I had an opportunity to chat to a radio legend recently.

Ken Bruce has been a familiar voice in our lives for more than 50 years and came to Woking Theatre on Wednesday (11 November) with his You, Me and The Music show.

From his days on Radio 2 to now presenting the mid-morning show on Greatest Hits Radio, Ken has many stories to tell. He is such a humble, gracious man and incredibly generous with his time.

Ken Bruce - You, Me and the Music is a two-date show in Oxford and Woking, with Ken sharing stories and memories of his more than five-decades long career in radio and choosing his selection of songs, which were played by the TSG All Star Band.

Ken told me this is the only time he would do a show playing the music he wants, as he believes radio is about playing what the listener wants to hear not satisfying the presenter’s personal taste.

He told me if you follow that rule you won't go far wrong in the industry. Wise words that are so true!

Ken began his broadcasting career in hospital radio in the 70s. He spoke fondly of his time at a station in Glasgow where he learnt his craft, and recalls his theme tune for that show – The Syd Lawrence Orchestra playing "On the Sunny Side of the Street", a jolly number perfect for lifting the spirits of patients in hospital.

He then used contacts to get into the BBC in Scotland – there was an opportunity for a relief announcer which then led to covering on BBC Radio 2 before getting his own show and moving to the mid-morning slot for which he became famous.

Fun fact: the first song played on Ken's regular Radio 2 Show was Misty by Ray Stevens – a song I recall playing a lot when I was on hospital radio myself!

Ken famously left the BBC and moved to Greatest Hits Radio – he told me he felt the time was right for a change and the transition was smooth, he just has to factor the commercial breaks into the show!

He also spent many years providing radio commentary for the Eurovision Song Contest – he recalls the changes over the years he was there and the move to bigger stadiums as the contest became more of a spectacle.

We spoke about Pop Master and how he started it as a quiz to fill a gap, thinking it would last a short while, but it has become an institution, even a TV show.

How would Ken do as a contestant on Pop Master? He reckons a modest 7 out of 10 would be his score.

You can hear my full chat with Ken at https://jonandrews01.podbean.com

Listen to my radio shows on Radio Woking: Sunday 9am-noon; Wednesday 7-9am. Life on The Edge every second Sunday at noon with Edge Ahead UK.

You can hear Emma and I on Surrey Hills Community Radio every second Monday at 9pm and Life on the Edge airs every first Monday at 10am.

Send me a voice note – www.speakpipe.com/jonandrews or email [email protected]