Tony Butler - BRMB

Tony Butler is a truly great example of a particular sort of sports broadcaster, paving the way for many like him. Forthright and direct. Measured theatrical anger, genuine yet never nasty. Loveable at heart. Banter. Listeners would say ‘one of us’.

Tony carved out his career in the West Midlands, using his accent and rasping voice to great effect. 'On yer bike'.

After a spell in press and on BBC regional radio, he became BRMB’s first sports editor, before contributing to BBC TV’s Midlands Today and then moving to BBC WM in 1987 where he hosted general programmes as well his trademark football phone in. Just so so many fondly-known radio names, his career is not without controversy.

Tony returned to the BRMB stable in 1994, on its AM station Xtra AM, before returning to WM. After a spell in local TV, he ‘retired’ before returning to Gold, then the AM service of BRMB. As Gold became Free Radio 80s in 2012, Tony retired owing to ill health.

A Lifetime Achievement Award was bestowed upon Tony by the Radio Academy. He is one of the true characters from that bold first generation of commercial radio, helping to carve out a new opinionated genre in UK radio.

Audio from 1983 courtesy of Chris Pajdowski via the great BRMB memory site http://www.mds975.co.uk/Content/brmb-audio.html Enjoy too a famous Jasper Carrott clip which featured a Butler story, which suggests how much a part of the fabric of the City Tony became.