R.I.P. SUNIL
October 30th, 2007. Yesterday on Clive Bull's LBC radio show I heard the very sad news indeed that Sunil passed away earlier this month after a long illness. I'd never met him, but for the last half dozen years he had been a pen friend.
Sunil also had contributions on the following websites:
Cine-Musical , which has features on Dan Dailey, Nat King Cole, Jane Powell, Gloria Jean, Betty Grable, Arthur Schwarz and for which Sunil writes regularly, is available for £10 cash only from David at Box 718F, GPO, Melbourne, Vic.3001, Australia.
Here is la creme de la creme of many interesting contributions I've received from Sunil:
Like Jenny Agutter, LBC presenter Clive Bull has read the letters on Points of View, and like Marcus Berkmann, he has been a music journalist. Clive has been in the band Network and composed the song I'm Not That Sentimental. He has worked in Bejam's and was a cinema usher. He made his presenting debut on Jellybone on LBC in 1981- this was a children's show on which he succeeded Jean Davies, Therese Birch and Tommy Boyd.
Dale Winton is the fifth host of Pick of the Pops* - the first four being Franklin Engelmann (1908-1972), Alan Dell (1924-1995), David Jacobs and Alan Freeman, who has moved into the Brinsworth House nursing home with arthritis.
Chris Tarrant hosted the pilot of Stars in Their Eyes. Mike Allen was a scriptwriter on Grange Hill. Robbie Vincent owns greyhounds and did a Birds of A Feather voiceover. Tony Augarde has been a drummer with the Ritz Hotel's resident band the Vile Bodies. Chris Stuart composed the theme to S4C's Superted.
Radio presenters who have been in films
Pete Murray has been in: Time Flies, Caravan, Hungry Hill, Captain Boycott, My Brother Jonathan, Portrait from Life, No Highway, Six-Five Special, A Taste of Money, Escort for Hire, Transatlantic, Behave Yourself, Design for Loving, It's Trad Dad, Otley, Under the Table, You Must Go and Cool It Girl.
Simon Bates has been in Theatre of Blood.
David Jacobs has been in The Golden Disc.
Alan Freeman has been in Absolute Beginners.
Douglas Cameron was heard in The Sweeney.
Brian Hayes was heard in Britannia Hospital.
Alan Frank was in A Clockwork Orange, (Carry On) Follow That Camel, HMS Bismarck, Suddenly Last Summer, Star Wars, I Could go on Singing, A Night to Remember, The Guns of Navarone, Frenzy, A Hard Day's Night, Carve her Name with Pride, Plague of the Zombies, Expresso Bongo and Casino Royale.
PETE MURRAY by Sunil Hiranandani
In 2000, Pete Murray has celebrated his fiftieth anniversary in broadcasting. I first remember him on Family Favourites linking up with Jean Beresford in Australia and Ian in New Zealand.
He turned down the chance to take over the Ted Heath band because, although it is something he has always wanted to do, he felt the musicians would not accept it.
His favourite musicians are the Count Basie Orchestra, his favourite singers include Peggy Lee and his favourite films include Charlie Varick.
His wife Tricia is a former barrister.
In a beauty contest he hosted, he was pushed by contestants into a swimming pool.
He toured in the Odd Couple with Bernie Winters. He also toured in a play with Michael Aspel: some of the audience demanded a refund when they found out it was not a quiz.
He got a letter praising his acting from Lord Olivier for his role as a disfigured pilot in Lost Enemy (later renamed Perfect Hero with Nigel Havers).
He joined LBC on Guy Fawkes' Night 1983 and hosted Nightline until 1987 when he moved to an afternoon and then a morning show. He started his Sunday night show in June 1996.
Marlene Dietrich once volunteered to be his cleaner for the day. He hosted Pete's Party on the Light Programme and Open House on Radio 2.
Pete with Anita Harris
* Note from Jeff: Don Moss also presented Pick of the Pops for a short while in late 1963, following two brief stints by Fluff (in 1962, after which David Jacobs made a brief comeback, and then earlier in 1963). Alan Freeman then took over for his third much longer term which lasted from 1964 until September 1972.