Nick Barraclough
Encyclopedia
Nick Barraclough is a British
radio producer
, presenter, musician
and writer
, who is best known for hosting shows related to specialist American music
. He presented the long-running Nick Barraclough's New Country show for BBC Radio 2
between 1992 and 2007, and Smooth Country for the Smooth Radio network from 2007 to 2008.
, with another group which won the 1975 British Country Music Association award for Band of the Year and the still-running Telephone Bill & the Smooth Operators), his career in radio began in 1982, with the launch of BBC Radio Cambridgeshire
. There he hosted the breakfast show and was later a mid morning presenter.
In 1986, he moved to Manchester
to work for Radios 1 and 2, where, as well as producing shows for Andy Kershaw
and the Northern Dance Orchestra, he also worked on the first definitive radio documentary about Country and Western music. The programme was called Hit It Boys, and was presented by Ricky Skaggs
.
After a year in Manchester, he moved to London
, where he spent some time producing further documentaries, Radio 2's Gloria Hunniford
Show, and Wally Whyton
's Country Club.
's International Country Broadcaster Award for his work on promoting country music in the UK.
In 2010 he was nominated for Best Music Entertainment Producer, in the Radio Production Awards, for R.E.S.P.E.C.T., the Art of Backing Vocals.
Nick Barraclough is also the founder of the radio production company, Smooth Operations, which produced his long running show, as well as that of Radio 2 colleague Mike Harding
and other programmes for the Radio 2 network.
Nick now lives in the centre of Cambridge
, with wife Judy and two children. His musical ventures continue with Telephone Bill & the Smooth Operators, the Della Porters and the Light Blues Band. He is also writing a novel based on the life of the artist Wesley West.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
radio producer
Radio producer
A radio producer oversees the making of a radio show. There are two main types of producer. An audio or creative producer and a content producer. Audio producers create sounds and audio specifically, content producers oversee and orchestrate a radio show or feature...
, presenter, musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
and writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, who is best known for hosting shows related to specialist American music
American music
The music of the Americas is very diverse since, in addition to many types of Native American music, the music of Africa and the music of Europe have been found there for some five centuries, creating many hybrid forms that have influenced the popular music of the world.-See also:*Canadian...
. He presented the long-running Nick Barraclough's New Country show for BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
between 1992 and 2007, and Smooth Country for the Smooth Radio network from 2007 to 2008.
Early career
Following several years as a musician (which included a spell as a member of a short-lived band that went on tour with Chuck BerryChuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
, with another group which won the 1975 British Country Music Association award for Band of the Year and the still-running Telephone Bill & the Smooth Operators), his career in radio began in 1982, with the launch of BBC Radio Cambridgeshire
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire is the BBC Local Radio service for the English county of Cambridgeshire. It originally broadcast from studios on Hills Road close to the train station in Cambridge - which have now moved to a new multi-million pound centre at the Cambridge Business Park on Cowley Road - ...
. There he hosted the breakfast show and was later a mid morning presenter.
In 1986, he moved to Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
to work for Radios 1 and 2, where, as well as producing shows for Andy Kershaw
Andy Kershaw
Andy Kershaw is a British broadcaster, known for his interest in world music.His shows feature a mix of country, blues, reggae, folk music, spoken word performance from the likes of Ivor Cutler, and other music from around the world.- Early Life :Kershaw and his sister, fellow broadcaster Liz...
and the Northern Dance Orchestra, he also worked on the first definitive radio documentary about Country and Western music. The programme was called Hit It Boys, and was presented by Ricky Skaggs
Ricky Skaggs
Rickie Lee "Ricky" Skaggs is a country and bluegrass singer, musician, producer, and composer. He primarily plays mandolin; however, he also plays fiddle, guitar, and banjo.-Early career:...
.
After a year in Manchester, he moved to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, where he spent some time producing further documentaries, Radio 2's Gloria Hunniford
Gloria Hunniford
Gloria Hunniford is a Northern Irish TV and radio presenter, and formerly a singer.-Biography:...
Show, and Wally Whyton
Wally Whyton
Wallace Victor "Wally" Whyton was a British musician, songwriter and radio and TV personality.Born in London, England, Whyton grew up listening to jazz, blues and folk music, and learned to play first the piano, then trombone, and finally guitar...
's Country Club.
Nick Barraclough's New Country
With an upsurge of interest in the Country genre in the early 1990s, BBC Radio 2 was keen to put together a new show which would reflect the changes in the music, and its growing popularity. Nick's name was put forward. Consequently, Nick Barraclough's New Country was commissioned in 1992. An initial run of three months was planned, but the show quickly gained an audience, so became a regular feature of Radio 2's weekly schedule. It ran on a weekly basis until April 2007, when Nick left Radio 2 and joined the then newly launched Smooth Radio, where he presented the country music programme on Sunday evenings. However, he left Smooth Radio in June 2008 due to other work commitments. Since then he has produced three major series for the Guardian Media Group; on the music of the Mississippi, New York's Brill Building and the West Coast music scene between 1960 and 2000, as well as several projects for Radio 4 and Radio 2Other
In 2001, he was awarded the Country Music AssociationCountry Music Association
The Country Music Association was founded in 1958 in Nashville, Tennessee. It originally consisted of only 233 members and was the first trade organization formed to promote a music genre...
's International Country Broadcaster Award for his work on promoting country music in the UK.
In 2010 he was nominated for Best Music Entertainment Producer, in the Radio Production Awards, for R.E.S.P.E.C.T., the Art of Backing Vocals.
Nick Barraclough is also the founder of the radio production company, Smooth Operations, which produced his long running show, as well as that of Radio 2 colleague Mike Harding
Mike Harding
Mike Harding is an English singer, songwriter, comedian, author, poet and broadcaster. He is known as 'The Rochdale Cowboy' after one of his hit records...
and other programmes for the Radio 2 network.
Nick now lives in the centre of Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, with wife Judy and two children. His musical ventures continue with Telephone Bill & the Smooth Operators, the Della Porters and the Light Blues Band. He is also writing a novel based on the life of the artist Wesley West.