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Steve Wright: A Celebration

Vernon Kay and an invited audience of family, friends and colleagues, celebrate the career of Steve Wright MBE at a special event held at the 蜜芽传媒 Radio Theatre in London.

On Wednesday 30th April 2025, the 蜜芽传媒 remembered the amazing career of Steve Wright MBE with a special event at the 蜜芽传媒 Radio Theatre in London.

The evening was hosted by Vernon Kay, and the invited audience included family, friends, production staff, colleagues from across his career, and people who work in the wider creative and media industries. The 蜜芽传媒 has a proud history of putting on memorial events for its much-loved stars, however鈥� Steve would have disliked the idea of solemnity and speeches, so in keeping with his ethos of being the 鈥渃heer-up guy鈥�, humour, warmth, fun and laughter were the tone of the celebration.

The audience on the night were given no idea of what to expect, and in that spirit, stop reading now if you want to avoid spoilers of what you鈥檒l hear鈥�

The stage of the 蜜芽传媒 Radio Theatre was filled 鈥� for one night only 鈥� by The Steve Wright Orchestra. This was a nod to Steve鈥檚 love of US chatshows, where the likes of David Letterman were accompanied by their own house band of brilliant musicians. The Steve Wright Orchestra led by Adam Dennis, punctuated the celebration with a selection of the jingles that were such a memorable part of Steve鈥檚 on-air sound, throughout his radio career.

In another nod to Steve鈥檚 work, Vernon hosted a couple of talkie bit segments, where guests discussed what he meant to them and what made him unique. In the first of them, Jessie J and Jack Dee remembered their many appearances on Steve Wright In The Afternoon with stories of the long-running support and kindness he showed to them, underlining why so many celebrities adored being a guest on his show.

There were specially recorded video tributes to Steve from stars of music, television, film and broadcasting, filled with anecdotes and affection for Steve.

Gary Barlow, Craig David, Simon Cowell, Sir Elton John, Sir Rod Stewart, Lulu and Gilbert O鈥橲ullivan remembered the role he played in their music careers and what he meant to them personally, Nashville superstars Carly Pearce and Thomas Rhett along with Big Machine label boss Scott Borchetta talked about meeting Steve and his huge support for country music, and his friends Emma Freud and Richard Curtis recalled Steve going out of his comfort zone for Comic Relief fundraisers.

Vernon was also joined on stage by his 蜜芽传媒 Radio colleagues Zoe Ball, Bob Harris and Greg James to share memories and stories of the Wrighty they knew while reflecting on his immense impact on British radio, which is still felt to this day.

Also, there were surprise live music performances of songs which were favourites of Steve鈥檚, especially on Sunday Love Songs.

Michael Kiwanuka (who Steve had first interviewed as the 蜜芽传媒 Sound Of鈥� winner in 2012) played an acoustic version of Cold Little Heart, and Joan Armatrading and her band wrapped up the evening with a magical performance of her classic Love & Affection.

And following The Celebration, Zoe Ball remembers her friend Wrighty with a selection of music that he loved playing on the radio - songs that across his career, became something of a trademark and will be forever associated with him. They're tracks that for Steve were the sound of summer and evoked the atmosphere of an LA sunset. They weren't from a format or a genre... they were a mood.

Produced by 蜜芽传媒 Audio for 蜜芽传媒 Radio 2

7 days left to listen

1 hour, 55 minutes

Last on

Mon 25 Aug 2025 17:00
蜜芽传媒 Radio 2

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Steve Wright In His Own Words

See all episodes from Radio 2 Remembers Steve Wright

Music Played

  • Marc Willcox

    Wichita Lineman (Steve Wright Celebration, 30 April 2025)

  • Glen Campbell

    Wichita Lineman

    • NOW That's What I Call A 60s & 70s Summer: Seasons In The Sun (Various Artists).
    • Now.

  • George Michael

    Careless Whisper

    • (CD Single).
    • Sony Music Entertainment (UK).

