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Born 1927 in Australia, Alan Freeman (real name Alan Leslie Freeman) worked as an announcer on Melbourne local radio, and came to Britain in 1957. He joined the Light Programme in 1961 with a show Records Around Five. In September of that year he began his show Pick of the Pops as part of a Saturday evening show called Trad Tavern. In 1962 the show commenced a Sunday teatime slot. Alan 'Fluff' Freeman joined Radio 1 in 1967 continuing to present Pick of the Pops. He presented the Sunday singles chart countdown until September 1972. He presented the Saturday Rock Show featuring 'hard rock' and 'heavy metal' music from 1973 until 1978. He remembers listening to a BBC Light Programme show where, at the end of a record, the announcer said stiffly "that was a gramophone record by Frank Sinatra" and could see the need for a more lively, modern presentation style on UK radio. He stayed in Britain, and listeners have been enjoying his unique style of presentation ever since on stations including Radio Luxembourg, Radio 1 (1967 to 1978 and 1989 to 1993), Capital Radio (from 1979) and Radio 2 (1997 to 2002).
In 1987 he received the Radio Academy's Outstanding Contribution to UK Music Radio Award and in 1988 he was honoured as the Sony Awards' Radio Personality of the Year. Alan's catchphrases include:"Erm...................", "Greetings Pop Pickers", "Alright", and "Not 'Arf". His 'Pick of the Pops' show was broadcast in its 'oldies' format on Radio 1 from January 1989 until December 1993, although his Saturday night rock show continued.
He made famous the musical piece written by Brian Fahey titled 'At the Sign of the swingin' Cymbal' - it was re-vamped in 1970 by Brass Incorporated and is still in use 40 years later on the the 'Pick of the Pops' Saturday show (R2 - Dale Winton). Until 2002 a modified version (by the Propellerheads) was used on the Sunday Chart countdown (R1 - Mark Goodier). Moving to Capital Gold and Virgin Radio during the period 1993-1996, Alan came back to the BBC, this time to Radio 2, in April 1997 to present 'Pick of the Pops', again playing older BBC charts, until April 2000 and also broadcast a series of opera/classic highlight shows on Tuesday nights on BBC Radio 2, until 2002. Alan was awarded an MBE in 1998. Since 1991, Alan has suffered with arthritis; he has lived in a nursing home, Brinsworth House in Twickenham |