Gene Watson's Peers: David Allan
Gene Watson's peers within the country music industry
believe in the sheer talent of this unassuming man from east Texas, so much
so that Gene is regarded by many of them as 'the singer's singer' - and
rightly so!
All of Gene's Peers who were contacted in 2008 were most gracious with their
time & words. It is here, within this special part of gene-watson.com, that
you have an opportunity to read a quote from
David Allan, which he
submitted to this site on Monday 12 September 2008.
Sean Brady would like to take this opportunity to say 'thank you' to
David Allan who made a
special contribution to this unique part of this online 'celebration of a
Lone Star Hero'.
David Allan
This quote was submitted on Monday 12 September 2008
'It was my huge pleasure to work with Gene on a number
of occasions in the 1970s & 1980s when I was presenting BBC Radio 2's
'Country Club' & the BBC Television coverage of the Wembley Festivals.
The response was always tremendous - and no wonder! Here is a stone country
singer with an incredible ability to connect with his audiences.
When Gene sings of love, heartache & happiness, you know it's for real. He
has, simply, one of the best voices in the business - on a par, I would
suggest, with the likes of George Jones &
Merle Haggard.
Gene sounds even better today & it's nothing short of a disgrace that many
of the 'powers that be' who program our radio & TV shows don't appreciate
his very special talent & the fact that he has so many fans.
Gene Watson IS genuine, from the heart country music; a billion miles away
from the plastic, modern Nashville sound. Gene is the real McCoy!'
Thank you, David Allan,
for your support of Gene Watson.
About David Allan...
David Allan, who was born
in Bury, Lancashire (England) on 7 August 1940, is a British television
continuity announcer & country music radio presenter. In 1957, David
attained his first job as an assistant stage manager at Manchester Library
Theatre and, for the next nine years, he worked at various theatres around
the UK.
In June 1966, David Allan began broadcasting on the (middle-of-the-road)
offshore pirate radio station Radio 390; this radio station broadcast from
the Red Sands Fort in the Thames Estuary in south-east England on 773kHz
AM/Medium Wave between 1965 & 1967.
On Radio 390, David hosted such shows as 'The Jim Reeves Show', 'Country
Style' & 'Music from the Shows'.
Following his days as a pirate radio broadcaster, David specialised in
country music shows for British Forces Broadcasting, the BBC & commercial
radio in the UK. David also presented the annual Wembley Country Music
Festival coverage on BBC Television between 1975 & 1990.
Throughout the late 1960s, 1970s & part of the 1980s, David Allan was the
voice of BBC Radio 2's country music coverage.
One of the great television voices of all time, with warmth & reassurance,
David Allan was a BBC Television voice-only announcer for twenty-five years
from 1969 to 1972 (freelance) & from 1972 to 1994 (staff).
David also provided voice-overs on BBC Television's 'Points of View' in 1987
& was a BBC Radio 2 presenter from 1976, hosting 'Country Club' with Wally
Whyton. David was also a BBC World Service Television announcer in
1992.
From 1995, David was heard on ITV as a relief announcer for Carlton
Television in London and, from October 2002, joined the national ITV1
announcing team as a freelancer announcer covering overnight shifts.
In 1994, David began presenting shows on London's Country 1035 (Country 1035
was the UK's first 24-hour-a-day terrestrial country music service which
began broadcasting to the London area on 1035kHz AM/Medium Wave at 10.35am
on the morning of Thursday 1 September 1994 when the first song played was
'Friends in low places' from Garth Brooks).
London's Country 1035 was intended to be the ultimate country music service
for the London area with latest releases & old favourites (British, Irish &
American), together with star interviews, news & views, plus outside
broadcasts including a 'live' feed from Nashville of the Grand Ole Opry,
along with a trucker's show at night, requests & phone-ins.
David Allan was one of those responsible for developing the initial 'sound'
for London's Country 1035; however prior to the September 1994 launch of the
station, the financial backers of the station had a change of heart &
direction & decided that the country music content of the service would be
'watered down' in order to appeal to a wider 'mainstream' audience. It was
this decision that forced David to leave London's Country 1035.
Following his time with London's Country 1035, David returned to national
BBC radio; he hosted the weekly 'Country Club' show on BBC Radio 2 from
Thursday 5 January 1995.
David Allan also hosted shows for Melody FM in London which was an easy
listening radio service that was on-air between July 1990 & June 1998; he
also presented weekend shows for Primetime Radio between 2002 & 2004.
In November 2002, David Allan was presented with the (CMA) Country Music
Association's prestigious 2002 International Broadcaster Award in
recognition of his outstanding contribution to the world of country music
broadcasting.
At the time of the acquisition of David Allan's quote about Gene Watson (in
September 2008), David was an announcer on the Military History Channel on
Sky television, as well as a columnist for 'The David Allan Page' in the
UK's highly respected Country
Music People.
Visit the Country Music People
Official Site