The current UK roots and world music scenes owe a significant debt to broadcaster Andy Kershaw.
Anyone in the UK who enjoyed world music and became a fan of roots-influenced rock from the ‘80s owes a massive debt to DJ and broadcaster Andy Kershaw, who died on the 16th April, from the cancer that was announced in January, together with the fact that he had lost the use of both legs. There has been a palpable sense of shock on social media from various media organisations, friends, fellow broadcasters, journalists and musicians, led by his sister, and fellow broadcaster, Liz Kershaw, who has bemoaned the loss of her best friend.
Andy Kershaw was born on 9th November, 1959, into a family of educators and headmasters who instilled in him a sense of self-improvement through education. When it was time for him to go to university, there was no choice from his point of view, it had to be Leeds University because at the time, it was one of the main music venues in the country, and any major band or artist touring the UK always played Leeds University. He was elected Entertainments Officer in 1980. This meant that he left Leeds without being awarded a degree, but he did land a job with Aire Radio as Promotions Manager, which he followed in 1983 with a job as Billy Bragg’s roadie and driver. His big break came in 1984 when he became a presenter of The Old Grey Whistle Test. This led to him co-hosting Live Aid, getting his own Radio 1 radio show, and interviewing his own personal hero, Bob Dylan. As a broadcaster, he was heavily influenced by John Peel and producer John Waters, and he actively sought out those that at the time were unknown, or at best, very niche artists. Personally, Andy Kershaw opened my ears to the Paisley Underground in the 1980s, starting with the Long Ryders. On an even deeper level, he changed my musical tastes forever with his championing of World Music. His championing of World Music led to him being a bridge between the BBC’s Radio 1 and Radio 4, with him becoming something of a foreign correspondent for Radio 4 in the 1990s. He left Radio 1 in 2000, moving to Radio 3, recording documentaries on the music of North Korea, Iran, and Iraq.
He suffered personal emotional trauma in 2007 when his longstanding relationship with the mother of his two children broke down, and he was eventually jailed for three months for repeated harassment. He did subsequently return to work at the BBC in 2011, teaming up with Lucy Duran to travel the world and bring back interesting music for Radio 3’s Music Planet. Like many broadcasters, he had moved into podcasts before his death. He won various awards for his broadcasting achievements, starting with 1987’s gold Sony Award, and honorary doctorates from Leeds University and the University of East Anglia.
With his no-nonsense attitude and northern vowels, Andy Kershaw had a distinctive style as a broadcaster. This aligned with his passion for new and world music, together with the politics, culture and economics behind the music, made him a singular broadcaster and journalist. While he will be sorely missed, his influence on the music of the last forty years will ensure his lasting legacy.
