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BBC Radio 2 listeners were in tears as terminally ill Johnnie Walker bid farewell in his final show on Sunday.
The veteran broadcaster, 79, recorded the final episode of his Sounds Of The 70s, ending a 58-year career in radio.
Johnnie has just weeks to live, following a battle with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a rare and progressive illness that affects the respiratory system.
He signed off his last episode of BBC Radio 2’s The Rock Show on Friday and hosted his final Sounds Of The 70s on Sunday and played his favourite tracks.
Fans were overcome with emotion as they listened to his last shows and took to X to share sweet tributes.
BBC Radio 2 listeners were in tears as terminally ill Johnnie Walker, 79, bid farewell in his final show on Sunday
The veteran broadcaster recorded the final episode of his Sounds Of The 70s, ending a 58-year career in radio
Some wrote: ‘Johnnie Walker has hung up his headphones after 58 years One of the radio greats I’d love to wish him a Happy Retirement, but, sadly, his circumstances dictate otherwise. Bravo, sir, and thank you’,
‘A sad day as Johnnie Walker hosts his final radio show. Millions of us will miss his warmth, love of music, the stars who sounded like mates… and you were our incorrigible, irreverent mate, who had all the best rock’n’roll stories. Sail on safely, Pirate JW. #JohnnieWalker’,
‘Farewell Johnnie Walker Captain of the airwaves at loved the show today & every week. Always into the music man ! Thank you for being the soundtrack of our lives . We will all miss you very much’,
‘Farewell Johnnie Walker, my late gran loved your show, my mum loves you and as a little radio head, I do too. That was a very emotional last broadcast.. thankfully our lovely lad from Leigh, is on next to soothe us’,
‘Sunday’s won’t be the same without #johnniewalker. I’m going to miss him.’
During the show, he told listeners: ‘So it doesn’t really matter how long you’ve been listening to the old JW here, we’ve had a great time doing Sounds of the 70s.
‘It really developed into a sort of a Sunday Afternoon Club, I always got the feeling, and lots of people preparing their Sunday roast, maybe pulling the cork on a bottle of wine, other people doing their gardening, pottering in a shed, doing ironing.
‘It was just great spending Sunday afternoons with you and it’s going to be very strange for me next Sunday afternoon at 3 o’clock to think that I won’t be speaking to you.
After his show, Johnnie raised a glass of fizz to celebrate his final show
Johnnie has just weeks to live, following a battle with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis , a rare and progressive illness that affects the respiratory system
Fans were overcome with emotion as they listened to his last shows and took to X to share sweet tribute
‘It’ll be somebody else, namely Bob Harris, who’ll be doing Sounds of the 70s. So, I’ll miss you a lot and it’s been great connecting up for all these years. We’ve done a lot of living together you and I.’
He signed off from the show, saying: ‘So here we are, the end of a 15 year run on Sunday afternoons, Sounds of the 70s, and 58 years on British radio, and it’s going to be very strange not to be on the wireless anymore.
‘But also, by the same token, life will be slightly less of a strain really, trying to find the breath to do programmes.
‘So thank you for being with me all these years and take good care of yourself and those you love and may we walk into the future with our heads held high and happiness in our hearts. God bless you.’
During his last show on Friday, he ‘favourite rock anthems’, opening with Sweet Jane from Steve Hunter, Dick Wagner and Lou Reed.
The Rock Show will be taken over by Shaun Keaveny from November 1. Bob Harris takes over as presenter of Sounds Of The 70s from Sunday 3 November.
Johnnie with his wife Tiggy. The DJ, who is terminally ill, broadcast many of his recent shows from his home in Dorset
Johnnie started out on pirate radio before first joining the BBC in 1969
Born in Birmingham, the DJ began in pirate radio at Swinging Radio England in 1966, before moving to Radio Caroline.
He first joined the Corporation at BBC Radio 1 in 1969. In 1976 he moved to San Francisco to record a weekly broadcast on Radio Luxembourg.
He returned to the BBC in the early 1980s, where he remained until now. In the last few years he has broadcast shows from his home in Dorset.