ANDY KERSHAW – A PERSONAL TRIBUTE BY STEVE COOKE

I had the privilege of knowing Andy Kershaw and like all the people who were lucky enough to enter his sphere I was devastated to realise that his ‘off switch’ had been activated.

OFF SWITCH is the title of his excellent autobiography - a fitting memorial to an extraordinary life lived to the full. Now is the time to re-read or if you haven’t had the pleasure then buy a copy [https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=no+off+switch+andy+Kershaw].

REVIEW PUBLISHED IN AATA COLUMN

Sensational. Wildly hilarious. An amazing read". (Stephen Fry). "Andy Kershaw is a compulsive truth-teller and he does it with verve, wit and passion. He is one of the few truly original voices in broadcasting and his book is already a classic". (Fergal Keane). Andy Kershaw truly has no off switch. As a teenager he was promoting major rock gigs. He was Billy Bragg's driver and roadie one day and presenting Whistle Test and Live Aid the next. A passionate music enthusiast, he is a man with an obsessive curiosity about the world. Over a twenty-five year career, he has worked for the "Rolling Stones" and Bruce Springsteen, shared an office with John Peel and amassed a record collection that weighs seven tons. He has won more Sony Radio awards than any other broadcaster. He has visited 97 countries and as a foreign correspondent, filed numerous reports for Radio 4. He was also one of the few journalists present during the Rwanda genocide. The past few years have seen him go through a turbulent time in his personal life, but he has put this behind him, written his story and returned to the airwaves fronting the BBC's "Music Planet" series. Rebel. Maverick. Music fanatic. Andy Kershaw shares the story of his life with candour, insight, immediacy and incredible humour.

INTERVIEW FOR BROADCAST WITH ANDY

Preferred medium?  

I love ‘em all and for different reasons. I like the intimacy of radio – when I am let loose on the radio there is something almost very confidential about it. I have always loved reporting – the very first thing I did in the media was to write a piece for the Rochdale Observer when I was 15 about Rochdale’s most prominent motorcycle racer at the time Noel Clegg who had a shop on Milnrow road. I have always loved journalism, so I love being a regular reporter on the One Show – I love the variety as long as it is a good story I’ll do any story. I started on tv then moved to radio which is the opposite way to most people. I think I found my natural home with radio. I like the print journalism as well – I still like writing pieces. Everything is in my own voice – it is the only way I know. I became very passionate about music from the age of 12 with no ambitions – it has all happened through very happy accidents which led to the breaks I got. Leeds Uni music etc. ambition to become the next Harvey Goldsmith but I slipped into broadcasting.  Bradleys Records with American folk, blues, gospel led to my interest in Dylan. I have an evangelist quality – you have got to listen to this – I had a national radio show on which to do it. I took the model of the Peel programme and based my own on it introducing an international element to it. When I started at R1 there was no major strategy just what I was enjoying at home. Had done the Whistle Test for 4 or 5 months when put on R1 – I insisted on a free hand. I would hear a great piece of music from Africa and on the strength of that get on a plane and go there. I had a Tiny shared office with Peel and John Walters. Bob Dylan has found his true calling as a radio presenter – not made a good record since Desire.

Compulsive truth teller?

 The way I was brought up – particularly people in Rochdale with a strong sense in injustice and a dislike of pretentiousness. I put off writing my book for 20 years – glad I did as a lot happened. At first, I couldn’t see the wood for the trees.  An old pal of mine interviewed me – he asked the questions that the reader would want answered – he took me through my life. He stayed with me for a few weeks to do this – a foreign correspondent between postings. He left me with 10 CDs – I made bullet points and ended up with pages and pages – I cut them all up and arranged them all around the floor into a coherent order then sellotaped them all together into a giant bog roll I sat at the desk  inscrolled it and wrote the book – it worked a treat. I am instinctively the journalist and innately the historian so able to remain objective.

One Show?

Came about because of the book – I didn’t even know what the One Show was – phone call about anniversary of the Stones – bit in book etc – go to Roundhay Park and make film. I am now there most regular roving reporter. I am plotting to pitch to them about the reopening of the river in Rochdale Town Centre.

The Andy Kershaw One Man Show?

It is a glorified illustrated talk. Illustrated with projected photographs onto a screen with clips of music to illustrate my life so far and it aint finished yet . 5 years on the front line of rock and roll and 20 odd years

REVIEW OF ANDY’S ONE MAN SHOW

Rochdale born, Radio One DJ, Old Grey Whistle Test and Band Aid presenter, Foreign Correspondent and One Show Roving Reporter, Andy Kershaw recently kept a Rochdale Literature and Ideas Festival audience rapt for over three hours. He told us that he “performs at lots of Literary Festivals, looking out at a mosh pit of billowing Laura Ashley and bobbing Panama hats”. Not the view at the function room of the Flying Horse Pub!

Andy identified how it all started and the key role his mum and late dad had played ‘My parents were head teachers, and they gave us tremendous energy, enthusiasm and curiosity.’ Although he went on to point out that it was “Not a musical household, my dad was hostile to pop, which was proscribed in our house. However in the winter of 1968/69, a life changing event, I was given a red leatherette-clad radio by my mum.” At this point mum, Eileen, who was present, interjected with ‘”I got it from Lovicks. It cost me 2s 6d per week.” On this radio a new world opened up for young Andy as he listened to American Forces Network Europe and Radio Luxemburg which introduced his ears and mind to both music and news.

The evening flashed by as Andy took us along on his journey, the formative years as Entertainment Secretary at Leeds University, the years on the road with Billy Bragg, his time on the Old Grey Whistle Test then working with John Peel and John Walters broadening the listening habits of a whole generation best summed up by the late John Walters “We are not here to give the public what it wants, we are here to give the public what it didn’t know it wanted.”

The first two and a half hours gave us a flavour of his musical journey, illuminated by anecdotes ranging from Dylan through the Clash to the Bhundu Boys and Ali Farka Toure. He revealed that “The one thing I am most proud of is my documentary of the 1966 Free Trade Hall Bob Dylan ‘Judas’ concert.  In 1999 I re-assembled the audience in the Free Trade Hall. It is an important piece of social history.”

There was an emotional end to the evening when Andy’s mum revealed that she had found the radio that had started it all off, coming forward to reunite a tearful Andy Kershaw with that red-leatherette-clad transistor.