Steve Walsh (disc jockey)

Steve Walsh (1959 – 3 July 1988)^[1] was a British disc jockey. He died following a car crash in Ibiza, Spain.

Walsh began his radio career at the first soul music pirate radio station, Radio Invicta, alongside his friend, the late Bob Tomalski. From there he moved on to JFM (a London soul pirate station), where his style first began to shine through. Walsh also guested on Dave Brown's soul show once a month on BBC Radio Medway (which later became BBC Radio Kent). He then decided that if he was to further his career he would have to be completely legal, and leave pirate radio. An opportunity came up at the new Independent Local Radio station, County Sound in Guildford.

He returned to London with the launch of Radio London's Soul Night Out. At the same time he was approached by Capital Radio, having covered one Saturday on Greg edwards (DJ)'s Soul Spectrum when Edwards was ill. This led to six months on Capital Radio with a slot in the small hours of Sunday. The two stations became uneasy about sharing the same DJ, and eventually Walsh went to BBC Radio London to host the Sunday 7-9pm show and later added a second slot on Mondays.

Although he made an impact in the radio world, Walsh will be best remembered for his live work in nightclubs. His version of The Fatback Band's "I Found Lovin'" (1987) was archetypal of the genre of 'South London Soul'. Walsh worked with Tony Blackburn^[2] to bring soul music to a wider audience, and co-presented a dance program "Boogie Box" on Music Box alongside Michaela Strachan in the months before his death.

Walsh died on 3 July 1988 after being injured in a car crash in Ibiza, where he was filming a music video. He returned to London where he underwent further surgery on his leg. He then suffered a heart attack and died before returning to Ibiza.

Discography

• "I Found Lovin'" - UK #9 (1987)^[1][3]
• "Let's Get Together Tonite" UK # 74 (1987)^[1]
• "Ain't No Stopping Us Now (Party for the World)" UK #44 (1988)^[1]

References