Broadcaster Alan Freeman, the man who coined the phrase "Greetings, Pop Pickers", has died.
The 79-year-old died peacefully at his Brinsworth House home in Twickenham, London, after a brief illness.
Freeman, who was born in Melbourne, Australia, in 1927, and came to Britain in 1957, enjoyed almost 50 years in the industry.
The former Radio 1 DJ coined the phrase Pop Pickers in 1961 and described rock music fans as "music lovers".
His final broadcasts focused on his beloved world of opera, presenting Their Greatest Bits for BBC Radio Two from 1997 until 2001.
Broadcaster Chris Tarrant once expressed his amazement that any man could build an entire career on three phrases, "All right", "Stay Bright" and "Not 'Arf".
Nicknamed "Fluff", Freeman was described by a BBC spokeswoman as self-effacing.
She added that he enjoyed the friendship of colleagues throughout the industry including John Peel, Robert Plant, Noel Edmonds, Paul McCartney and Chris Tarrant
His personal manager for the last 20 years, Tim Blackmore, said: "Alan was a naturally warm man who never quite understood the nature of his appeal.
"We will not see his like again, and our debt in response to his contribution is without equal."
from yahoo news
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