Kevin Greening RIP

bbability

One on the UK's best known DJ's died suddenly over the weekend. His breakthough to the primetime happened in the late nineties when he co-hosted the BBC Radio 1 Breakfast show with Zoe Ball. Here's a piece from the BBC News page:

The former Radio 1 breakfast DJ Kevin Greening has died at the age of 44, it was confirmed today.

Kevin Greening: The former Radio 1 DJ has died aged 44
Greening was held in high regard by many former colleagues

Greening, a veteran of many stations, died peacefully in his sleep on Saturday night, his agent Chris North said. The cause of death has not been disclosed.

The presenter was paired with Zoe Ball on Radio 1's flagship show from 1997 to 1998 and worked most recently at London’s Smooth Radio, on the weekday afternoon show.

He also broadcast on BBC Radio 5 Live and the BBC World Service.

BBC broadcasters led the tributes to the DJ this morning.

Nick Wallis from BBC Radio 5 Live said Greening was held in "very high regard" by the entire industry.

He said: "I enjoyed Kevin's unassuming manner, generous nature and warm, wry, friendly outlook on life. I'm shocked he's not going to be here any more."

Radio 5 Live's Simon Mayo, who worked with Greening at Radio 1, told the station last night: "I’m finding it hard to take the whole thing in. "I only got to know him when he joined Radio 1, but it was quite clear that he was a fantastically bright individual. He had a great brain. "He had a very, very dry sense of humour and he was quite shy really, sometimes embarrassed about having achieved the level of fame that he did have. "He was a fantastic example as to how much work should go into a programme. He was naturally gifted, and I frankly find it rather hard to believe that he's not with us any more."

A spokesman for Radio 1 said: "We’re very saddened to hear of the death of Kevin and our thoughts are with his family and friends."

Greening was part of the launch line-up of Virgin Radio in 1993, but transferred to Radio 1 within a year.

He became renowned for his tongue-in-cheek style and introduced a series of comic characters to his programmes including a hapless DJ called Raymond Sinclair, and Eric the Gardener.

He received particular praise for his sensitive hosting of the Radio 1 Breakfast show during the week after the death of Diana, Princess of Wales.

He also appeared on London stations including Jazz FM and Heart 106.2 before taking on the mid-morning show at XFM.

John Myers, chief executive of Smooth Radio's parent company GMG Radio, said his death was "a terrible loss to broadcasting".

"We are extremely saddened to learn of the sudden death of Kevin Greening. He was a talented broadcaster and we were privileged to have him as our afternoon presenter at Smooth Radio in London," he said.

"He was passionate about radio and all kinds of music and will be sadly missed not only by his colleagues at Smooth, but by millions of listeners."

In his biography on the XFM website, Greening gives advice to anyone wanting to become a DJ: "Learn from everyone. Copy nobody. Skip breakfast."

DMC

Kevin was a great DJ. Sorry to hear of his passing.

The BBC are now reporting that his death is being investigated, and that a man has been arrested regarding a drugs find where Greening died. They are not saying its murder or suspicious, but another post mortem needs to be done, they are saying its "unexplained".

Drag00n79

Kevin was a very good presenter/DJ. I used to listen him on 5Live and latterly on Smooth FM. A very professional and nice character who is a great loss at a young age. R.I.P. Kevin

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Yeah, I was shocked to hear this, I remember listening to him when some Pirate Station in Dublin used to carry the BBC1 broadcast in the morning times.

RIP

DMC

Ah yes, that would've been Freedom on 92.0

Which was so handy for listening to Mark and Lard who were on the Breakfast Show before Kevin Greening and Zoe Ball. Kevin, I felt had been dealt a bad hand when he was given the holy grail of the BBC Radio 1 breakfast show, and yet, you had this inexperienced on radio female from childrens TV as a side kick.