BOB HARRIS TALKS ABOUT HIS MENTOR - ALEXIS KORNER

Bob Harris and Alexis Korner shared a close professional and personal relationship rooted in their mutual love of blues, jazz and the wider roots of popular music. Harris, already emerging as one of Britain’s most influential music broadcasters through The Old Grey Whistle Test, regarded Korner as an important elder figure in the British blues and broadcasting community.

Their connection was particularly significant because both men saw music broadcasting as an opportunity to educate rather than simply entertain. Korner had pioneered this approach through his BBC radio work, championing blues, jazz, soul and emerging musicians with characteristic generosity. Harris similarly became known for giving unfamiliar and progressive music a sympathetic platform. Contemporary accounts of Korner’s career specifically identify Harris among those who paid tribute to his extraordinary musical knowledge, enthusiasm and willingness to give his time to younger people. (Mostbet)

Harris was also among the musicians and broadcasters who contributed to the posthumous appreciation of Korner, whose influence extended far beyond his own recordings. Korner died on 1 January 1984, aged only 55, leaving behind an extraordinary network of musicians, journalists and broadcasters whom he had encouraged. (Mostbet)

Their relationship therefore represents an important passing of the baton: Korner helped establish the culture of open-minded British blues broadcasting from which Harris’s generation benefited, while Harris subsequently helped preserve and communicate Korner’s legacy to a much wider audience.

Affectionately known as “Whispering Bob,” Harris has also authored acclaimed books, hosted festivals and awards ceremonies, and become one of the music industry’s most trusted interviewers. His integrity, musical knowledge and unwavering commitment to artistic excellence have earned him the respect of musicians and audiences alike. Few broadcasters have done more to document, preserve and promote the evolution of popular music, making Bob Harris an enduring and indispensable figure in Britain’s musical and cultural history.