SHARON WALKER

I was mostly influenced by my father as he was always buying records, and when my two elder brothers came over from Jamaica they purchased records every Saturday with their pocket money. When they both started to work they bought loads of records between them every Saturday.

My first record player looked like a suitcase and I remember that it had valves because you could see them glowing through the side, and I remember being so upset when it went wrong and my Father saying that one of the valves had gone, he tried to get a replacement one but they were hard to come by then.

Back in 1987 I would go to a local radio station to sit in on a friend’s show where I would read out requests and answer the phone etc.

Then one day in 2002 I bumped into my friend who asked me if I would like to come up to a well known radio station to do a guest spot to present and play some music. I agreed and whilst I was presenting the show, the station manager came into the studio to arrange a future meeting with me. I went to this meeting and I was offered my own show. An offer that I took up and I am still on Unique Radio, on which I currently present two shows, one of which is a drive time show as below:

Tuesday afternoon 4 – 6 GMT www.uniqueradio.org or 121.2FM

Thursday afternoon 2 – 4 GMT www.uniqueradio.org or 101.2FM

I also have a show on Irish and Chin’s, Sound Chat Radio which goes out on Sunday afternoon 6- 8 AM GMT www.Irishandchin.com

The Clubs that I went to (that I can remember) were All Nations, Cubies (later known as Oasis) Shenolas, Bandwagon, Studio 21, Crackers, Billies, I can’t recall all of them.

I have played on Gladdy Wax’s set at carnival and was already used to operating sound systems, as a lot of my friends and family came from  sound system backgrounds, and I was not too shy to pick up a mic and select.

I have played at a festival in Germany, Rototom in Spain, a few of the International Ska Festivals and Sally Brown Rude Pub in Italy.

I have also played at a Windrush event on behalf of Brent Council and have been interviewed for Brent Council Borough of Culture. 

Also my radio show was sponsored by Trojan Records for many years.

I would say that I have been involved in music for many years and also collecting records for many years.  I have participated in sound clashes and have won four trophies all played on original vinyl (no reissues were  allowed).