BBC Radio 2 star Phil Swern has died at the age of 76, with celebrity friends rushing to pay tribute on social media following the news. The producer and Popmaster co-creator passed away after a “long illness” with his wife, Lynsey, by his side, according to sources close to him.
The news was broken by fellow BBC star Tony Blackburn, who wrote on Facebook: “I am so sad to say that my dear friend of over 60 years Phil The. Collector, Swern passed away yesterday after a long illness. He was very respected in the music business for his music knowledge and professionalism, but above all he was a lovely kind and funny man.
“I was so glad I saw him and his wife Lynsey on Friday and was able to have a final chat with him. He passed away At home with his wife Lynsey who has been at his side looking after him. My love goes out to her and his family we will all miss him very much.”
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(Image: BBC)
Taking to X (formerly Twitter) he added: “I am very sad to say that my dear friend of over 60 years and producer of @BBCRadio2 Sound of the Sixties passed away yesterday afternoon after a long illness. I am so glad I saw him and his wife Lynsey last Friday. Phil, the Collector, Swern will be missed by us all.”
Swern made a name for himself appearing on legendary radio shows such as Sounds of the 60s with Brian Matthew. He was also at the helm of Pick of the Pops on Radio 1 during the late 1980s and early 1990s before it moved onto Radio 2, where he was at the helm from 1997 until 2023.
Sounds of the 60s also made its way onto Radio 2, where Swern produced it. He came up with questions for Ken Bruce’s PopMaster quiz on the same channel.
But he wasn’t just a BBC man – Swern also hosted Capital Radio’s Sunday afternoon quiz show You Ain’t Heard Nothing Yet and was part of Capital Gold’s launch crew. More recently, he appeared on Boom Radio during last Bank Holiday Monday for Phil Swern’s Hidden Gems, taking inspiration from his vast music collection.
Blackburn wasn’t the only one paying tribute. The official Popmaster account added: “Sadly today, we said goodbye to Phil Swern, the Collector for many years the driving force behind Popmaster’s content. His wife Lyndsey was at his side. His favourite song was Nat King Coles, What a Wonderful World. We will miss our gentle man.”
Radio presenter Ken Bruce also shared his sympathies, writing: “It’s the saddest of days as my great friend Phil Swern has passed away. Phil was a brilliantly inventive man with a passion for music. He had a vast career as a record and radio producer, deviser of tv formats and as the guiding light and co-creator of Popmaster. (1/2).
“He was a one-man fount of all pop knowledge, starting his record collection as a boy and still displaying the same enthusiasm into his seventies. Without him, there would be no Popmaster, on radio or tv. He leaves a giant gap in my life and in the lives of so many. (2/2).”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
