By james art The 79-year-old veteran presenter announced earlier this month that he was retiring from radio after 58 years due to ill health, having previously been diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).
Walker kicked off his final episode of BBC Radio 2’s Rock Show on Friday, performing some of his “favourite rock anthems”.
After opening his latest edition of Sounds Of The 70s with George Harrison’s What Is Life, he told listeners: “Good afternoon, Johnnie Walker here.
“The day I’ve always dreaded has come, indeed, my last radio show and certainly my last 70s sounds.”
He recalled the show’s first run in April 2009 after taking over from Cockney Rebel frontman Steve Harley, which he said the singer would “ribb” on.
For his final show, his producer Liz Barnes and executive producer Paul Thomas joined him at his home in Dorset to record the show, along with his wife Tiggy.
Walker confirmed that he won’t be taking any submissions this time around, as all song choices will be his own, adding: “I’m playing all the ones I love.”
He did, however, dedicate his second song, Sister Sledge’s We Are Family, to Sounds Of The 70s listeners.
Birmingham-born Walker started out in pirate radio with Swinging Radio England in 1966 before moving to offshore station Radio Caroline.
After the station closed, he left for BBC Radio 1 in 1969, continuing until 1976 and later moving to San Francisco, where he recorded a weekly program on Radio Luxembourg.
In the early 1980s he returned to the BBC and has remained there ever since. He has been broadcasting regularly from his home in Dorset for several years.