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Big George Webley

TV composer/radio host dies suddenly aged 53 (May 2011)

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PT
Put The Telly On
Yes, I'm aware we shouldn't start a thread on deaths of every Tom, Dick and Harry but there seems to be sadly a significant amount lately.

Big George, composer of TV themes such as Have I Got News For You and The Office has died...

Quote:
BBC London radio presenter Big George dies
Big George Big George won a gold Sony Award in 2002 for best music presenter

George Webley, the presenter of the weekday overnight programme on BBC London 94.9, has died aged 53.

Big George, as he was known, had presented the show for the past five years. He won a gold Sony Award in 2002 for best music presenter and was formerly with BBC Three Counties Radio.

He died in the early hours of Saturday, his family said.

He also had a long career as a musician and composed TV theme tunes, including Have I Got News For You.

The cause of death is not known at this stage, the BBC said.

Big George was also a band leader, performer and composer.

BBC London 94.9 Editor David Robey said: "Big George lived up to his name in every sense, a larger than life character with a radio personality to match.

"He was a truly distinctive broadcaster who will be terribly missed by his many devoted listeners and his colleagues at BBC London 94.9."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-13327591

YouTube Channel
http://www.youtube.com/user/biggeorgewebley
BR
Brekkie
I thought The Office used the Stereophonics.
HC
Hatton Cross
Wow, that's a shock.
I listened to him on BBC London early on Good Friday morning, and he was on there saying the day before his doctor had given him the all clear healthwise.

No doubt there'll be a caption tagged onto the end of the credits of this weeks Have I Got News For You.
HC
Hatton Cross
I thought The Office used the Stereophonics.


I think he re-recorded the instrumentals for the end credits.
PT
Put The Telly On
I thought The Office used the Stereophonics.


I think he re-recorded the instrumentals for the end credits.


He recorded his own version for the show.

It was written by Mike D'Abo and yes, Stereophonics re-recorded it in 2001.
MA
madmusician
Really shocking - I really enjoyed his music education series made for BBC Two in the late-nineties, and it really got me into various types of music. Various clips from it are still available on the BBC Learning Zone website (for example http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/composition-the-aaba-and-abab-structure/5338.html and http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/successful-composition-musical-hooks/5308.html )

And that's not to mention the Theme Tunes, radio programmes and his sheer enthusiasm for music. It's truly tragic for him to die so young, and I have very fond memories of his compositions and the programmes that he presented.
GE
thegeek Founding member
There's a tribute to Big George on BBC London tonight at 7pm:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00gyrsp
PT
Put The Telly On
I noticed Have I Got News For You put up a caption at the end of Friday's show which was nice.

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