Even we heard of him, but didn't hear him.
Eurovision here usually has Australian commentators IIRC, but he may have been on a few times.
Nigel, didn't know that he was instrumental in the popularity of Eva Cassidy. We have at least her "Songbird" CD in our collection, Mrs A would know if there are others.
Several "A" side quality tracks on that one. "Over the Rainbow" is definitely the best version we've come across.
Sad to hear that he is gone, RIP. What's happening with these folk popping off before their mid eighties?
nigelb wrote:Rest in Peace, Sir Terry! I used to listen to him on Radio 2 over the internet if I was up early enough and sometimes on the iplayer later on if I missed his show.. I loved his wit an humour/ I will always remember him for really discovering Eva Cassidy. She died way too early of cancer but she used to play at The Blues Alley in Washington, DC, about 20 miles from me, but at that point, I had never heard of her.. I was browsing in the classical department at Tower Records and heard her CD on the PA and just had to have it.- what a voice! I played it for my daughter while on the way taking her back to Uni and she became a fan. But hardly anyone on this side of the pond had heard of her. That is until Sir Terry played "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" on his breakfast show and apparently the BBC switchboard lit up like Christmas on Oxford Street. The Washington Post caught wind of this story somehow, published a piece about Sir Terry and Eva and the late Eva Cassidy's CD's began to sell like mad. Leddra Chapman was another young artist he introduced me to. I just loved the horn passages in "Story"
Sir Terry will be missed by many,
Nigel²
I think much of the credit for Terry's "discoveries" lies with his late, great, producer Paul/Dr Wally/Paulie/Poorly Walters - certainly those of Eva Cassidy and Katie Melua. He had a knack of giving Sir Terry the goods to share with the nation!
Hot_Charlie wrote:
I think much of the credit for Terry's "discoveries" lies with his late, great, producer Paul/Dr Wally/Paulie/Poorly Walters - certainly those of Eva Cassidy and Katie Melua. He had a knack of giving Sir Terry the goods to share with the nation!
My memory is well ...... (forgot what I was going to say) Anyway I do seem to recall from that Washington Post article that a BBC Radio 2 producer was over here in Washington and took one of her CD's back to London for Sir Terry to hear.. Her record label was a small local label without wide distribution at that time.
To wade in deeper, I found this on an Eva Cassidy website:
When was Eva’s music first played on the radio?
I don’t think anybody knows for sure, though one of these days I’ll talk to Tom Goldfogle of Liaison Records to ask if he has any recollection. A good guess would be that some of the duets from the album THE OTHER SIDE with Chuck Brown, who was and is a very big star in Washington DC, were broadcast at the time of the CD’s release. If I had to speculate where Eva’s solo music first was played, I’d go with folk DJ Mary Cliff and her “Traditions” show (then aired on WETA-FM). But of course it was radio airplay in England that really made a difference in the Eva Cassidy story. I hear that BBC radio announcers are practically bickering over who “discovered” Eva Cassidy on behalf of BBC Radio 2! Was it Mike Harding, Terry Wogan, or Bob Harris? I have been investigating, and the answer is… none of the above. Paul Jones was actually the first to put Eva on BBC 2, with ‘Wade in the Water’ on his blues show (yes, it’s the same Paul Jones we remember from the 60’s band Manfred Mann.) The following week, Mike Harding was the first to play ‘Fields Of Gold.’ Very shortly thereafter, Paul Walters and Terry Wogan introduced Eva to the audience of the most-listened-to “Wake up with Wogan” program and Bob Harris brought her voice to the discerning listeners of his eclectic Saturday night show. Thanks, gentlemen, you are all wonderful!
I find it interesting that it takes the Brits to discover a talent here right under our noses!
Nigel²
Last edited by nigelb on 02 Feb 2016, 08:17, edited 4 times in total.
Airspeed wrote:
Nigel, didn't know that he was instrumental in the popularity of Eva Cassidy. We have at least her "Songbird" CD in our collection, Mrs A would know if there are others.
Several "A" side quality tracks on that one. "Over the Rainbow" is definitely the best version we've come across.
Ironically, I don't have "Songbird" In my collection and I believe it is a compilation. I Have "Over The Rainbow" on "The Other Side" with Chuck Brown and Eva Cassidy. Brown, who recently died, was a huge local R&B star. Other CD's I have:
Eva Cassidy Live at Blues Alley
Eva by Heart
Time After Time
One memory of Terry's second incarnation of Wake Up to Woman (in addition to Janet and John) was the running gag about "the Preston joke". Often referred to but never told. I finally heard the joke some time later and it wasn't a surprise that it was never told.
Very sad news as I'd heard a couple of weeks ago that he was hoping to be back on the radio at the enf of Feb.
