Aircheck Tracker
UPDATED 31st December 2004
Profile: Robbie Vincent: Robbie's first avenue into the media world was as a newspaper reporter. However, his first break came as the country's first talk show presenter, playing devil's advocate on a phone-in show for BBC Radio London thirty years ago (1973), but later, during the 1053/1089 era, 1983 to be precise, just as avenues into FM began, Robbie also found himself broadcasting nationally at BBC Radio 1 where he presented some avidly followed soul shows aired on on Saturday evenings, on FM. In this time, he was one of the few radio presenters in the UK to have interviewed Motown legend Marvin Gaye. His show later moved to Sunday nights, without any affect on listenership. Up until 1989, he continued with a fusion of Jazz-Funk from the likes of Eddie Henderson, The Crusaders, The Fatback Band, Rick James, Funkadelic and Ronnie Laws.
Following his departure from there, he joined London's talk and news station, LBC. Here, he was one of the voices for over 10 years, with a continuation of the night-time phone-in success he'd built for the BBC back in the early seventies. The show was one of the highest rated programmes on the station - and he also had the biggest night timee show of any radio station.
Also in the 1980's, Robbie was seen with Debbie Greenwood on BBC television's 'Hospital Watch', a live show from the country's hospitals and another daytime show 'Go For It'. He left LBC in 1994 to join Jazz FM, presenting a weekly Sunday morning show called 'Jazz Flavours'. He took a short break after a short term with the station but rejoined Jazz FM in 1997.
Robbie Vincent was at London's Jazz FM 102.2 presenting the weekday Breakfast Show 07:00-10:00 and the morning show on Sundays 10:00-12:00 until January of 2003.
Gill writes: '..during the 70's, Robbie played regular gigs at the California Ballroom in Dunstable. If you don't know it, it was the biggest soul venue in the south of England. When the Ballroom was due to be knocked down in 1980, Robbie cancelled his gigs to make sure he could be there for the last night. That was on December 31st 1979. He played to a packed house, but it was the saddest gig ever. Half the crowd were in tears.'
Steve
Morson sent this update: 'I was just checking your web page
for the whereabouts of Robbie. I've been waiting for him to return to Jazz
FM, but according to solarradio.com's forum. he's officially left. Rumours
evident via solarradio.com revealed that Robbie had disagreements with JazzFM management over music
policy - which led to his departure. A Wednesday morning on the station featured
news that he would not be returning, despite earlier news stating that he was
unwell. Reports on the solarradio.com forum showed a hint that some
repetition had set in, with queries as to whether Robbie was fighting against
this.
In December 2003, Robbie made a return to radio, and a
return to the station where his career started. On Friday 5th December
2003, he
presented the 12noon to 3pm slot standing in for Robert Elms on BBC
London 94.9FM. In the last week of December 2003, he stood in for Jon
Gaunt from 9:00am-12:00noon), from Monday 29th January through to New Years'
Eve and again, on 2nd January 2004.
Since he quit Jazz FM, AIRCHECK has been inundated with e-mails of people seeking his whereabouts - and we can confirm he has NOT been on radio at all in this time, but infact spent a year travelling. However, speaking about his return, he said he was 'really looking forward to coming back to BBC London'. Robbie was one of the pioneers of what was then BBC Radio London thirty years ago, as host of the very first live phone in show on UK Radio, and was arguably the country's first presenter to play with the caller's emotions, a 'devil's advocate' if you like. Robbie said "I'm raring to go and really looking forward to meeting the London audience again and to returning to the radio station I have haunted for all these years."
Mervyn Bright reported: 'Robbie V stood in for Norman Jay on the Sunday Night show "Jive 45" on BBC Radio London on 22nd February 2004 8-10pm. On 15th June 2004, between 11:00am & 1pm, Robbie was a special guest on the Tony Monson show on Solar Radio.' He also appeared at the Solar Radio Forum night out on Saturday 19th June 2004. Pictures can be seen at:- http://www.strawberryjazz.com/robbie_vincent.htm
Whereabouts: Anymore on Robbie's radio story? We'll try and keep track on him this time! Keep us informed by e-mail - thanks!