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Robbie Vincent

Robbie Vincent is an English radio broadcaster and DJ whose catch phrase for many years was "If it moves, Funk it"

He started life as a journalist although Robbie Vincent's broadcasting career began as one of the pioneers on BBC Radio London in early 1974 during the miners' strike and Three-day week hosting a new style of phone-in show called Late Night London playing "devils advocate" with the telephone callers. People would call in to the station with their problems or comments. The programme was broadcast late in the evening in the London area and was probably one of the first radio 'phone-ins' in the UK.

Later hosting a BBC Radio London soul show on Saturday lunchtimes playing artistes such as Evelyn 'Champagne' King & Crown Heights Affair. Robbie would invite guest DJs, such as Chris Hill, Tom Holland, Froggy, Sean French etc. to play their favourite three records that came in 'hot off the press' that week. The shows were considered essential listening to the Capital's soul music fans. He would also be a DJ at the infamous 'Caister Soul Weekender' events (the first event was called '1st National Soul Weekender' in April 1979) in the late 1970s/early 80s with the original DJ line up alongside Chris Hill, Greg Edwards (presenter of Soul Spectrum on Saturday afternoons on London's Capital Radio), Chris Brown, Jeff Young, Tom Holland and Froggy. He also presented a 'soul and disco' show on BBC Radio 1 briefly in 1977 between 5.30 and 6.30 pm on Saturday evenings.

In the early 80s, he was credited with launching the career of US jazz funk combo, Maze with Frankie Beverly, in the UK, and was one of the few radio presenters in the UK to have interviewed Marvin Gaye.

BBC Radio 1 Soul show

Robbie moved to BBC Radio 1 in 1983 to present the very popular Sunday evening 'Soul shows' between 9 and 11 pm which were also carried on FM as well as the 275/285 metres medium wave transmitters. He presented these until 1989, playing Jazz-Funk with artistes like Rick James, The Fatback Band, Brass Construction, Funkadelic, The Crusaders, Ronnie Laws and Eddie Henderson (musician). He would often present the shows with a romantic slant using phrases towards records such as 'this one has a government meltability warning' and 'open the fridge door and make sure it's packed with ice' with additional jingles such as 'jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz' (recorded by Adrian Edmondson), 'make it saxy' or 'Robbie Vincent play that jazz!!' and 'Hear the Robbie Vincent Show, that's where the Soul sounds best!'.

Television work

During the 1980's Robbie Vincent was also seen on British TV screens when he co-hosted BBC TV's 'Hospital Watch' and 'Go for It'.

London Broadcasting (LBC) and Kiss FM

In 1989 he moved to work for LBC (London Broadcasting) radio. His night-time phone-in show was one of the highest rated programmes on the station. In 1995 Robbie Vincent was voted Independent radio personality of the year at the annual Variety Club awards.

After a spell at Kiss FM, from Feb 1998 he hosted the breakfast show on London's Jazz FM although left Jazz FM when the management changed at the end of 2002.

Recent activities

Vincent spent most of 2003 travelling and during late December and early January 2004 presented five daytime shows on 94.9 BBC Radio London. Also broadcasting on this station were former BBC Radio 1 presenters Ranking Miss P and Danny Baker.

In 2006 he has occasionally been a guest presenter on Tony Monson's 10am to 1pm weekday show on Solar Radio in the UK. He has carried out joint presentations of the show on several occasions where he brought in all the music.

More recently he can be seen and heard at London's Clapham Grand soul nightclub. He DJ's there along with other top names such as Chris Hill and DJ Froggy.

Vincent will return to the airwaves on October 12 presenting a three hour show on Sundays for the relaunched Jazz FM service.