Thwaites Empire Theatre in Blackburn is all set to get a new year blast from the past when legendary radio disc jockey ‘Diddy’ David Hamilton brings his brand new ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Back The Years’ show to town.
After more than five decades broadcasting to the nation, the former BBC Radio presenter, famed for his love of Fulham FC, is embarking on a year-long nationwide theatre tour.
But rather than spinning scratchy 45s, the music will be performed by live musicians. Featuring classic hits from the 1950s and 60s, together with chat and gossip from pop’s golden era.
The show is a tribute to the greats – Elvis, Dusty, Cilla, Cliff and The Shadows, The Supremes, Roy Orbison, among many others.
A regular host of TV’s ‘Top Of The Pops’ in the 1970s, David has presented over 12,000 radio shows for BBC and commercial stations and over 1,000 TV shows mainly for BBC and ITV, but also on satellite. In the mid-1970s his afternoon radio shows drew the biggest audiences of the day.
“Communicating with people over the airwaves and on TV is wonderful – but I think that after all these years it’s time we saw the whites of each other’s eyes,” says David, who celebrated his 77th birthday in September.
“Last year I did a show with a very talented band of musicians at the London Palladium, and we thought it would be fun to put together an all-time great music touring show – the greatest songs of our lifetime, all in one evening.”
Throughout his long career David has interviewed many of pop music’s biggest names – he famously compered shows by The Beatles and The Rolling Stones – and will be telling stories about the stars he has met and treating his audience to a selection of the songs they put in the charts.
“I’m really thrilled to be back on stage,” says David, who acquired his ‘Diddy’ nickname when playing comedian Ken Dodd’s straight man in a 1960s TV series.
“The aim is to give audiences an exciting night of nostalgia, humour and some of the greatest music ever made. I can’t think of anything better – other than Fulham winning the Premier League!”
David Hamilton’s ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Back The Years’ show appears at Thwaites Empire on Saturday 24thJanuary 2016, starting at 7.30pm. Tickets priced at £20 are available here or from the booking office on 01254 685500 open Monday to Friday 10am – 12.30pm.