Phil Mitchell
We are very sorry to learn that the former Caroline and Voice of Peace DJ, Phil Mitchell, died on Tuesday 25th March 2008, after a long illness. Ginny, his wife and Kiri, his daughter were with him when he passed away.

Phil had participated in several RSLs in recent years and the sad news came from his shipmate Colin Lamb, organiser of two RNI broadcasts. Phil suffered a stroke in 2005 and although he had made progress with regaining his speech and communication skills, he had never fully recovered.

Phil's Radio London connection is that his band The Style (in common with the Radio London DJs and Episode Six) was represented by the Philip Birch Agency, run by Big L's managing director. What little information we have about the band is here. Phil liked blues music and in the Sixties, formed a band called 'CC Rider'.

Danny Vaughan, who was a band member, has kindly sent some photos. "So sad to hear about Phil," he wrote. "He was a good mate and I was in his band CC Rider in the 60s. Phil and John Johnson did form a blues band. They never recorded, but I have a CD of them playing live."

The photo above left was taken in 1966 at Alexandra Palace, North London. (l to r) Phil Cook, Derek Copus (on drums - obscured), Phil, Danny Vaughan, John Johnson. (Right) John Johnson, Phil, Derek Copus, Phil Cook, Danny Vaughan. (Click on photo to see enlarged version)

Phil contributed a chapter entitled 'A Pirate's Life For Me' to Hans Knot's book 'The Wet and Wild History of Radio Caroline 1964-2004'. He related many stories of his offshore adventures, including his nightmare first journey to the Mi Amigo in 1974. The only way the captain of the tender ("a small, smelly fishing boat") managed to locate the ship in a thick sea mist, was by tuning Phil's trannie in to Caroline!

We send our condolences to Phil's family.

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Phil's friend John Patrick has sent the following tribute:

The funeral was a sell-out with all the seats taken by Phil's family and friends. Despite being left handicapped by the stroke, he still maintained the same sense of humour. The oratory was 100% what he would have wanted. Humour, memories and a tribute to a very special man. All the woman were crying and all the men were laughing.

I worked on various radio stations with him and he was always a joy to be with. My one abiding memory of Phil is of being stupid together. I am proud to have known him and can say that he made me a better person and I really miss him. Occasionally you meet someone who changes what you value; he did it for me. He was a wonderful man.

Tragedy for the Kerr family
We have received tragic news of the family of John Kerr. John was on 242 Radio Scotland in the Sixties and was heard nightly in August, 2007, broadcasting from the LV18 during Pirate BBC Essex 2007. John made many friends while he was in the UK and all will be devastated to hear that John's son Adam has died. Adam was killed in a car crash, aged only 28 and leaves a six-year-old daughter. His funeral took place on April 3rd on the central coast near Sydney.

'Give Peace A Chance 2008' was released on June 2nd 2008. For more information visit myspace.com/overtwentyachimschultz

The Radio Caroline Story – the 1970s
Chris Edwards reports

With the Mi Amigo's return off the English coast, Radio Caroline entered a darker period with strong attention from the British authorities. Deejays and those involved with the station came under surveillance, there were court appearances, a boarding of the radio ship, and even instances of Caroline fans being fined for displaying car stickers promoting their favourite station.

Radio Caroline's story continues through the mid-1970s, and includes pictures, audio, press reports and official documents.

Visit the continuing Caroline story at www.offshoreechos.com

Walker #1 - Johnnie

Walker #2 - Gary, from the Walker Brothers

The Rosko World Syndication shirt is signed by Rosko himself and many of the other famous faces of Pirate BBC Essex 2007, including Johnnie Walker, Dave Cash, Keith Skues, Norm St John and Graham Webb.

The ten-day ebay auction ended on 22nd April and the winning bid was £36.

Proceeds of the auction go jointly to MacMillan Nurses (at the request of Johnnie Walker) and The Stroke Association (in light of the sad passing of Chris Cary).

In Search of the Wolf
'Border Blaster: In Search of the Wolf' was two 30-minute programmes on BBC Radio 4, concluding on Saturday March 29th. It covers the story of the Mexican 'Border Blaster' stations such as XERB and XERF that sent high-power transmissions to the US and as well as becoming bases for all sorts of quack doctors, provided a launch-pad for the career of Wolfman Jack.

