I was born in 1963 in Enfield, Middlesex, England where I was brought up listening to classical music. However, one day in 1977, I heard Queen’s "We Are The Champions" and almost overnight I was converted to pop music. Within a few hours, exit Radio 3 enter Radio 1!
JK - The Early Years
Not long after, I began collecting 45s and two years later, by sheer coincidence I landed a job as an assistant in the production department of Radio 1. Here's a picture of me with Dave Lee Travis and Andy Peebles in cabaret at the Radio 1 Staff party!
JK - The DJ
I began as a DJ at my local youth club in March 1978 where I would play the current singles to the other kids using just one turntable. One day, the club leader asked if my friend Dave and I would like to do the disco the following Saturday as the regular DJ couldn’t make it. After he agreed to hire the equipment, we did the job and got paid £25 between the two of us. With my first paid gig under my belt, I was hungry for more. As we were cheaper than the regular DJ, we did the disco for the next three or four months and in the process gained valuable experience. By this time, I had bought my own mobile disco equipment and was soon booked for weddings, Barmitzvahs and birthday parties.
My nightclub work began in 1980 at a club called Coco’s in Kensington, West London. I then moved to Maximus in London’s Leicester Square where I spent two years doing four nights a week. Over the next 18 years I've worked in most major cities in the Midlands and the South East from Norwich to Swansea and Liverpool to Southampton. The highlight was probably a year at Hammersmith Palais in 1984 working with Chaka Khan, Gwen Guthrie, Edwin Starr, Joe Jackson and even Gary Glitter. We'll leave it there!!
Over the years I've hosted many corporate functions and compered fashion shows and celebrity parties, including a party attended by George Michael and Andrew Ridgley which was held at their manager's marquee in Berkshire. It was to mark the charting of Wham!'s first hit single. That continues to this day - my career not Wham!s first single!!
JK - The QuizMaster
I began compiling and hosting pop quizzes towards the end of 1989. The atmosphere of challenging people and watching their brains working overtime to try and identify an artist, title, year, label or even a connection excited me. In April 1991, I began a Sunday night quiz in Bedford and it has become the longest running music quiz in the country which still attracts between 15 & 20 teams a week. If you know anything about the music of the last 50 years, why not come down to one of my quizzes (see quizzes page for venues and days) and live the experience!
JK - The Author
In 1995, I began working with the authors of the Guinness Book Of Singles adding information to the book. A few years later, the management decided to bring in their own team and dispense with the services of Tim & Jo Rice and Paul Gambaccini. The consequences were disastrous... The next issue contained over 2000 errors! As a result, my friend Neil Warwick and I decided we could do better. So, with the help of an ex-Guinness colleague (Tony Brown) we wrote a rival book The Complete Book Of The British Charts. The book was a success and two further editions have followed. To purchase a copy click here.
In 1996 I started my own column in the monthly publication Record Collector called 'Under The Covers' which took a look at the original versions of current chart hits.
In 2003, with my colleague, Spencer Leigh from BBC Merseyside, we wrote a book called The 1000 UK Number One Hits. The book features stories behind all the artists and songs to have topped the UK chart. There are many quotes and lots of new information taken from interviews with many of the singers , writers and producers featured. It was published in January 2005. To buy a copy click here.
JK - The Radio presenter
My radio work began in 1981 when I'd work as the warm-up DJ at the Radio One Roadshows. 7000 people at Thorpe Park with Dave Lee Travis and Tony Blackburn was a little nerve-racking at the time. Throughout the 80s and 90s I've worked for various BBC radio stations. In 1981 and 82 I compiled and edited the bits and pieces competition for the Radio 1 Roadshow. In 2005 I got involved with Capital Gold and worked as a freelance producer and occasional presenter.
I've spent many years in hospital radio. The Whittington Hospital is where I started as a producer in 1980. In 1982 I moved to Radio Barnet at Barnet General until 1986. After a three years hiatus I joined Radio Forest at St Margarets in Epping where I currently present a Saturday show from 3-6pm and a chart countdown on Sundays 2-4pm.
In 2007 I hosted a show on Big L based in Frinton working with Mike Read, Ed Stewart, David Hamilton and Paul Burnett among others.
In 1993, John Windsor from The Independent wrote a piece on my quiz colleague Larry Foster and myself. See the piece by clicking here. (Please note the venues and phone numbers are now out of date!)
