Tommy Vance
Tommy Vance (born July 11, 1940 in Eynsham , Oxfordshire , † March 6, 2005 in Dartford , Kent ; actually Richard Anthony Crispian Francis Prew Hope-Weston , also Rick West ) was one of the most famous radio presenters in Europe.
He was in the Merchant Navy at the age of 16 but was dissatisfied with his job and, being an avid listener to US radio stations, he looked for a job at a radio station in the US. In 1964 he got his first job at KOC in Seattle , where he moderated under the name Rick West. He received the pseudonym Tommy Vance two years later when he tried to get a job at another radio station. When a DJ named Tommy Vance was supposed to get a job there but did not appear, Richard Hope-Weston pretended to be Vance and not only got his job, but kept the name of the opponent from then on.
Afraid of being drafted for the Vietnam War, he left the United States in 1966 and returned to Great Britain. After a brief employment at 208- Radio Luxemburg , he switched to the pirate station Radio Caroline and later to the BBC , where he was best known for his moderation of the Friday Night Rock Show (from 1978 to 1993). Vance is also known to numerous listeners in German-speaking countries through the broadcaster BFBS . Most recently, the "voice of rock" worked for the commercial private broadcaster Virgin Classic Rock Radio in London. He could be heard on the radio shortly before his death and died of complications from a stroke . He was in the Golders Green Crematorium in London cremated , where his ashes is located.
In addition to his numerous broadcasts for the radio, he was seen as a DJ, among others, for the 'mother' of the pop shows Top Of The Pops and later as a presenter on VH1 . He has also lent his deep, smoky voice to numerous actors in England as a voice actor . Until recently he was also the spokesperson for numerous BBC trailers for radio and television. In 1974 he played a supporting role in the musical film Slade In Flame by the band Slade .
Tommy Vance has interviewed more than 10,000 musicians on his shows.
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| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Vance, Tommy |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Hope-Weston, Richard (real name); West, Rick |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | British radio host |
| DATE OF BIRTH | July 11, 1940 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Eynsham , Oxfordshire |
| DATE OF DEATH | March 6, 2005 |
| Place of death | at Dartford , Kent |