Sounds of the 60s presenter Brian Matthew dies aged 88
Much-loved presenter and Radio 2 DJ passed away on Saturday
Brian Matthew, the hugely popular presenter of Radio 2 staple Sounds of the 60s, has died.
The 88-year-old had stepped down from Sounds of the 60s due to ill health earlier this year, with his presenting duties taken over by Tony Blackburn.
Matthew had presented the show since April 1990, and hosted his last full show on 19th November, followed by a compilation of his favourite moments on 25th February.
The BBC confirmed his death on Saturday night after wrongly stating that he had died on Wednesday. The Corporation said it had received the wrong information from Matthew's family.
Head of Radio 2 Lewis Carnie paid tribute, saying Matthew would be "sadly missed by us all".
He was a "much loved and valued presenter on Radio 2 - by both the audience and his colleagues", added Mr Carnie.
"He presented Sounds of the Sixties for 27 years and we had hoped to be able to carry on working with him in a new series where he could share his memories from his distinguished career with us," he said. Sadly it was not to be."
Bob Shennan, Director of BBC Radio and Music, and former BBC Radio 2 Controller paid tribute to his "wit and warmth", adding: "Brian was a radio legend. For decades, his voice was the sound of Saturday mornings... He will be sorely missed."
Matthew began broadcasting in 1948 in Germany, and trained as an actor at RADA before joining the BBC in 1954.
He was one of the first DJs on Radio 2, and hosted shows such as Saturday Club, Thank Your Lucky Stars and Late Night Extra, and the long-running Round Midnight programme which won the 1987 Pulitzer Publishing Award.
