Mike Bishop

It all started in 1969, when I was introduced to Hospital Radio by a school teacher. The station manager, Alan Lambourne, who later went on to become a presenter on Classic FM and Sky television, was very encouraging, suggesting I could do similar and get paid for it, referring to the then-new entertainment idea of mobile discos. I bought my first set of disco decks and started doing freebee discos for friends to gain experience and confidence.

Shortly after, I started advertising in the local paper, and then national music magazines, like Melody Maker and New Musical Express, and under the name of Southern Sounds Disco. Paid bookings started coming in thick and fast. An agent suggested it may be better to use my real name and drop the Southern Sounds name, So it became just Mike Bishop.

I became so busy that I had to make a decision; I quit my day job and went fully professional undertaking my first booking in that capacity on 15th May 1971. I retired from the 'disco scene' 35 years later, in 2006, with thousands of bookings under my belt, many of which were with with famous recording artists and bands of the corresponding times. A history, dare I venture, that few people can match.