It was our Fab Forty compiler, Alan Field, who discovered the sad news that in May 2001, the man known to Radio London listeners as Earl Richmond passed away and was cremated in Bangkok.

An Internet search on Earl's real name, John Dienn, brought Alan to the following paragraph from a May 18, 2001 newspaper column written by Bernard Trink, and linked from the Bangkok Post:

"John Dienn, everybody's favourite MC at parties, passed away midweek, in Pattaya. He was 75. Bi-lingual in English and Thai, his suave voice was clear and pleasant. A radio personality and hotelier, he assumed correctly that I did my work at all hours of the day and night and called at the oddest times with items for the column. R.I.P."

From Earl Richmond's entry in The Pirate Radio Hall Of Fame, Alan had gleaned that Earl had last been heard of in Thailand, and the surname Dienn, was not very common, so Alan reached the conclusion that this was, indeed the same man.

Subsequent investigations of features from the Bangkok Post have revealed that John Dienn, a long-term resident of Thailand, had not only continued with his radio career, but had taught in local schools and universities and owned and run a restaurant called the Beefeater.

Peter Corbett, who last spoke to John only a few days before his death, wrote:

"He became a legend in radio for his sprightly morning shows and, later, afternoon and evening classical and jazz sessions. He was planning a programme on radio from 9pm to 1am. For a man in poor health, living alone, at 75, John Dienn was a trooper. I am proud to have known him."

John Dienn was with Radio London right from its beginning in 1964. He became Ben Toney's third recruit to the Big L broadcasting staff, having previously worked for Forces Broadcasting Services and TV companies. As was the tradition aboard the Galaxy, he adopted an on-air pseudonym, Earl Richmond.

Earl used the April 16th, 1966 Disc and Music Echo Radio London column, to announce that he would be leaving the ship that week. He said, "I have three youngsters, Stuart (15), Christopher (12), and Martin (8), and the way things are going I was hardly seeing anything of them." He would continue to appear at land-based Radio London promotions in his Earl Richmond persona, and he also became Director of Studies at the School of Broadcasting in the Strand.

David Ballantyne, who accompanied Earl and David Bowie on a promotional visit to the Target Club in High Wycombe on March 18th, 1966, says:

"I'm very sad to hear about Earl Richmond. He turned up on my doorstep in Ealing one Saturday evening with P.J. Proby sitting in the passenger seat, swearing that I had promised to do a P.A. with him in Luton, as I remember. Unfortunately, I had to turn him down as I had agreed to sing and play guitar in a band for a wedding in Hatfield. The line-up was: Me, guitar and vocal; my oldest school friend Tony Smith, drums; Tim Rice, bass guitar; Andrew Lloyd Webber, piano. Of course, Proby was a big star in those days; Rice and Lloyd Webber were unheard of."

Earl described Radio London and its often harsh living conditions, as "an adventure". John Dienn's farewell message to Big L as Earl Richmond, was broadcast during the station's final day, August 14th, 1967.

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Stephen Chesney took the trouble to send a personal tribute.

I was really sorry to learn of the death of Earl Richmond. I was aware that it was believed he was living in Thailand and I had hoped that one day he would be tracked down and send greetings to us all.

When I first started listening to Big L in March 1965 as a 15-year-old schoolboy I remember thinking what an unlikely purveyor of pop music Earl Richmond was because his voice resembled a BBC Home Service announcer and his style was rather formal. I was convinced he must be the oldest DJ on the ship but of course he was a few years younger than TW. To be fair, he always seemed to enjoy what he was doing and I grew to like him a lot, although because of the timing of his show, I only heard him at weekends during term-time. I remember feeling indignant when in July 1965, he was displaced from the 9.00am to 12 noon show in favour of Tony Windsor and thereafter did relief work.

With hindsight we now know that moving TW to the mornings was an inspired decision which paid off hugely. But it also helped Earl Richmond, because he was very good at sitting in for other DJs on different time slots. In my opinion his best shows on Big L were after July 1965 and the recording I have of him doing the 3.00 to 6.00pm slot on Saturday 21st August 1965 is one of my favourites from my collection. By then his style was livelier, while maintaining that rich (I like the description "suave" given in the obituary) voice. Again in my opinion he was the only DJ over the 32 months of Radio London who could read the news as well as Paul Kaye.

We shall remember Earl Richmond with particular affection and respect because he was one of the original team who had to rough it during those early days when conditions on board were not so good. He was a professional.

Stephen Chesney

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July 2004

Earl Richmond's nephew, also called John Dienn, got in touch to say how much he appreciated reading the tributes to his uncle. I asked John if other members of the Dienn family still lived in the UK, and he has kindly sent a brief 'family tree'.

Dear Mary and Chris,

Reading your article on John Dienn (Earl Richmond ) I would just like to say what a wonderful tribute people have paid to my uncle. I hope the memories live on.

Earl has three sons, Stuart, Chris and Martin. Of the three only one is living in the UK at present, that is Chris. Stuart, last I heard, was in Belgium and Martin was in Las Vegas.

Earl also had a large family of brothers and sisters some of whom are still with us. His brothers are Fred, Gerry, Derek, David, Tony; his sisters are Eve, Barbara, Sylvia and Yvonne. The ones still alive are David, living in Bangkok, Eve in Brockley, London, Barbara in Thamesmead, London and Sylvia, North London. Then there are cousins scattered everywhere like true Dienn's!

I will have a look for some family pictures but they could be quite old.

Kindest regards,

John Dienn