- published: 23 Sep 2011
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Tommy Vance (born Richard Anthony Crispian Francis Prew Hope-Weston, 11 July 1940 – 6 March 2005) was a British pop radio broadcaster, born in Eynsham, Oxfordshire. He was one of the few music broadcasters in the United Kingdom to champion hard rock and heavy metal in the early 1980s, providing the only national radio forum for both bands and fans. The Friday Rock Show that he hosted gave new bands airtime for their music and fans an opportunity to hear it. His radio show was a factor in the rise of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. He used a personal tag-line of "TV on the radio".
Born as Richard Anthony Crispian Francis Prew Hope-Weston, Vance left home at 16 to join the Merchant Navy (discharged 1 October 1956), and began his radio career in the USA under the name 'Rick West'. He took the name 'Tommy Vance' at the radio station KOL in Seattle from a DJ who had failed to turn up after the station had heavily promoted and paid for expensive jingles which were already recorded.
While at KOL, Vance was recruited by the Top 40 programming consultant Bill Drake, to join his team of Boss Jocks at the emerging West Coast KHJ radio in Los Angeles (aka Boss Radio). Vance held the evening airshift at KHJ for several months in late 1965. During this period, it was alleged that Tommy decided to return abruptly to the UK, after running into an unresolvable problem with the U.S. immigration authorities, regarding being drafted for the Vietnam War.[citation needed]
Tommy Vance - Friday Rock Show Intro -198?
Radio 1 The Friday Rock Show with Tommy Vance - Tony Iommi and Cozy Powell Headless Cross 1989
Tommy Vance in the line up round - BBC
Tommy Vance Friday Rock Show. Introduction. Well hello there!! For true rockers everywhere!
Tommy Vance Inspiration Award feat Lemmy | Classic Rock Awards 2015
BBC Radio 1 Tommy Vance UK Top 30 Rock Chart (5th June 1992)
Tommy Vance - Tommy Vance Jingle
Tommy Vance News Slam
Tommy Vance 1940-2005 ''Rock salad''radioshow,BBC world service FM
Top Of The Pops 1st May 1980 (full episode)
Tommy Vance on KOL in Seattle, USA - 1965
AC/DC Interview: Brian Johnson With Tommy Vance (Friday Rock Show 1982) HD