Papers of Graham 'Baby Bob' Stewart, one time Radio Caroline Disc Jockey

The deposit contains Radio Caroline fan mail, internal Radio Caroline memos, a DJ newsreader and engineer rota for the station (1966), material relating to pirate broadcasting and an explanation of the rate card used for selling advertising on the Radio Caroline network; also two editions of a 'Radio News' supplement to the London Weekly Advertiser and featuring Radio Caroline's cash casino and a schedule of its programmes in the ‘National Advertiser’ (24 January and 28 February 1967). Further material includes letters from fellow DJs and colleagues after Stewart had left Caroline, job and audition applications post June 1967, responses to Joyce Stewart (first wife) from Dr Michael Winstanley MP House of Commons (9 November 1966) and the office of Rt Hon. Edward Heath MBE MP, Leader of the Opposition (19 April 1968) and a scrapbook of newspaper cutting taken from Stewart's column with the Evening Star, October-December 1967 (compiled by his first wife Joyce).

Graham [Robert] Stewart was born on 3 July 1939 in Liverpool. After completing his national service in the army he worked various day jobs and DJ stints in local clubs. In 1965 he joined Radio Caroline, the British radio station which was founded in 1964 by Ronan O'Rahilly (b.1940) and was situated on a former Dutch passenger ferry the MV Fredericia. Radio Caroline was created so unsigned musicians could gain airtime, something which was near impossible at the time because British radio was dominated by the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation). At the time the BBC only broadcasted one hour of pop music a week; in contrast Radio Caroline (North) which operated out of Ramsey Bay (Isle of Man), played pop music all day and quickly built up a listenership of approximately four million people across northern England and Ireland. Robert spent his first month at Radio Caroline South (MV Mi Amigo the sister ship of North) which operated off the coast of Essex, before transferring to the North. Advised that his Liverpudlian accent might isolate listeners, Robert developed a very authentic mid-Atlantic accent for on air. He presented the noon to 3pm show and was known to listeners as 'Baby Bob'. His catch phrase was 'This is your Bobby baby who loves you so crazy' and his theme tune was 'Image' by Alan Haven. In June 1967 he left the station, six weeks before the introduction of the Marine Offences Act in August of that year. After seeking work in various broadcasting outlets, he joined Radio Luxembourg and was there for eighteen years. In 1987 he moved to Dallas, Texas but for a time returned to Europe and was heard again on Radio Luxembourg as well as Jazz-FM, Red Rose Preston, Capital Gold and others.

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The biographical information was gathered from the websites http://www.offshoreradiomuseum.co.uk/page329.html, http://www.offshoreradio.co.uk/djssn.htm and http://www.bbc.co.uk/isleofman/content/articles/2008/04/09/radiocaroline_feature.shtml.

Fonds-level description created by Eleanor Williams (MNH Project Archivist), November 2015.

Related material held by Manx National Heritage include photographs of Graham 'Baby Bob' Stewart including the Radio Caroline North vessel, supply tender, fellow DJs and family shots. Reference number: PG/8705.