Beloved BBC radio star, John Peters, has died aged 75. Reports state that he died peacefully at home surrounded by family, following a short illness. Tributes have begun pouring in for the star who spent five decades on air, most recently known for hosting Boom Radio’s weekly Vintage Charts show.
However, he was best known as one of the original voices of Radio Trent, where he launched the Nottingham station in 1975. He hosted various shows, such as Trent Top 30. Over the years, he has broadcast on several other East Midlands commercial stations and even spent time at the BBC.
His most recent shows included a Friday show called The Friday Fandango at 6pm, a Saturday show at 4pm called John’s Jukebox, and also The Vintage Charts on Sunday at 12 noon. He also presented The Fifties Chart on sister station Boom Light directly following this at 2pm.
Boom Radio led the tributes, with them sharing a Facebook post, which read: “We are so sad today to hear the news of the death of one of our own – the great John Peters, who has presented programmes on Boom since we began. John was 75. Our thoughts are with his family.”
They added: “John was the king of chart shows, hosting our weekly Vintage Charts programme since Boom Radio launched – alongside ‘John’s Jukebox’ and his Friday evening show.
“Only at Boom have his rare gifts been heard across the UK – and he was enormously touched by the enthusiasm you showed for his programmes. John was a radio man through and through, with an enviable command of the sound of the medium, weaving voice and music together into a rich audio tapestry.
“With his somehow relaxed energy, few have the gift he had for making a chart show an unmissable drama. The team at Boom send their condolences to his wife Chrissie and all the family who have been by John’s side during his illness.”
Speaking on behalf of Boom, co-founder David Lloyd said: “John was a pro. A broadcaster’s broadcaster. He loved radio, and the audience loved him.” Boom Radio’s Phil Riley added: “He’s been part of our story from the very start. We’ll miss him deeply.”