Tribune – Comment, news and reviews from Britain's democratic left

On the eve of his 90th birthday, Sir Jimmy Young reminisced with Ken Bruce about his life and career – or, to be specific, his two careers. First, he was a very popular ballad singer and then he morphed into a disc jockey, evolving eventually into a more serious political interviewer. Throughout the 1950s, he enjoyed chart success, including two consecutive number one hits with “Unchained Melody” and “The Man From Laramie”. But the arrival of Bill Haley and the Comets and “Rock Around The Clock” sounded the death knell for balladeers.
After his recording career stopped in 1960, Young was given a chance to present the Housewives Choice radio request show on the Light Programme and he reckoned he took to it like duck to water. He moved to Radio Luxembourg, where he gained more DJ experience and then, in 1967, at the age of 46, he joined the fledgling BBC Radio 1 – a move that astonished him because he thought he was far too old to appeal to young listeners. In fact, his morning show – “the JY prog” – became a huge success, switching to Radio 2 in 1973. He developed a winning formula of music, chat and, with some originality in those days for popular radio, current affairs.
In the three decades prior to his enforced retirement, Young interviewed royalty and politicians, including Prince Philip and Margaret Thatcher. His show seemed to be a magnet for influential people clamouring for guest spots – assuming, quite wrongly, that they would be given the kid gloves treatment. Fellow presenters in so-called more serious political broadcasting were rather sniffy about Young and he was accused of asking soft questions. In his defence, referring to his calm, polite, genial style, he explained that it did not follow that his questions to the great and good were soft. “You catch more flies with sugar than vinegar”, he said with a knowing chuckle.
He spent 42 years behind a BBC microphone before he was ousted, causing outrage among his millions of loyal listeners. His departure was even raised in Parliament, such was the measure of his standing as both a popular entertainer and a current affairs interviewer. I apologise if this sounds patronising but, at 90, Sir Jimmy Young came across as alert, articulate and not too different from his heyday as one of radio’s most successful broadcasters. I reckon that, even in the louder, more aggressive world of current popular radio, he could still give politicians a run for their money.
Stephen Nolan on Radio Ulster can be an interesting listen, especially with “hot potato” items. One of his better recent shows tackled the subject of Sinn Fein’s Martin McGuinness’ candidacy for the presidency of Ireland. McGuinness declined to be interviewed on the show to answer detailed questions about his past involvement in IRA activities and atrocities when he was a senior figure in the organisation during the Troubles in the 1970s and beyond. During his Irish presidential campaign, it will be fascinating to see how much ducking and diving, or candid and remorseful he is about his paramilitary years.
Nolan fielded a variety of pro and con callers to his show with firmness and fairness, but it would have been electrifying radio to hear him jousting with McGuinness. Hopefully, this will happen at some point. Norman Tebbit, whose wife was very badly injured in the 1984 Grand Hotel, Brighton bombing, carried out by the IRA, spoke deliberately and movingly to Nolan and urged McGuinness to repent publicly repent for any and all of his past wrongdoing, rather than just concentrate on what a good guy he is now following his involvement in the Northern Ireland peace process and subsequent role as Deputy First Minister. This is one to monitor but, in the meantime, as the remarkable Jimmy Young would sign off, “BFN – bye for now”.