Robbie Dale

Robbie Robinson (21 April 1940 – 31 August 2021), better known by the name Robbie Dale and nicknamed The Admiral, was a British radio disc jockey who was the chief DJ of Radio Caroline during the 1960s.

Robbie Dale
Born
Robbie Robinson

(1940-04-21)21 April 1940
Littleborough, Lancashire, England
Died31 August 2021(2021-08-31) (aged 81)
Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain
Career
Station(s)Radio Caroline

Pirate radio

Dale was born in Littleborough, Lancashire, England, in April 1940. He was chief DJ on the offshore pirate radio ship Radio Caroline.[1] Dale was one of the DJs on Radio Caroline on 14 August 1967 with Johnnie Walker, when the Marine Broadcasting Offences Act came into effect.[2] At its peak, the station had 23 million listeners. After the closedown of Radio Caroline he worked for the Dutch pirate radio ship Radio Veronica from May 1968 to August 1969.

In the mid 70s he was found on the Dutch broadcaster TROS, where he did a regular radioshow on Hilversum 3 on Thursday afternoons.

He was given the nickname "The Admiral" by Dave Lee Travis because he reportedly liked the boat to be "shipshape"; he sometimes wore an admiral's uniform while doing his show.[3]

He was involved in popular music in other ways. He recorded a single, "Soul Mama" for Pink Elephant records, released in 1969.[4][5] He also wrote the 1969 single "Soul Entertainer" for the funk-soul band Respect.[6]

Dale is a member of the Pirate Radio Hall of Fame.[7]

Later life

During the 1970s, Dale retired from broadcasting, ran a contract cleaning business in London, and one of his major contracts was with Capital Radio. In 1980, he returned as manager and regular DJ on Sunshine 101, which became one of the most popular pirate radio stations in the Republic of Ireland, until unlicensed radio was outlawed in the country in 1988.

Dale moved from Dublin to Lanzarote, Canary Islands, in 1989, where he operated a holiday apartment complex.[8]

Dale died from dementia complications in Lanzarote on 31 August 2021, at the age of 81.[9]

References
  1. Walker, Johnny (2008). The Autobiography. Penguin.
  2. The Offshore Radio Revolution in Britain 1964 - 2004 BBC website - 31 August 2004
  3. "Radio Caroline and Sunshine 539 man Robbie Robinson has died". Hot Press. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  4. "Deejays Sing A-D". Offshore Echoes. Archived from the original on 31 December 2012. Retrieved 13 December 2012.
  5. "Robbie Dale – Soul Mama / Queen Stella". Discogs.com. Retrieved 13 December 2012.
  6. "Respect (2) – Soul Entertainer". Discogs.com. Retrieved 13 December 2012.
  7. "Offshore disc-jockeys of the 60s, D". Offshoreradio.co.uk. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  8. "Hosts". Sanfranciscopark.com. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  9. "Radio Caroline pirate Robbie Dale dies at the age of 81". Radiotoday.co.uk. 1 September 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2021.


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