, and he used a Zimmer Frame or motorised wheelchair. He lived at Brinsworth House, a retirement home for actors and performers run by the Entertainment Artistes' Benevolent Fund, until his death.

Style

Freeman's distinctive presenting style included the frequent use of classical music clips between records, and memorable catchphrases such as 'Greetings, pop pickers' (originally 'Hi there, pop pickers!'), 'Greetings, music lovers' (an adaptation of the above for his rock shows), 'Alright? Stay bright!' and 'Not 'arf!'.

His style has been parodied, and he was the model for Harry Enfield's character Dave Nice, although he contributed to the satire himself in good grace by appearing on Enfield's show (and Enfield himself praised Freeman in Simon Garfield's book on Radio 1, The Nation's Favourite, by categorising him along with John Peel as "DJs who loved music" as opposed to "DJs who loved the sound of their own voices, like Dave Lee Travis").

For all Freeman's supposed clichés and archetypes in his broadcasting style, he has been regarded as original by fellow broadcasters - when he appeared on John Peel's This Is Your Life, Peel said: "Fluff is the greatest out-and-out disc jockey of them all".

In popular culture

• He is impersonated by pop group I, Ludicrous in their song "My Favourite Records".

• Robin Gibb (of the Bee Gees) released a single called "Alan Freeman Days" in May 2008.

• According to Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward, the tune "Fluff" from their fifth album, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath was dedicated to Freeman.^[8]

References

1. ^ "Aircheck Tracker". Archived from the original on 2009-10-24. http://www.webcitation.org/5kmFJAnST. 
2. ^ The Guardian obituary
3. ^ "Fluff's farewell to pop pickers". BBC News. 20 March 2000. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/683704.stm. Retrieved 23 April 2010. 
4. ^ "Not arf! Awards glory for Fluff". BBC News. 3 May 2000. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/733968.stm. Retrieved 23 April 2010. 
5. ^ Tributes pour in for DJ
6. ^ Knitting Circle Alan Freeman
7. ^ Michael Palin: "Diaries 1969-1979" Page 290
8. ^ http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/music/view.aspx?songID=2495

External links

• Alan Freeman at the Internet Movie Database
• Bio and citation at the Radio Academy
• Bio at RadioRewind.co.uk including a rare interview with Nathan Morley

Obituaries

• Broadsheet
  • Times obituary - The Times
  • Guardian obituary - The Guardian
  • Telegraph obituary - Daily Telegraph
  • The Independent - The Independent
• Tabloid
  • Daily Mail obituary - Daily Mail
  • Mirror obituary - The Daily Mirror
  • The Sun obituary - The Sun
• Other
  • - Alan Freeman Tribute

Preceded by First presenter

BBC Radio One chart show presenter 1967 - 1972

Succeeded by Tom Browne

Persondata
Name	Freeman, Alan
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	6 July 1927
Place of birth
Date of death	27 November 2006
Place of death