A legendary Manchester radio host has died. James Stannage, who fans said was ‘unmissable’ and had a ‘brutal’ and ‘savage’ approach to hosting his show, was 76 when he died.
Stannage was known for hosting a late-night phone-in show in the mid 1970s that had a ‘no nonsense’ attitude to calls. He went on to appear on Picadilly Radio and Key 103 from the 1970s to the 2000s. He left Key 103 in 2005 after his “savage” style caused the radio station to be fined £125,000.
The radio station received several fines during his 20-year career on the station. In November 2005, he read out the comments and jokes submitted by a listener about the death of Ken Bigley, leading to the final fine.
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Despite his controversial time on Key 103, fans remembered him warmly in tributes posted to Facebook. One wrote: “RIP local radio legend James Stannage. Many of us out there hold great memories of listening to him growing up in the Manchester area.”
Another added: “Back in the days when Piccadilly radio was unrivalled, his late show was unmissable.” A third said they had “so much fun listening” to him as a child and that “he was brutal”. A fourth said that “he could be savage”.
One fan also said Stannage was a “true king” of radio: “Sad news that Manchester radio legend James Stannage has passed away. The true king of late night on Piccadilly when I worked in the area.”
Stannage’s son Darren confirmed his death on Monday morning. Stannage died following a year-long battle with cancer and Darren described him as “someone who meant so much to so many people in Manchester”.
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Darren said on Facebook: “It is with great sadness that today cancer took another victim. This time it was a partner, a dad, a grandad and a brother. Also someone who meant to so much to so many people in Manchester as my Dad James Stannage has passed away.
“He died peacefully this morning at MRI after battling cancer for over a year. Listening to The Who, he was surrounded by people that loved him and died at 1152am. Such a remarkable time as that was the Radio Station that made him a legend in Manchester to so many people who grew up listening to him on Piccadilly and later on Key 103.
“There will be so many stories and memories that people will have. I will miss him so much as I know so many people will and am very lucky to ahve been able to have called him my Dad. X”
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