(left) X marks the spot – contemporary mast monument at the original XERB site in Rosarita, Mexico

The second episode of 'Border Blasters' had David (formerly 'Kid') Jensen reminiscing about the XERB transmissions bringing the Wolfman to Canada. As Steve Young in Victoria BC is an old friend of David's, we sent him the link to 'Listen Again'. Steve wrote:

"I really enjoyed listening to the Border Radio documentary. In fact, I can remember being in the company of Dave Jensen (Dave Allen as he was known then) and another radio guy named Mark Ackerman, who now works in radio in New Zealand (we all worked together at CKOV in Kelowna) and we were listening to Wolfman Jack on the radio up in Mark's apartment....it was the first time I'd heard him and it absolutely blew me away. It was great to hear Dave talking about listening, but he probably doesn't remember that specific event as clearly as I do.

Also, I sent the link to the show to another fellow, named Ralph Hull who lives in Sooke, just outside of Victoria. He used to be a deejay who worked with Wolfman Jack using the name Preacher Paul Anthony, he now runs a sushi operation on a boat in Sooke called Sushi On The Sea. I'm sure that he will be interested in it."

David responded to Steve's message with:

"What a lovely surprise! The world is a tiny place these days. Steve has a wonderful memory. It sure was a long time ago that Mark Ackerman introduced us to the delights of XERB! I lost all contact with Mark many years ago. Great days.

It was fun to be part of that documentary "Border Blasters"!

Please give my best to Steve, David."

The BBC News Magazine story (which equates the Bolder Blasters with the British offshore pirates) implies that the Wolfman was a Shock Jock. However, he was simply innovative and fun. A shock jock is a different animal altogether – and most can't be regarded as DJs because they host chat shows with no music. They are called 'jocks' mainly because it rhymes with 'rock'.

Eddie O'Konnor (see story in previous Happenings) met the Wolfman in October 1992, at Mel's Diner in Universal Studios in Florida and very kindly supplied a photo of the occasion (left). Eddie says:

"What an absolute professional he was and a really fabulous bloke – much missed." Wolfman sent me a signed copy of a great book published in US upon my return to UK – 'Border Radio' by Gene Fowler and Bill Crawford.

The subject matter is 100% Border Radio, how it began and the crime involved in running it in Mexico, including Wolfman's classic drive through the desert with American Dollars to pay the security guys keeping the Mexican authorities at bay. The Border Blasters were the very first real pirates blasting 100000 watts or more from Mexico, virtually across the Globe on a good night.

"How's your boogaloo?" asks the XERB tribute site where you can listen to original Wolfman Sixties shows. In another location, there's a Wolfman online museum hosted by Doug Allen, who also runs jinglefreaks.com.

Guinness Kazoo Record attempt at Hammersmith Odeon
At the live performance of Radio Four's comedy panel game 'I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue' at the Hammersmith Odeon on April 3rd 2008, every member of the audience was supplied with a plastic kazoo. The show's producer, Jon Naismith, then invited everyone to participate in a world record attempt for the number of people simultaneously playing the instrument.

Jon had checked with Guinness, who had confirmed that the record had been held by 2,679 players from Rochester, New York since December 2006. Over 3,350 people were present at the Odeon and photographic evidence was taken to prove their kazoo participation, if not their proficiency.

An attempt on the record was made at Macon, Georgia the birthplace of the kazoo, on September 27th 2007, during the Georgia state fair. The website explains:

"The kazoo was invented in Macon, Georgia, by former slave Alabama Vest and unveiled to the world at the Georgia State Fair in 1852. (Its original name was the Down South Submarine.)" (See YouTube)

The 'Face Behind the Voice' – Take Two!
The 'Face Behind the Voice' in Radio Times week ending March 7th was meant to have been Roger Day... only unfortunately, it wasn't! The photo was of someone holding a Radio Five Live microphone who looks nothing like the real Twiggy Day (left). However, this was rectified in the edition of RT dated 29th March to 4th April, where the story (page 134) finally matched the correct Face Behind the Voice!

Penguins instead of parrots!
When the Pirate BBC Essex team attended an award ceremony in Norwich, where they had been nominated for Best Broadcast Production for last summer's swashbucking broadcast from the LV18, station management insisted that they were attired in penguin suits rather than pirate regalia.

As the penguin-suited team departed for the Creative East Awards, Mary Payne was the 3 o'clock guest, talking to Graham Bannerman about what offshore radio meant to her.

Although a non-winner, BBC Essex was the only radio finalist in Best Broadcast Production, competing against three television production companies. However, the station proudly came away with Best Radio Programme for 'Inside at Christmas', a feature about the inmates' life at Chelmsford Prison during the festive season.

Produced by Tim Gillett (left), 'Inside at Christmas' was broadcast on December 24th 2007. It beat almost three hundred other entries from across East Anglia.

The Creative East Awards were created to acknowledge and celebrate the wealth of creative talent across the Eastern region.

BBC Essex report; Creative East Awards

Mary's interview – it starts with Graham Bannerman talking to the traffic reporter about the station 'penguins'.