LEGEND: Tony Currie was the first voice on Radio Clyde in the 1970s (Image: Tony Currie via Facebook)
Tributes have been paid to legendary Ayrshire-born broadcaster Tony Currie, who passed away aged 74 on 26 September following a battle with tonsil cancer.
The radio star, originally from Ardrossan, was renowned for being the first voice on Radio Clyde, Scotland’s first independent radio station, in the 1970s, as well as his television work with STV and Tara Television in Ireland.
Currie went on to found Radio Six International and hold executive roles in the BBC from the latter part of the 20th century until his retirement in 2020.
Following his death on the Island of Lismore, a family statement on social media read: “Dad passed away yesterday afternoon at home on the Island of Lismore.
“The three of us sat with him and played him some of his favourite music. In the days before his death, he was very deeply touched by the messages of love he received from all friends.
“We are all going to miss him.”
Tributes were also shared on social media by people who worked with Currie and were influenced throughout his whole career.
One user said: “He was a lovely person; we had a lot of fun when we worked together, he was a great collaborator. I’m grateful for the opportunity to have known him.”
Another comment read: “Your dad was a complete one-off: we had never met anyone like him for his intelligence, wit and knowledge. What a strange world it will be without him.”
A further comment read: “He was such an inspiration to me and helped me so much when I was a student and gave me the passion for voice work. He was one of the ‘good guys’ who genuinely wanted to help people launch their careers.”
Tony Currie was born in Ardrossan, North Ayrshire on 5 December 1951.
He developed a fascination for broadcasting from a young age, pretending to read news bulletins and record his own radio station idents from his home attic.
What was originally a bedroom station, his Radio Six experienced international growth from the Island of Lismore in the early sixties and served networks such as Quality Radio and Unique Radio Australia.
Currie’s career also saw him write three books called A Concise History of British Television, The Radio Times Story, and Not Quite Altogether Now contribute publications to the likes of The Guardian and The Herald.
