I began a paper round to earn the pocket money to feed my new record-buying obsession and every Thursday evening I’d wait at John Lever’s record shop in Northampton for the Decca delivery van to arrive with all the brand- new singles from that fantastic stable of labels – London American, RCA, Brunswick and especially Coral, which was the label of Buddy Holly and the Crickets.

My friends would come over for ‘record hops’ and listen to all my new 45s. There was something about that match-up of rock and roll and vinyl. Those records absolutely pulverised the tiny Dansette speakers, and nothing had more power than ‘Peggy Sue’, ‘That’ll Be the Day’ and ‘Maybe Baby’, still my favourite Crickets song. A few months later, Coral released ‘Heartbeat’ (45-Q 72346) and we loved it, of course. We played it over and over until finally I put on the B-side … and discovered one of the most beautiful records I’ve ever heard.

That B-side was ‘Well … All Right’ and as the acoustic guitar intro began to play, I looked up to see the joy on the faces of all my friends, gathered around the Dansette. I knew then that what I wanted to do was somehow try to translate this beautiful feeling onto the airwaves and play the music that enriches my life for anyone who would listen! It worked. My lifetime love really has been all right.

Buddy Holly opened up my pathway to the microphone and to a radio career inspired by the music of those wonderful, pioneering days. And how fortunate I have been.