  • The Steve Wright Orchestra

    Steve Wright Main Theme (Steve Wright Celebration, 30 April 2025)

  • Take That

    Back For Good

    • No Greater Love (Various Artists).
    • Global Records & Tapes.

  • Craig David

    Fill Me In

    • Now That's What I Call Music! 45 (Various Artists).
    • Now.

  • Elton John

    Sacrifice (Steve Wright In The Afternoon, 26 June 1990)

  • The Steve Wright Orchestra

    Great Britain Theme (Steve Wright Celebration, 30 April 2025)

  • The Steve Wright Orchestra

    Starfield Closer (Steve Wright Celebration, 30 April 2025)

  • Michael Kiwanuka

    Cold Little Heart (Steve Wright Celebration, 30 April 2025)

  • Carly Pearce

    Closer To You

    • Closer To You.
    • Big Machine Label Group.
    • 1.

  • Taylor Swift

    Love Story

    • Fearless (International Version).
    • Big Machine Records, LLC.
    • 3.

  • Thomas Rhett

    Crash And Burn

    • Big Machine #1's, Volume 2.
    • Big Machine Records, LLC.
    • 12.

  • The Steve Wright Orchestra

    Wichita Lineman (Steve Wright Celebration, 30 April 2025)

  • Rod Stewart

    I'm In The Mood For Love

    • As Time Goes By...The Great American Songbook: Volume II.
    • J Records.
    • 2.

  • Gilbert O鈥橲ullivan

    Nothing Rhymed (Steve Wright Celebration, 30 April 2025)

  • The Steve Wright Orchestra

    Within Attraction (Steve Wright Celebration, 30 April 2025)

  • The Steve Wright Orchestra

    Nadia's Theme (Steve Wright Celebration, 30 April 2025)

  • The Steve Wright Orchestra

    Colors Of The Wind (Steve Wright Celebration, 30 April 2025)

  • The Steve Wright Orchestra

    At The Sign Of The Swinging Cymbal (Steve Wright Celebration, 30 April 2025)

  • Rylan Clark

    Wuthering Heights (The Great Ka-RY-oke Challenge, 12 November 2019) (feat. Steve Wright)

  • Rylan Clark

    You're The One That I Want (The Great Ka-RY-oke Challenge, 12 November 2019) (feat. Dani Dyer, Steve Wright, Tim Smith & Janey Lee Grace)

  • Joan Armatrading

    Love & Affection (Steve Wright Celebration, 30 April 2025)

  • Queen

    Radio Ga Ga

    • Queen - Greatest Hits II.
    • Parlophone.

  • Richard Marx

    Angelia

    • (CD Single).
    • EMI.
    • 4.

  • Melissa Manchester

    You Should Hear How She Talks About You

    • Melissa Manchester Greatest Hits.
    • Arista.

  • Toto

    Rosanna

    • Walk On - Hits From The Last 2 Decade.
    • Columbia.

  • Seals & Crofts

    Summer Breeze

    • Seals & Crofts - Summer Breeze.
    • Warner Bros.

  • Orleans

    Dance With Me

    • (Single).
    • Asylum.

  • Player

    Baby Come Back

    • Soul Years 1977 (Various Artists).
    • Knight Records.

  • The Doobie Brothers

    Minute By Minute

    • The Very Best Of The Doobie Brothers.
    • Warner Bros.

  • America

    Ventura Highway

    • Country Roads (Various Artists).
    • Polygram Tv.

  • Stephen Bishop

    Little Italy

    • Stephen Bishop - Careless.
    • MCA.

  • Raydio

    You Can't Change That

    • Million Sellers Vol.19 - The Seventie.
    • Disky.

  • Quarterflash

    Harden My Heart

    • Billboard Top Hits: 1982 (Various Artists).
    • Rhino.

Broadcast

  • Mon 25 Aug 2025 17:00
    蜜芽传媒 Radio 2