Quotes

I try and block punk rock out of my mind. I hated it.

[on "Kayleigh" by Marillion] That is a great sound, isn't it?

[on Sir Jimmy Savile] He was just a complete one-off. I think he was a bit of a lonely character as well. In the privacy of his own life I don't think he had very many friends. I've never known anyone quite like him. He was a blunt speaking Northerner, but also kind and very respectful.

[on Dusty Springfield] She made such fantastic music, and I've always loved black soul music, but I think she was the first white soul singer in this country really. And she did a lot for soul music.

I was divorced for 17 years and in that time I was lonely, I lived by myself and I experienced loneliness. I think it's quite a good thing to have had that because I think then you can feel the way other people feel and I think a lot of people listen in to the radio for a friend.

I'm not a religious person but if there is a God out there I could probably say to him "although I didn't quite believe in you, hey I haven't been too bad, let me in!"

[in 2014] I don't go along with that line "they don't write songs like they used to". I think they do but I mean I think the Sixties and Seventies were special, but there's still some great songs coming out.

I introduced Motown into this country on the pirate ships because nobody was playing it.

[on John Peel] I think I started out badly with John. His programme was much more minority and I always saw Radio 1 as a pop music station for everybody, so I suggested that John should be on Radio 3. And I meant that as a serious thing but he took it badly.