This page has been setup as an appreciation and to promote the fantastic Geoff Barker's Rock 'n' Roll Party radio show which features 2 hours of the best rock 'n' roll, rockabilly, rockin' instrumental music. You can catch this show live every Saturday on the BBC across the South of England from 18.00-20.00, or you can listen online for up to 7 days after.
Geoff really knows his rock n roll and his love of the music really shines through. Go check it out - you won't be disappointed.
Please note - This page is NOT owned by Geoff Barker and messages sent via MySpace are not seen by Geoff. This page is setup as an appreciation and has no official affiliation with Geoff or the BBC.
The Saturday Night Rock'n'Roll Party (6.05-8.00pm) is one of the most popular programs on Radio Gloucestershire and similarly across the BBC West and Southwest Network which also broadcasts the show.
It's also a permanent fixture in the list of most 'on-demand' BBC programmes in the country, via the online Listen Again facility.
Uniquely mixing vintage Rock'n'Roll, Rockabilly, R'n'B, Doo-Wop and Instrumentals, the show has attracted a big-following across the UK and on-line around the world.
Geoff is recognized as one of the foremost Rock'n'Roll authorities in the UK and he uses this to the full on the show, with facts and information about the music, but always maintaining the pace that befits a 'Rock'n'Roll party'!
He also does something other more mainstream shows of the genre do not - champions new bands and artistes on the current Rock'n'Roll scene, giving them air-time rarely available elsewhere. He also does a comprehensive local gig-guide to live music.
The programme also benefits from Geoff's extensive contacts, with a list of stellar guests over the years, including:- The Crickets, The Comets, Scotty Moore & DJ Fontana, Wanda Jackson, Charlie Gracie, Cliff Richard, Hank Marvin, Bruce Welch, Paul McCartney, Marty Wilde, Joe Brown, Albert Lee, Tom Jones & Jools Holland, John Leyton and many more.
Over more than 30 years, Geoff has met and interviewed hundreds of key figures in music and has a huge personal interview archive. He plunders this to full effect and often produces mini-documentaries for the show.
These have included profiles of; Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Eddie Cochran, Carl Perkins, Sam Phillips, Cliff & The Shadows, Joe Meek, Billy Fury and the anniversaries of significant events in Rock'n'Roll history.
A Rock'n'Roll programme unlike any other and not to be missed! Email the show at: [email protected]
All about Geoff
Geoff has been married to Ann since 1966 and has three daughters, a son and four grandchildren.
Born in Willesden, London, (in the same year that Elvis Presley started Junior High School in Mississippi), Geoff first heard Rock'n'Roll on the jukebox at the legendary Ace Café on the North Circular Road.
He was also introduced to the music of Buddy Holly and The Crickets in 1960, by his elder brother Bob. This started a lifelong obsession with the 'Shy Texan', culminating in a two-part documentary marking Buddy's 70th Anniversary that Geoff made for BBC Radio 2 in 2006.
The research for which saw him meet up with Buddy's brothers and also get to play guitar with them at their home in Lubbock Texas. ('A truly amazing experience').
Geoff took up guitar at age 12, learning to play to Buddy's records and those of his other first musical-love; The Shadows. ('I've come to know Hank and Bruce really well over the years, but whenever I meet them, I think back to standing in front of my bedroom mirror with my six-quid Spanish guitar, trying to do the 'Shadows-steps'!').
In later years Geoff would play and record with several bands, including an Elvis tribute show, with his son Sean on drums. ('These were my greatest musical moments, actually playing onstage with my son. We also gigged as an acoustic duo, but now I'm solo as he's moved to New Zealand!').
In 1963, Geoff was amongst those who packed a boat-house on Eel Pie Island, Twickenham, watching a bunch of scruffs called The Rolling Stones.
Then along came The Beatles, starting another lifelong obsession, which turned Geoff into a serious Beatles aficionado and saw him asked by Apple Records to produce a disc of Beatles interviews to accompany The Beatles 1 CD in 2000.
In 1999 Geoff had worked on a six-part series for BBC World Service presented by Sir Paul McCartney, after which he was invited by Paul, to conduct an exclusive interview about his Rock'n'Roll album 'Run Devil Run'. ('Another pinch yourself experience'.)
Geoff got into radio by probably the most unique manner anyone ever employed. In 1976 he and Rock'n'Roll soulmate Stuart Colman organized a march on Broadcasting House in London, with some 6000 Rock'n'Roll fans demanding a dedicated Rock'n'Roll show on 'The Nations Favourite' - BBC Radio 1!
No-one was more surprised than Stuart and Geoff, when they were given a show and "It's Rock'n'Roll" started a regular Saturday tea-time slot later that year. ('We were nobodies, going straight from pub-gigging in The Old Kent Road, to Radio 1, but the guys there were great to us, especially John Peel also DLT and Paul Burnett, who I would later work alongside on Classic Gold.
'The only exception was a certain 'star-celeb-DJ' who publicly ridiculed my London accent on air. But then he would later inflict Mr Blobby upon us all… so I feel vindicated!')
Geoff and Ann had a family of four and matching mortgage, so to just jump 100% into the uncertain world of freelance radio was not really sensible, but he kept his hand in, via cameos on BBC Radio London with Charlie Gillett and on London's Capital Radio with the late Roger Scott. ('The greatest radio presenter to ever grace the UK airwaves. Rockin' Rog was a huge influence on me').
Geoff also had a 'proper job' working in computing for BT and then as a full-time officer with The National Communications Union, after a decade as a local rep. ('I'd been politically active since the early 70s, motivated by things like 'Rock Against Racism', The Anti-Nazi League and all the political upheavals in the country at that time, the Miners strikes etc. I remember my Mum being horrified when she saw me on TV leaving a TUC conference, chatting to Arthur Scargill!').
In 1988, Geoff and his family moved to Dorset where he mobile-DJ'd and also started on 2CR, the local commercial station in Bournemouth.
He also presented shows ('and made all the commercials!') at Orchard FM in Taunton, from 1989-92. Geoff was on 2CR until 2000 and covered every show across the week including long spells on breakfast and drive-time.
He was also seen (and heard!) at all AFC Bournemouth home games where he was matchday announcer. ('And pre-match rabble-rouser. The best of which came when we won the Division 2 play-off final and I was able to go on the pitch at the Millennium Stadium in front of 30,000 Cherries fans').
After leaving 2CR, Geoff worked at Bath FM, until 2004. But in 2002, he had arrived back home at the BBC. In 2003 he started The Saturday Night Rock'n'Roll Party which is still going strong today.
Geoff also makes programmes for our national networks, Radio 2 and Radio 4. ('Radio 4! Who'd have thought it? And me with my London accent! eh Blobby?')
This has seen him work with some great names including; Johnny Cash, Little Richard, Paul McCartney, Bill Wyman, Roger Daltrey and Brian May. Geoff has also produced major documentaries on Elvis Presley, Sun Records, Rockabilly, British R&B, Lonnie Donegan, The Beatles…… and of course………… Buddy Holly.
THIS IS ROCK N ROLL RADIO - STAY TUNED FOR MORE ROCK N ROLL
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