THE BIG INTERVIEW: 'Diddy' David Hamilton speaks to the County Gazette ahead of appearing at the Regal Theatre in Minehead

This was the Radio equivalent of Camelot, where the DJs were so famous, they were in some cases more well known than some of the groups or singers whose records they played.

In a nutshell and to quote from David’s website: “In June, 1973, David was given a 3-hour daily show on BBC Radio One.

"In 1975 the show was simultaneously broadcast on Radio Two, giving it the biggest ever audience on BBC radio of 18 million.

"While at Radio 1, David was voted one of Britain`s top 3 DJ`s two years running. In 1977 his daily show transferred to Radio Two where it ran for the next nine years.”

David started his rise to stardom, 13 years before getting the Radio 1 gig, in 1960 when he worked as an announcer on ABC TV.

It was while he was working as a straight man to Ken Dodd on the ABC TV show, Doddy`s Music Box, that Ken gave him his nickname of ‘Diddy’.

Radio 1in the 1970s, was the hit the high water mark of the DJs fame and the level of audience which would be as high as 18/19 million for the top shows of each day.

It is a time which is unlikely to be repeated and the audience is now fragment due to the number of radio stations and radio does not have the clout it used to in the 1970s.

Looking back on these heady days, David said: “It was a very exciting time. Radio One had gone on air in 1967 and for six years it was the only radio station.

"Everyone listened to it as it was the national radio station so audience figures would have been as high as 16/17/18 million listeners.

“It was a magical time. If you wanted to listen to music then Radio 1 was the place to go as there was no music channels on television and not many other radio stations.

"It was a unique time.

“The DJs were household names like Alan ‘Fluff ’ Freeman, Tony Blackburn, Noel Edmonds and Emperor Rosko and this was the Golden Age of Radio One.

“It held its own until the first commercial radio station opened in 1973 but that was only in London.”

David said unlike these days when a Radio 2 presenter like Jeremy Vine gets paid £700,000 per year for his show, he did not get paid this kind of money.

He explained when he presented Top of the Pops, even thought it was seen by millions of viewers, he got paid £90.

It was only by going out and doing DJ work in a club where he would spin records for 200 people and get paid £300 for a few hours work.

This he said was how the Radio One DJs made their money by going out and about across the country during the week to earn extra cash.

But he admitted without the job on Radio 1 which give him and his fellow DJs their fame, none of this would have been possible.

The Godfather of Soul, James Brown, was called ‘the hardest working man in showbusiness’.

I have a feeling this title could now belong to ‘Diddy’ David Hamilton, as even after 50 years working as a DJ, he shows no sign of stopping of wanting to retire.

Giving a reason why this should be the case, David said: “I have always known what I wanted to do.

“Radio has always been my first love. It is a 1:1 medium and I always broadcast as if I was broadcasting to one person.

“I knew they liked me or the show as they were listening so I was talking to what would be a friend.

“I did television and I enjoyed doing this as it was another technique I learnt.

“I do not think I was ever nervous but I do think getting nervous gives you adrenaline and helps keep you sharp.”

Talking about the rock n roll show, David said: “The band and the singers are absolutely brilliant. We did a 40-date tour in 2016 that was so enjoyable we couldn’t wait to do it again.

“The aim is simply to give our audiences a memorable night of nostalgia, humour and some of the best music ever made. I can’t think of anything better.”

David Hamilton’s ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Back The Years’ show is at the Regal Theatre, Minehead, on August 16. The show starts at 7.30pm. Tickets available from the box office on 01643 706430.