Peter Murray James (born 19 September 1925), known professionally as Pete Murray, is a British radio and television presenter and actor. He is known for his career with the BBC, including stints on the Light Programme, Radio 1, Radio 2 and Radio 4. In the 1950s, Murray became one of Britain's first pop music television presenters, hosting the rock and roll programme Six-Five Special (1957–1958) and appearing as a regular panellist on Juke Box Jury (1959–1967) and a regular host on Top of the Pops (1964–1969).
Murray was a recurring presence in the BBC's coverage of the Eurovision Song Contest. Murray retired in 2003, Murray has influenced many other radio personalities. Presenter David Hamilton has credited him as an influence and disc jockey Kenny Everett was also influenced by Murray's "ad-libbing style and warmth".
Early life
Murray was born in Hackney, London on 19 September 1925. He grew up in Chiswick. Murray's mother once sang in the chorus line for Jack Buchanan, and left the music scene to have a family; Murray's father was a World War I veteran who was badly injured in a gas attack in the Battle of the Somme. After graduating with a diploma in 1944, he entered the Air force for the last year of the Second World War. He went to an office in London connected to the station, and was hired on the spot and immediately given a box of half a dozen records. In September 1968, he stood in for Alan Freeman on Pick of the Pops, while Freeman was in New York. Murray linked up with him for a look at the American pop scene during the two shows that he did.
Murray was one of the original BBC Radio 1 disc-jockeys when the station started in 1967. While at BBC Radio 1, Murray hosted his own television show, Pete's Party, that aired in 1967; its description in an issue of Radio Times was: "with Pete Murray (and a few friends) and records all the way Some old. some new". The programme was produced by Teddy Warrick and aired at 10:31am. In 1980, Radio 2 moved Murray from weekday to weekend programming. In 1981, he began a move into more serious, speech-only radio with a stint as presenter of Midweek on BBC Radio 4. At the end of 1983, the BBC cancelled his radio shows, describing his style of broadcasting as too old-fashioned, which led to Murray leaving the BBC altogether, a decision he later admitted to regretting, calling it a "very big mistake".
In 1984, he started afresh as a presenter for LBC, a local talk radio station in London. He later won the Variety Club of Great Britain award for his show. Murray introduced his last programme there on 22 December 2002. In August 2008, he returned as a presenter on an Internet-only station, UK Light Radio. Murray returned to radio to host a special show for Boom Radio on Boxing Day 2021. In 2022, he appeared in the Channel 5 documentary TOTP: Secrets & Scandals. He returned to Boom Radio on Boxing Day 2022 for another show, this time alongside Hamilton. On 2 June 2025, Murray helped Boom Light turn on its DAB+ transmitters at 10:00 a.m. that morning. Murray announced that he would host a slot on Boom Radio on his 100th birthday from 11:00 a.m., playing the biggest songs from his birthday week from the year 1963. The footage was thought to be lost when the tapes were wiped; however, in 2019 almost the entire performance was discovered when a fan, David Chandler, who had filmed the episode on his silent film camera, revealed his copy.
During the taping of one Top of the Pops episode on 24 August 1967, when the show still required artists to either mime or sing live to a pre-recorded backing track, Murray introduced Jimi Hendrix on, who was supposed to mime to his record "Burning of the Midnight Lamp" but instead the song "The House That Jack Built" by Alan Price began to play. Murray has been the sole surviving member of the original four Top of the Pops hosts since the death of David Jacobs in 2013.
Murray also appeared in pantomime, and guested on many radio and TV panel games. In 1984 and 1985, he was a team captain on the ITV panel game Vintage Quiz. In 2015, he appeared as a guest on a chat show on Big Centre TV hosted by his friend and former radio colleague David Hamilton.
Acting
After graduating from RADA, Murray found work as a background extra in a few films, including The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp and The Young Mr Pitt, During the 1960s, he starred in the British sitcoms Happily Ever After (1961–64), opposite Dora Bryan, and Mum's Boys (1968), with Bernard Bresslaw and Irene Handl.
Murray also appeared on Escort for Hire (1960), A Taste of Money (1960), Design for Loving (1962), The Cool Mikado (1962), and later Simon, Simon (1970) and Cool It Carol! (1970). On television, Murray played Philippe in "My Friend the Inspector", a 1961 episode of BBC TV's Maigret. He appeared as himself in several productions, including the 1962 British musical comedy It's Trad, Dad! alongside fellow BBC disc jockeys Alan Freeman and David Jacobs, and in "The Writer", an episode of ATV's Hancock (1963).
Music
Murray duetted with Vera Lynn on a 1958 Decca EP of songs from My Fair Lady, performing "The Rain in Spain". In 1960, he released a comedy single "What's It All About?" with disc jockey Brian Matthew. In 1974, Murray was featured on the Emerson, Lake and Palmer live album Welcome Back My Friends to the Show That Never Ends – Ladies and Gentlemen as the master of ceremonies, at the beginning of the album. His introduction to the live show ("Ladies and gentlemen"), mixed with the opening line of the bands' song "Karn Evil 9: First Impression, Part 2" ("Welcome Back My Friends to the Show That Never Ends"), made up the title for the album.
Personal life
Murray was in a relationship with presenter Valerie Singleton from 1967 to 1971 and was engaged to her. He then married Patricia Crabbe, a former barrister. Crabbe died of breast cancer in 2010. He lives in Wimbledon. In 2016, Murray stated that the loss of Michael is "something I've never got over and it was a terrible experience".
Murray has been a member of the Grand Order of Water Rats since 1969. In 1975, he released his autobiography, One Day I'll Forget My Trousers.
Filmography
Film
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!Title
!Role
!Notes
|-
|1943
|The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp
|Background extra
| rowspan="3" |Uncredited
|-
| rowspan="2" |1944
|The Hundred Pound Pillow
|Office assistant
|-
|Time Flies
|Chick
|-
| rowspan="2" |1946
|Caravan
|Honeymooner
|-
| rowspan="2" |1958
|Six-Five Special
|"Gee Ma I Wanna Go Home"
|-
|1978
|Columbia Records
|"Forever Young"
|"I'll Be Alright"
|}
Publications
- (With Jeremy Hornsby) One Day I'll Forget My Trousers (autobiography), London, 1975.