Stevie Gordon is this week's Face Behind the Voice

FACE BEHIND THE VOICE

STEVIE GORDON, RADIO CAROLINE

AGE 77

CURRENT JOB

Has presented the afternoon show (Wed 2-5pm) on Radio Caroline since 26 August. "It'll be very nice to get in touch with those people I used to speak to before [he presented on Caroline 1976--80] and, judging by my emails, they're still there listening."

CV He was born in Bournemouth, Dorset, and spent the first six years of his life in Egypt, where his father was serving with the Army. After "uninspiring" schooling in the UK he worked for Currys then as a van driver for a bakery. He told the manager at Bournemouth ice rink that he could do better than their current DJ. "I got the job and that was the beginning." He made his radio debut for Boscombe hospital. In 1971 he did one show for BBC Radio Blackburn - "It wasn't a success" --then, after answering an ad in Melody Maker, he began DJ work throughout Europe. While in Denmark he sent a demo to Voice of Peace in Israel. made his debut there in 1975 and a year later moved to Caroline. Until 1980 he split his time between the pirate station based on the schooner Mi Amigo and the disco Ambassadeur in Aalborg, Denmark. He then returned to Voice of Peace before broadcasting for three stations in Ireland (as Stevie Dunn) and four in Norway, including the national station NRK. Prior to his return to Caroline he was programme director for over 20 years for what became Radio Seagull, Netherlands.

BEST MOMENT "Broadcasting for the first time on Voice of Peace was quite exhilarating. I was taken in this speedboat out into the Mediterranean and I thought I must be bloody mad. Then we came alongside this ship and suddenly I heard all these very friendly English voices. What a relief that was."

WORST MOMENT "The sinking of the Mi Amigo in 1980. I remember standing on the bridge looking down on the deck and seeing Nick Richards up to his waist in water. Fortunately the lifeboat was in the area." (A tape exists of Stevie's last announcement before he abandoned ship.)

FAVOURITE BROADCASTERS "I liked John Dunn's voice very much. Nowadays I listen to Boom Radio and I like Nicky Horne.'

SECRET SKILLS "I didn't know how to answer this. My daughter Chris wrote this: 'He's creative, clever, has a youthful level of curiosity and is good at staying calm in stressful situations."