h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

A very good entry on an amazing person.

It’s hard to sum up the spirit of a man who was at the cutting edge of music and radio for a whole generation.

As a life-long listener to Kenny, I followed him through his pirate days, sympathised when he was ejected from the BBC, forgave him his chumminess with Margaret Thatcher, understood when he dashed to Heathrow to rescue his immigrant lover, and poured scorn on the tabloids when they published emaciated, almost unrecognisable pictures of him.

During the late Eighties and early Nineties, Kenny’s Show on Capital Gold was the highlight of many a Londoner’s day – and he really did save the best till last. Shortly before he died, Capital ran a Beatles Day when only Beatles songs were played. It was a marathon – and Kenny beat all the other DJs by a mile, with his indiscreet gossip and snippets about the various occasions when he’d met the Fab Four. One of the stories he told us was about the first time he met The Beatles in the early days, at a party in a hotel room. He was there with his tape recorder to get an interview to broadcast, and was so overawed that he didn’t know how to go about it. Realising Kenny was a scouser, Paul McCartney took him off into the bathroom and spent ages just talking into Kenny’s tape recorder – then told Kenny to make up the questions and put them in later. Kenny was gobsmacked, and very grateful as it gave his career a hell of a boost. The knowledge Kenny displayed of the stories behind the various Beatles singles and albums was amazing – lots of things I’d never heard before, and he played tapes he’d never broadcast. I recorded the show, and the tape is one of my most treasured possessions.

After that, you’d often tune into Kenny’s slot to find another Capital DJ sitting in for him – and you knew he was too ill to broadcast. The substitutes always did an amazing job – mainly because they knew Kenny was listening and would let them know if they didn’t – and they all saw it as an honour to sit in for him. Capital Radio was very good to Kenny – they knew we all loved him.

I was working in the Middle East when I heard that Kenny Everett had died – and I felt as though I had lost a life-long friend. I played the tapes of his Beatles show, and was immediately cheered-up. He was loveable, outrageous, indiscreet, over-the-top, spontaneous, dangerous, hilarious and tragic – we won’t see his like again.

Kenny Everett is one of the stronger memories I retain of British telly, during the years I lived in England. Surely his was the first program where the "laugh track" arose spontaneously from the reactions of the technical crew. He was gifted.

I have asked to feature this article in the POST. I would also like to publish your comments! Do you have any problems with this guys?
Thank you
shazzPRME

No problems here, Shazz – so long as it's all done in the best possible taste!

*Swings right leg over left leg, showing a flash of knicker.*

LOL! I always do everything in the best possible taste!
~Hitches right boob and adjusts strap~
shazzPRME

OK with me. *remembers Sid Snot and giggles*

Hehehe! Nice green bogie you just found there Lil
shazzPRME

It really made it worthwhile for the lovely responses you contributed. Funnily enough, I had thought most people would have forgotten about 'Cuddly Ken'...

It is good to see I was wrong...

- Moving in Mysterious Ways.

'scuse me! I just thought that I'd add my penny's worth, if that's okay...

I too spent my formative years listening to or watching Kenny and still find myself using "Kenny speak" to this day.

I was overjoyed when UK Gold repeated his t.v. series recently and my two sproggs, Mair (age 12) and Christopher (age 9, and autistic), were able to watch the show and they both LOVED him!

Mair couldn't believe some of the material he had done and was sliding off the sofa, crying with laughter.


Christopher's favourite sketch was the one where Kenny was impesonating Rod Stewart and his bum was expanding until he floated away!

I think anyone who loved "our Ken" would find him difficult to forget, oh Omnipontent One!

My reaction also. My immediate memories are the giant preachers hands, Rod Stewart, and Barbera Steisand's nose.

Also the instant Bee Gees kit.

But then your memory starts to flood out other incidents and it's impossible to write them all down.

Ah! Kenny's Bee Gees sketches......

I can NEVER say Massachusetts properly any more! It ALWAYS comes out as "massive chew sets"!!!!!

In fact, I was trying to explain Kenny Everet to Baron Bear Slide, who lives in the vicinity of Massivechewsets and why I can never say you know what properly!

Ah! Kenny's Bee Gees sketches......

I can NEVER say Massachusetts properly any more! It ALWAYS comes out as "massive chew sets"!!!!!

In fact, I was trying to explain Kenny Everet to Baron Bear Slide, who lives in the vicinity of Massivechewsets and why I can never say you know what properly!

Thanx for a very informative and funny article.

We had Kenny on dutch tv here in the eighties and apart from the *best possible taste* skits I really can't remember much.
Fortunately that's because I was laughing my head off at the time...

It's a shame that it's so hard to find decent video's of Kenny. Anyone who knows where to get them (preferably online) please let me know. Meanwhile I will include him in my annual 'Christmas-Dead-Celebrity-Toast'. Should have done that a long time ago.

TM.