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16 Facts About Brian Matthew

1.

Brian Matthew was an English broadcaster who worked for the BBC for 63 years from 1954 until 2017.

2.

Brian Matthew was the host of Saturday Club, among other programmes, and began presenting Sounds of the 60s in March 1990, often employing the same vocabulary and the same measured delivery he had used in previous decades.

3.

Brian Matthew later died of pneumonia on 8 April 2017, aged 88.

4.

Brian Matthew was born on 17 September 1928 in Coventry, Warwickshire, the son of musical parents.

5.

Brian Matthew's father was a conductor of the Coventry Silver Band and his mother a professional singer.

6.

Brian Matthew celebrated the 50th anniversary of the first edition of Saturday Club in a special edition of Sounds of the 60s on 4 October 2008, by featuring some recordings from some of the shows and entertaining listeners with some reminiscences.

7.

In 1973, Brian Matthew fronted a new radio series entitled My Top 12, which lasted for an hour on weekend afternoons on Radio 1.

8.

Later, Brian Matthew was the presenter of BBC Radio 2's arts magazine Round Midnight, from 1978 to 1990.

9.

Brian Matthew announced at the end of his show on 26 August 2006 that owing to ill-health he would be taking several weeks off his Radio 2 show, for the first time in sixteen years.

10.

Brian Matthew returned to the show and the station on 10 February 2007.

11.

Rice announced that he would be sitting in for a few weeks since Brian Matthew was "under the weather".

12.

Brian Matthew had suffered a fall at home and had spent a few weeks in hospital.

13.

In 1951, Brian Matthew married Pamela Wickington, with whom he had one child, Christopher, born in 1954.

14.

Brian Matthew built a theatre in his Chelsfield home and formed his own dramatic society called the Pilgrim Players.

15.

Brian Matthew died of pneumonia on 8 April 2017 in London.

16.

Brian Matthew is survived by his wife and their son.