HIS Life was dedicated to radio, remembering Steve Wright MBE.
Steve Wright's first broadcast was in his High School days; broadcasting a show over the school's speaker system from a store cupboard. After leaving school, he volunteered on hospital radio, before first joining the BBC as a gramaphone library clerk in 1970.
Steve also worked as a journalist and reporter for LBC, London, 1975, before joining Radio 210, Reading, 1976. In 1979, Steve joined Radio Luxembourg, though would leave 'The Station of the Stars' to rejoin the BBC, January 1980, where he broadcast Saturday shows on BBC Radio 1.
His first television appearance on Top of the Pops was in 1980, where he would be a regular host until 1989.
Steve Wright in the Afternoon first went on air October 1981, introducing the listeners of BBC Radio 1 to the zoo radio format and 'The afternoon posse'.
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| 31 August 1990: Steve Wright in the Afternoon interview with George Michael. |
Steve Wright in the Afternoon would be a fixture at BBC Radio 1 for 12 years, during which time Steve and the posse had success on the UK singles chart - Inspired by the Arnold Schwarzenegger movie Terminator 2: Judgement Day, Arnee and the Terminaters reached number five on the UK singles chart with 'I'll Be Back' ('The Dancefloor Devastation Kick-Up'), 1991.
The last show was broadcast Christmas Eve 1993.
Changes to the schedule at BBC Radio 1 saw Steve and the posse move to the Breakfast show, January 1994, whilst also presenting the television show Steve Wright's People Show on BBC One, 1994-1995.
Wright would leave the BBC to join Talk Radio UK (which broadcast on the medium wave frequencies vacated by BBC Radio 1, 1053 kHz and 1089 kHz), where he presented Steve Wright's Talk Show.
Steve rejoined the BBC in the Spring of 1996, presenting Steve Wright's Saturday Show (which aired until 1999) and Steve Wright's Sunday Love Songs for BBC Radio 2. Top of the Pops 2, scripted and narrated by Steve, went on air on BBC Television in 1997, running to 2008.
BBC World Service brought us Wright Around The World on Saturdays, from January 1999 to October 2003. Enjoy a sample of Wright Around The World, BBC World Service, courtesy of Ilya B.
BBC Radio 2 revived Steve Wright in the Afternoon on July 5, 1999, which replaced Ed Stewart's afternoon programme. Wright's on-air team was Tim Smith, Janey Lee Grace and The Old Woman (Joyce Frost), the show also brought us factoids - Pieces of information we never knew we needed.
Steve Wright in the Afternoon was on the air for 23 years, broadcast for the final time September 30, 2022. The last song on the playlist was Queen 'Radio Ga Ga'.
Steve Wright was awarded an MBE for services to radio in the 2024 New Year Honours List.
'Sunday Love Songs' last aired the day before Wright's death, a Valentine's Day special recorded two days earlier.
Steve succeeded Paul Gambaccini as presenter of Pick of the Pops October 2023, Wright's last Pick of the Pops aired February 10, 2024.
Steve Wright MBE died February 12, 2024.
Steve Wright in the Afternoon Opening Theme BBC Radio 2
Source credit: 31 August 1990: Steve Wright in the Afternoon interview with George Michael picture from the book Radio 1's Classic Interviews Edited by Jeff Simpson, published by BBC Books, 1992. Picture © BBC.
Steve Wright MBE obituary inspired by British DX Club Communication Monthly Journal of the British DX Club Edition 592 March 2024 (pages 17-18).
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