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David 'Kid' Jensen

Michael Berkeley talks to disc jockey David ‘Kid’ Jensen about his career in pop music and his lifelong love of classical music.

Michael Berkeley talks to disc jockey David ‘Kid’ Jensen about his career in pop music and his lifelong love of classical music.

In 1968 David Jensen left his native Canada to become the youngest member of Radio Luxembourg’s original ‘all live’ line up. He was just 18 – hence his enduring nickname, ‘Kid’. Since then he’s never been off the air, working at Radio 1, Radio 2, Capital Radio, Heart, and picking up five Gold Sony Awards along the way. And for many people of a certain age his appearances with John Peel on Top of the Pops were the highlight of their week.

David tells Michael about his first job in radio, at the age of just 16, playing classical music on a radio station in his native British Colombia and he chooses music by Dvorak that reminds him of that time.

His passion for opera is reflected in arias by Italian composers and a contemporary Icelandic composer, in honour of his Icelandic wife, Gudrun, and their happy marriage of 45 years.

In 2013 David was diagnosed with Parkinson’s and he talks movingly about the challenges of living with the disease and the determination and optimism with which he has faced it.

And he shares memories of practical jokes at Radio 1; holidays with Paul and Linda McCartney; football matches with The Rolling Stones; and how Billy Bragg helped launch his career by delivering a curry to David and John Peel at Broadcasting House.

Producer: Jane Greenwood
A Loftus Media production for ´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio 3

Available now

30 minutes

Last on

Sun 3 Jan 2021 12:00

Music Played

  • Antonín Dvořák

    Symphony no.9 in E minor (From the New World) (2nd mvt: Largo)

    Orchestra: Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Sir Roger Norrington.
  • John Coltrane

    My Favorite Things

  • Umberto Giordano

    La Mamma morta (Andrea Chenier)

    Singer: Maria Callas. Orchestra: Philharmonia Orchestra. Conductor: Tullio Serafin.
  • Gunnar Thordarson

    It shall be so... (Ragnheidur)

    Singer: Elmar Gilbertsson. Singer: Thora Einarsdottir.
  • Antonio Vivaldi

    Summer (Four Seasons)

    Composer: Max Richter. Performer: Daniel Hope. Orchestra: Kammerorchester Berlin. Conductor: André de Ridder.
  • Giacomo Puccini

    Ch'ella mi creda (La Fanciulla del West)

    Singer: Jonas Kaufmann. Singer: Massimo Simeoli. Orchestra: Orchestra of the Academy of Santa Cecilia, Rome. Choir: Chorus of the National Academy of Santa Cecilia. Conductor: Sir Antonio Pappano.
  • John Tavener

    The Protecting Veil

    Performer: Maria Kliegel. Orchestra: Ulster Orchestra. Conductor: Takuo Yuasa.

Broadcast

  • Sun 3 Jan 2021 12:00

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