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Major Christopher Reynolds Stone,
D.S.O.,
M.C. (19 September 1882 – 22 May 1965) was the first
disc jockey
A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music festival), mobile ...
in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
.
He was the youngest son of
Eton College
Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, ...
's assistant master and Stonehouse preparatory school's founder
Edward Daniel Stone
Edward Daniel Stone (1832 – 17 September 1916) was an ordained deacon, classical scholar and a schoolmaster at Eton College.
Early life
He was the son of Lucia Catherine Stone (née Boswell) and Joseph Stone. His siblings were Walter George Bosw ...
. Christopher Stone was educated at Eton and served in the
Royal Fusiliers. In 1906 Stone published a book of sea songs and ballads and in 1923 he wrote the history of his old regiment. He became the London editor of ''
The Gramophone
''Gramophone'' is a magazine published monthly in London, devoted to classical music, particularly to reviews of recordings. It was founded in 1923 by the Scottish author Compton Mackenzie who continued to edit the magazine until 1961. It was ...
'', a magazine started by his brother-in-law
Compton Mackenzie
Sir Edward Montague Compton Mackenzie, (17 January 1883 – 30 November 1972) was a Scottish writer of fiction, biography, histories and a memoir, as well as a cultural commentator, raconteur and lifelong Scottish nationalist. He was one of th ...
.
Stone approached the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
himself with the idea for a record programme, which the corporation initially dismissed. Stone managed to convince them though and on 7 July 1927 he started playing records on air. His relaxed, conversational style was exceptional at a time when most of the BBC's presentation was extremely formal, and his programmes became highly popular as a result. He wore a
dinner jacket
Black tie is a semi-formal Western dress code for evening events, originating in British and American conventions for attire in the 19th century. In British English, the dress code is often referred to synecdochically by its principal element ...
and tie when he presented.
In 1934 Stone joined the commercial station
Radio Luxembourg
Radio Luxembourg was a multilingual commercial broadcaster in Luxembourg. It is known in most non-English languages as RTL (for Radio Television Luxembourg).
The English-language service of Radio Luxembourg began in 1933 as one of the earlies ...
(for 5,000 pounds a year) and was barred by the BBC in consequence. He wrote a column reviewing new popular records for the ''
Sunday Referee'' newspaper and appeared in advertisements for Bush radio sets.
[Sunday Referee, 24 May 1936] In 1937, as "Uncle Chris", he presented the first daily children's programme on commercial radio, ''Kiddies Quarter Hour'' on
Radio Lyons
Radio is the technology of signaling and telecommunication, communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device ...
. Stone later rejoined the BBC and caused a major row in 1941. On 11 November he wished
King Victor Emmanuel of
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
a happy birthday on air, adding "I don't think any of us wish him anything but good, poor soul." This good wish towards the head of a state with which Britain was at war at the time led to the sacking of the BBC's Senior Controller of Programmes and tighter government control over all broadcasts.
Stone was an avid
record collector
''Record Collector'' is a British monthly music magazine. It was founded in 1980 and distributes worldwide.
History The early years
The first standalone issue of ''Record Collector'' was published in March 1980, though its history stretches ba ...
; in the mid-1930s he already owned over 12,000. When he turned 75 in 1957 the magazine ''
Melody Maker'' praised his pioneering work: "Everyone who has written, produced or compered a gramophone programme should salute the founder of his trade."
Bibliography
*''Sea songs and ballads'', 1906
*''A History of the 22nd (service) battalion, Royal fusiliers (Kensington)'', 1923
*''From
Vimy Ridge
The Battle of Vimy Ridge was part of the Battle of Arras, in the Pas-de-Calais department of France, during the First World War. The main combatants were the four divisions of the Canadian Corps in the First Army, against three divisions of ...
to the Rhine: The Great War Letters of Christopher Stone, D.S.O., M.C.'', 1989
See also
*
Eton College
Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, ...
*
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...