Broadcaster and musician Gerry Anderson will be remembered for his outstanding contribution to music at an event next month.
The Derry man, who from 1984 crafted a career as one of the best known voices on radio, was also an accomplished musician, playing in bands from the early 1960s.
The Oh Yeah Music Centre, along with the Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO) the organisers of the Northern Ireland Music Prize awards to be held in the Ulster Hall on November 13th, described the broadcaster as “one of the most cherished, familiar, hilarious and fearless voices on the airwaves”.
While Mr Anderson was best known as a broadcaster, he was also an accomplished musician, the event organisers said, adding “his journey through music began when he taught himself guitar and started out in a few local bands in the early 1960s”.
He moved to Manchester, then Dublin and Canada before returning to Derry where he formed Toejam with his long term friends Colum Arbuckle and Jim Whiteside. They played for 10 years.
The Gerry Anderson Music Bursary was announced to mark the 10th anniversary of his death this year.
His son David said: “We are honoured that The Oh Yeah Music Centre has chosen to present this year’s Outstanding Contribution to Music award posthumously to my father, Gerry Anderson.
“Music was at the heart of everything Dad did—whether on the airwaves or on stage, he was always championing local talent and celebrating creativity. He had an unwavering passion for nurturing musicians and sharing their stories and talent.”
Keith Johnson, of IMRO, said Gerry Anderson “was a true champion of music and creativity, not just as a broadcaster but as a musician who understood the challenges and triumphs of the artist’s journey”.
“Gerry’s unique voice and passion for music will forever be remembered, and this bursary will ensure that his dedication to nurturing musicians lives on.”
