A CELEBRATION of comedy legend Kenny Everett who once worked at BBC Radio Solent will be aired later this month.

And it comes after Radio Solent Senior Producer Richard Latto rediscovered material that had not been heard for 45 years.

It is now 21 years since Kenny Everett passed away and this tribute - which features two of his shows in their entirety from the Radio Solent archive, is very much a celebration of Kenny's time on the station.

We will hear from his friends and colleagues about why a broadcasting legend ended up on a radio station on the south coast. The programme, entitled 'Kenny on the Solent', will also feature exclusive rediscovered material from his time on local commercial radio in Portsmouth.

The tribute to Everett will air on Bank Holiday Monday, August 29, and be hosted by Richard Skinner.

Richard Latto, who has previously made documentaries on Southampton comedy icon Benny Hill as well as the legendary Peter Sellers, said:" I always knew he lived down here and had a house in Sussex and would come and record programmes at Radio Solent. He did a year-long stint here in 1971. We spoke to people like Kenny's wife, to Barry Crier, his former agent and people that knew him. So many people do a hatchet job on deceased comedians but this is a celebration.

"It was a thrill to rediscover the tapes. They are unbelievable: the humour and the speed and just the effort he puts into every show. So much today - on commercial radio, is as dull as ditch water by comparison.

He was sacked from Radio One and then came to Radio Solent and the show's we've got are as fresh as a daisy. You feel you could put them out now, although you would need to put branding round them so people don't think they've woken up in a time warp!

The shows are fresh, inventive and fast-paced with good links between the pop songs . It still sounds current and he's very much ahead of his time. He called his studio 'The Wireless Workshop' and this led to him being called 'The Wireless Wizard' because he was so ahead of his time.

"This was pre-digital times when everything was analogue but he would record himself singing jingles and he had this amazing ability to harmonize with himself. Because he was great mates with the Beatles he would create jingles with Beatles tracks . He did one with the backing track to Yellow Submarine and he even previewed John Lennon's Imagine album. He did shows that sounded better than national radio and was generally very entertaining. "

Despite the excitement Kenny created on Radio Solent he was sacked after a year.

"It was the early 70's and BBC radio was very safe and pedestrian with the Shipping Forecast and farming programmes but it would light up once a week with Kenny.

But he started to play clips of American radio and started saying how fantastic commercial radio would be when it started so he was sacked.

Richard Skinner then got his programme ( who went on the be the voice of Live Aid) and they became great mates."

After leaving BBC Radio Solent Kenny did go back to Radio One - but it was pre-recorded! He worked for Radio Victory in Portsmouth and Capital Radio and the TV success came after that with Kenny becoming a massive household name.

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