PHIL Haldeman believes once you walk away from something you should leave it behind, but admits he enjoyed the chance to take a quick look back while celebrating a special milestone.
Phil – who enjoyed a long and illustrious career in radio that spanned more than half a century – popped in to Ryde-based community radio station 2RRR for a chat in celebration of his 80th birthday in February.
To mark the event, he was interviewed for and featured in a three-part special for Brian Crabbe’s program There Goes That Song Again.
While Phil quipped he had “been through more stations than the Southern Aurora”, he would probably be best remembered for the nine years he spent as breakfast presenter of 2SM’s Good Guys program.
He was a member of 2CH’s Snob Mob in the 1970s, hosted gardening shows with Don Burke and Shirley Stackhouse in the 1980s and ’90s, and was the voice of Cinesound newsreels.
He also hosted the Channel 7 TV series Showbiz and presented jazz music programs on 2RRR and Chatswood community station Northside Radio 99.3 in recent years.
Phil attributes his longevity and success in the industry to a healthy and realistic sense of ambition. “I always wanted to be number two. If you’re number one, there’s only one way to go.”
The presenter said he had no idea why anyone would want to “listen to the ravings of a silly ex-DJ” but admitted he thoroughly enjoyed his brief on-air return.
“Brian is a man who loves the industry. I couldn’t have done this myself and it’s nice that I can pull it (the recording) out and have a listen.”
Over the course of his career, Phil got to talk to some fascinating people. He lists comedian Barry Humphries, author, journalist and presenter Michael Parkinson and blues legend Ray Charles as his three favourite interviews.
In the latter, Charles confirmed the truth of a story in which a British journalist asked him if he thought his blindness had impeded his career and he replied “Hell no, man. I could have been born black” – one of the most entertaining and satisfying moments of Phil’s career.
He enjoyed the opportunity to present programs about jazz – his musical passion post-retirement – and said if he was ever to return to presenting it would be to share his love of the genre.
But he said a permanent return was unlikely and he didn’t listen to radio much these days.
- There Goes That Song Again airs on 2RRR 88.5 FM from 2-4pm on Tuesdays and repeats on Fridays from 11am.