For what Walker called “a rather special edition”, his beloved wife Tiggy (aka “Tiggy Stardust”) was on-air alongside him. Producer Liz Barnes and exec-producer Paul Thomas were also in the den, rather than down the line like usual. Such a momentous occasion merited attending in person.
This swansong saw Walker put aside listener requests for once, instead spinning his own favourites. Well, he’d earned the right. Each choice seemed freighted with meaning. He opened with George Harrison’s What Is Life (“Who am I without you by my side?”) and closed with Judy Collins’s soaring version of Amazing Grace. Inducting his 567th and final choice into Johnnie’s Jukebox, he plumped for Free Bird by Lynyrd Skynyrd (“If I leave here tomorrow, would you still remember me?”).
He dug into the archives for chats with two of his all-time favourite artists, David Bowie and Lou Reed. Rod Stewart called in from Los Angeles to thank Walker for “propelling a bunch of unknown layabouts to the top of the charts”. He signed off by telling him to “Rock on, mate”.
Unlike egocentric rent-a-presenters, partial to the sound of their own voice, Walker was a pleasingly old-fashioned throwback. He didn’t utter a word here until 10 minutes in. Modest and understated, he was all about the music, passing his infectious passion down the airwaves. Tony Blackburn once said Walker was forced to leave Radio 1 “because he liked music too much”. In one of many misty-eyed reminiscences, Walker said Radio 1 “wanted DJs to drive a Porsche and open shopping centres, which wasn’t me”.
His voice – crystal-clear yet laid-back and twinkling with warmth – was a balm for the ears. For decades, Walker has been the soundtrack to car journeys and cookery, to pottering and pootling. As Tiggy told him: “You make a lot of people very happy. There will be many tears out there today, including mine.” “Maybe one or two from me as well,” added Walker, that voice cracking for a moment.
Walker will be replaced on Sounds of the 70s by his friend, “Whispering” Bob Harris. The excellent Shaun Keaveny will take over The Rock Show. Both are safe pairs of hands, but Walker will be hugely missed, both from the radio and our lives. His departure represents the end of an era – not just for Walker but for his entire generation of pirate radio alumni and proper “jocks”.
Before Walker hung up his headphones for the last time, he said: “I’ll miss you. We’ve done a lot of living together, you and I.” He promised to toast listeners when he opened a bottle of champagne with Tiggy after the show. Cheers, Johnnie. Thanks for the music and the memories.