The late Charlie Gillett was a renowned broadcaster, journalist and author. He wrote the acclaimed and influential ‘Sound Of The City’ (“the first serious and comprehensive history of rock & roll”) and the story of Atlantic Records ‘Making Tracks’.
He wrote for the first serous music magazine I ever read ‘Let It Rock’, for ‘Rolling Stone’, ‘The Observer’ and the ‘NME’
As a radio DJ he appeared on the national and world service BBC, and presented the influential BBC Radio London show ‘Honky Tonk’.
Ace Records released two volumes of ‘Charlie Gillett’s Radio Picks Honky Tonk’ which included some of the classic records he played on his show including a demo by Dire Straits of ‘Sultan’s Of Swing’ which lead to world wide fame for the band.
On London’s Capital Radio he began playing ‘world music’ and developed an unparalleled knowledge of world/global music scene (check out his multi volume issued between 2000 and 2009 ‘World’ and ‘Sound Of The World’ series of double CDs).
He was the boss of Oval Music, a label named after the local south London cricket ground that he formed with Gordon Nelki in 1972, which released the influential ‘Another Saturday Night’ a compilation of South Louisiana and Cajun music.
Charlie was the recipient of  a Sony Gold Lifetime Achievement Award and the John Peel Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music Radio by the Radio Academy.
In July 2006, after eleven years of broadcasting his regular Saturday-night show of world music, Gillett had to end his weekend slot due to ill health, but until his death he continued to present his half-hour show, ‘Charlie Gillett’s World Of Music’.
Charlie died on 17th March 2010, following a series of health problems, including being diagnosed with Churg-Strauss syndrome in 2006.
Music fans will enjoy this hour lone interview with a great man.