Peter James Clayton was an English jazz presenter on BBC radio, jazz critic, and author. From October 1968 until his death in August 1991, Clayton presented jazz recordings, interviews, studio performances, and live performances on BBC Radio 1, 2, and 3, as well as the BBC World Service. He co-authored several books about music and jazz with Peter Gammond and was a frequent contributor to jazz magazines.
Early life
After leaving school in 1945, Clayton served three years in the RAF, serving mainly in Iraq and Kuwait. After demobilisation in 1948, Clayton was employed for a short while as a catering assistant with a hydroelectric scheme in the Scottish Highlands – "a porridge stirrer" was his job description – before joining the staff of Greenwich Public Library, where he remained for seven years. In the 1950s he worked for Decca Records as a music editor.
Broadcast career
After leaving Decca, Clayton began presenting or hosting jazz music on BBC Radio in October 1968, with a programme called Jazz on One which was broadcast on 247 metres medium wave on Sunday evenings. In 1970, the BBC reorganised the four national networks, Radio 1, Radio 2, Radio 3, and Radio 4. Programmes from Radio 1 were moved to Radio 2, which included Family Favourites,Late Night Extra,Night Ride and the Sunday night jazz shows. Radio 2 used VHFtransmitters and was broadcast on 88–91 MHz, FM. Clayton went on in 1970 to present Jazz Notes. In October 1973, the BBC added back Radio 1 as a carrier for jazz and other shows, while continuing to carry those shows on Radio 2. That same month, the BBC launched Clayton's best remembered programme, Sounds of Jazz, Sundays at 10, with its own theme music composed by Laurie Johnson:
On BBC Radio 3, he succeeded Steve Race as the presenter of the Saturday afternoon programme Jazz Record Requests, and played requests from an international audience on Jazz for the Asking on the BBC World Service. In a 2005 Jazz UK article about the BBC's influence on jazz in the UK, authors Brian Blain and John Fordham stated: When Clayton became ill from cancer, Charles Fox took his place in 1990. Then Fox died on 9 May 1991, and Clayton resumed the show, recording segments at home from a wheelchair. His show Sounds of Jazz continued to be heard on BBC Radio 2 until his death. When Clayton died, days after Fox died, Geoffrey Smith took over.
Writing
Throughout his broadcasting career, Clayton wrote several books with a colleague, Peter Gammond.
Selected published works
Books
101 Things, by Peter Gammond & Peter Clayton, London: Elek Books ;
A Guide to Popular Music, by Peter Gammond & Peter Clayton, London: Phoenix Press ;
Dictionary of Popular Music, by Peter Gammond & Peter Clayton, Philosophical Library ;
Know about Jazz, by Peter Gammond & Peter Clayton, London: Blackie and Son ;
