Richard charts his success

IT SEEMS that there's no stopping Radio Solent presenter Richard Cartridge.

He recently celebrated his 30th anniversary of starting work at the BBC but he's not using that as an excuse to slow down.

In fact, the 55-year old, who lives in Southampton, is about to release an album, go on tour and launch an assault on the singles chart!

Richard's foray into the music industry is a return to his first love.

He always wanted to be a musician when he was younger and it was through being in a band that he got his first break as a radio presenter.

"Back in 1972 I was in a country band. A friend of mine knew one of the producers at Radio Solent and they were looking for a presenter for a new country show. I auditioned for it and thankfully got the job. So I was doing that once a week as a freelance while still doing my other job, which was an electronics engineer, and also playing in a band," he explains in the rich tones that make his voice instantly recognisable.

Soon electronic engineering became a thing of the past for Richard and he's never looked back.

"I think I would have stayed in electronics engineering, I enjoyed that. I was ok at it but not really good, if you see what I mean," he says. "It was just wonderful when I heard I got the job at the BBC. It was just phenomenal. I couldn't believe it."

And 30 years down the line Richard still seems unable to believe his good luck at landing such a dream job.

"Although it's been a long time, there's something new every day. It's a real blessing. I'm so fortunate - it's a real privilege to do my job."

One of the best things about Richard's presenting job is that he's got to meet some of his all-time heroes.

"One of the most eccentric guests I've had was Spike Milligan, who I've loved since the days of The Goons. He came into the studio and the chap was completely potty, of course, but a comic genius. He joked to me, 'I don't think you can afford to pay for this talent,' so I got my wallet out and emptied out what coins I had, which came to about two quid, and he took it!" he laughs.

"We finished the interview and we'd got on really well, although he was notorious for being quite difficult. But what I didn't know was that he had a big thing against news so I was listening to the news going out and suddenly you heard Spike Milligan's voice on air saying, 'The world's coming to an end!' He'd managed to find the news booth and shouted that out while the newsreader was on air."

Luckily for Richard, he seems to have a gift for connecting with his guests.

"It's surprising what people will tell you if you win their confidence and they feel you sincerely want to know about them. I interviewed Les McKeown from the Bay City Rollers and we got talking about alcohol and his problems and he just burst into tears. That was very moving. I always try and probe people but gently. I wouldn't go to the sensationalist side of it because in our business we get to know about things that other people don't necessarily know about and if it were something that would cause them a great amount of unhappiness I wouldn't pursue that. But sometimes they want to talk about it," explains Richard.

And it's not just his guests that Richard makes a connection with. Tickets are selling fast for his 'World Tour' - which actually covers Southampton, Bournemouth and Portsmouth - and last time he took the show on the road it sold out.

The show features Richard and his band performing a range of music from the 50s onwards.

His album, You Never Can Tell, which is released next month, is aimed mainly at fans who come to the shows.

For Richard, going on tour with a band and having an album coming out is a childhood dream come true.

"What's so amazing is that I didn't think I'd be doing this at 55," he exclaims. "That's the wonderful thing about life - you never know. I try new things, and I will not become a whinger. I hate it when people say 'back in my day...'. I like doing things with my children, that keeps you young too. I try and keep aware of what's happening on the music scene although you have to be aware that there are many things you can't be objective about. But I wouldn't go to a club with my kids and start 'dad-dancing' and saying 'I'll show you youngsters a thing or two' because dads lose their rhythm after a certain age. That's my ultimate threat to my daughter Claire - that I'll show up at Diva if she misbehaves!"

Richard might not turn up in person but his daughter may find herself dancing to a single by her dad - in September his single, I've Found Love Again, is being released in aid of Children in Need.

"My 14-year-old, Lucy, is very supportive of my music and she took the album to school to show her friends, but when she found out that we were hoping to get into the charts with the single she said, 'Imagine if it charted and you were on Top of the Pops between Blue and Busted! People would say, 'Whose that sad old man?'''" he says, dissolving into laughter.

"I can't see that happening but it would be very amusing."

Richard Cartridge's World Tour is coming to: Southampton Guildhall on July 1, box office: 023 8063 2601, Ferneham Hall, Fareham on August 6, box office: 01329 231942 and Bournemouth International Centre on September 10, box office: 0870 1113000.