Lynn Parsons

Lynn Parsons
Station(s) Jazz FM (2014-present)
Smooth Radio (2007–14)
BBC Radio 2 (1998–2014)
Virgin Radio (1996–98)
BBC Radio 1 (1991–96)
Capital Radio (1987–1991)
Style Presenter
Country United Kingdom
Website Official website

Lynn Parsons is a British disc jockey currently hosting the breakfast show for Jazz FM.

Career

Having graduated from college with an OND in electronic principles, Parsons started her career working in the television industry, where she was a sound engineer and later a vision mixer.[1] She was a DJ on the pirate soul station JFM before moving to a Saturday night pop music programme at Country Sound in Guilford.[2] In radio, she joined London's Capital FM in 1987 as a weeknight presenter, before moving to Radio 1 in 1991. Initially she was an overnight presenter, but later hosted other shows, and during her time with the network she became the last person to interview the comedian Peter Cook.[1] After leaving Radio 1, she joined Virgin Radio in 1996, spending two years as a presenter there.[1]

In 1998, Parsons joined BBC Radio 2, taking over the Friday and Saturday Overnight slot, where she remained as a full-time presenter until 2003.[1] She was also briefly a presenter of the weekday late show.[1] In 2001, Parsons' show received two hours of phone calls after rival Virgin Radio DJ Jon Holmes requested that his listeners call Parsons to request John Denver's Annie's Song be played.[3] From 2003 she was a stand-in presenter on the network. She had her own early Sunday morning show on Radio 2 from January to April 2010,[4] and later that year stood in for Sarah Kennedy after Kennedy was absent from her Dawn Patrol programme. It was announced on 3 September that Kennedy would not be returning to the network and that Parsons would continue to present the show until a shake up of the Radio 2 schedule in October.[5] In January 2012 it was confirmed she would provide cover for the 6–8 am Saturday breakfast slot after Zoë Ball announced her decision to leave the show, and until another regular presenter was appointed.[6]

She joined 102.2 Smooth Radio in London following its launch in March 2007,[7][8] later becoming a presenter on its successor, Smooth Radio. From October 2010 she was the breakfast show presenter on the new national Smooth Radio, a role which was taken over by Simon Bates when Bates joined the network in January 2011.[9] Parsons then returned to the weekend mid-morning show. In October 2012 Parsons was confirmed as the new host of the weekday mid morning show on Smooth, replacing Mark Goodier from December. She would be succeeded as weekend presenter by David Prever, who was previously a stand-in presenter at the network.[10] Parsons left Smooth Radio on 28 February 2014.[11]

On 11 September 2014, the Radio Today website reported that Parsons would join Jazz FM to present the station's breakfast show, The Jazz Breakfast. She joined Jazz FM from 15 September as part of an overhaul of their schedule.[12]

Her hobbies and interests include Feng Shui, science, the paranormal, English literature, antiques and swimming. She is a regular participant in the 26 mile moonlight walkathon.[1]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 "Radio 2 - Presenters - Lynn Parsons". BBC. Retrieved 31 January 2012.
  2. ↑ KISS FM: From Radical Radio To Big Business By Grant Goddard
  3. ↑ Jessica Callan (October 4, 2001). "3am: Annie's Throng". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
  4. ↑ Plunkett, John (11 March 2010). "Long-running shows move in Radio 2 reshuffle". The Guardian (guardian.co.uk). Retrieved 1 February 2012.
  5. ↑ Robinson, James (3 September 2010). "Sarah Kennedy to leave BBC Radio 2". The Guardian (Guardian Media Group). Retrieved 3 September 2010.
  6. ↑ "Last Radio 2 Saturday show for Zoe Ball". Radio Today. 29 January 2012. Retrieved 31 January 2012.
  7. ↑ "Parsons and Allen join Smooth". Radio Today. 21 March 2007. Retrieved 26 January 2012.
  8. ↑ "Smooth Radio finalises new line-up". Music Week. March 31, 2007. p. 2. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
  9. ↑ "Smooth Radio goes national". Radio Today. 4 October 2010. Retrieved 31 January 2012.
  10. ↑ "Parsons replaces Goodier on Smooth Radio". Radio Today. 23 October 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
  11. ↑ Plunkett, John (24 February 2014). "Simon Bates dropped by Smooth Radio". The Guardian (Guardian Media Group). Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  12. ↑ "Lynn Parsons to host Jazz FM Breakfast". Radio Today. 11 September 2014. Retrieved 21 October 2014.

External links

Media offices
Preceded by
N/A		 Smooth Radio
weekday breakfast show presenter
2010 		Succeeded by
Simon Bates