Tony Butler, widely attributed with originating the radio football phone-in in England, has passed away at the age of 88. The radio legend’s straightforward and distinctive approach made him one of the earliest local radio celebrities.
In the 1970s, Butler worked at one of the first commercial stations in the United Kingdom, Birmingham’s BRMB.
BBC Radio WM’s Daz Hale paid tribute to the “larger than life” personality, stating that “he was a giant” in broadcasting.
“He was an icon, a great, and he changed broadcasting in this country and possibly all over the world,” he said.
Later, the occasionally controversial broadcaster hosted for many years at BBC Radio WM in Birmingham, including the weekday breakfast program.
The 88-year-old gained national notoriety as a result of a routine performed by comedian Jasper Carrott. The comedian told BBC WM, “Tony’s great quality was that he had a great sense of humor.”
“He was capable of both giving and taking”
“I used to go to the football game on Saturday afternoons, and the first thing you did when you got into your vehicle was turn on Tony Butler. His songs were just timeless.
“He was irrepressible, and naturally he got into a lot of controversy with different things, but that was who he was”
“I thought the world of him.”
Stuart Linnell, a former colleague, and broadcaster, described him as a “legendary broadcaster.”
Butler worked as a freelance sports journalist for BBC Radio Birmingham, as it was then known, in the 1970s, he explained.
“They used him on the air, but his Midlands dialect was so pronounced that they believed listeners, even Birmingham listeners, would have difficulty understanding him, so they gave him elocution lessons.
Then, when BRMB arrived, he went on air and made an enormous impact, as if no one had ever heard him before.
Mr. Linnell added,
“I learned so much from watching Butler, and I will always remember him with great, great affection.”
Jenny Wilkes, a former BBC WM presenter, remarked,
“He was a friend to everyone and also cared for them.”
“When it came to radio, he knew what people wanted and what they wanted to hear; he was so entertaining.”
Butler retired in 2012 after receiving a lifetime achievement award at the Sony radio awards in 2007.
In 1951, at 16, he entered the Birmingham Post and Mail newspaper organization as a trainee correspondent. After completing his national service, he joined the Daily Telegraph.
Butler first presented for the BBC on regional radio in 1963 but became a notable sports phone-in pioneer when he hosted on BRMB well before the format reached national radio in the 1990s – the decade that saw the formation of the English Premier League.
In the 1970s, when there were only a scattering of BBC radio stations and three television channels as competition, he commanded enormous audiences.
Although he is best known for his nearly four decades of radio broadcasting in the West Midlands, he also hosted three television series for BBC Midlands.
Butler, whose catchphrases included “on yer bike,” worked for WM during the 1990s before joining BRMB’s sibling station Xtra AM, which played oldies music, and later returning to the BBC local station.
Also Read: Why Ed Skrein Left Game Of Thrones And His Family Life
