Stephen Howie

Since 1998 Grooveline has brought together the finest classic and modern soul, jazz, funk, acid jazz and soulful house into a weekly show packed with new releases and timeless tracks. Over the years the show has been broadcast on radio stations in Scotland, England, Austria, Greece, The Netherlands, South Africa, Australia and France on many different radio platforms. Guests on the show have included Jean-Paul "Bluey" Maunick (Incognito), Frank McComb (vocalist and pianist), Christian Urich (Tortured Soul), John Morales (DJ & producer), Dan Goldman (JD73) and Maysa Leak (Incognito & solo artist). Soul and groove to move, each and every week on Grooveline. 

Brief Background Summary:
I grew up on the southwest coast of Scotland, in a small seaside town which was formerly Glasgow’s answer to Blackpool until people could afford to travel further afield! I’ve always loved radio and broadcasting in general. I grew up in a household where music was always being played. My mum’s partner was a radio and club DJ playing music that no one else was really playing at the time in that part of the world – soul, funk and disco. I had access to the most incredible record collection, which ultimately led me to start my own show in 1998 – Grooveline – which I still host now. I left Scotland in 2001 to go to university in Staffordshire. After a few years in Reading, work and music lured me to London which is now home. Although my paid job is now in television, radio is still my first love.

What was your first job? Do you have a funny story about it?
My first job was in a music shop inside an indoor market back home in Saltcoats. I was 16 and still at school. The music varied wildly, but essentially it was the cheapest of the cheap CDs. Not long after I started my boss somehow got his hands on a job lot of over 10,000 Dean Martin CDs from the 50s that he had to shift. I was under strict instructions that I couldn’t play anything else in the shop other than Dean Martin until the CDs shifted. That was in 1999. I think the CD is still playing in the shop now.

What are you happiest doing when you’re not working and why?
Listening to music. It’s just at the centre of everything that I do. It’s impossible to exaggerate the importance of music.

What’s your absolutely favourite song and why?
It’s a fairly obscure 80s rare groove by Arnie’s Love, called “I’m Out Of Your Life”. It’s nothing hugely impressive on the first listen. But it gives me goosebumps and a feeling like no other track I’ve ever heard. Something about the way it’s produced. Absolutely sublime.

What’s your favourite album and why? Does it remind you of a specific period in your life?
That’s such a difficult question to answer. So many albums have become signposts or milestones to parts of my life up till now. I guess I’ve just realized I can’t have a favourite album. I have many. One of the most significant is “Californication” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. In the year between finishing school and going to university, it’s the only tape I had in my car. I only drove for that year and played nothing but that album in the car for a year. It was a hugely significant time in my life as I was already fully independent, although still living at my mum’s. But I knew I was on the verge of leaving, and knew I wouldn’t be back to live there. Any time I hear anything from that album, I’m back in that absolutely knackered G-reg Rover Metro.

What song do you hate most and why?
It’s not possible for me to hate a song. Every song has a place. Even if only to the person who wrote it. 

Which artist/ musician alive or dead would you most like to get a coffee (whiskey etc.) with?
Maurice White. He created one of the most significant bands in modern music, in so many ways – Earth Wind & Fire. His words and messages have always underpinned how I live my life. But I’d do anything to hear those words come from the man himself, directly. Over a bottle of single malt, obviously.

Tell us something no one knows about you?
In 1991 I just missed out on the chance to become the Milkybar Kid. I was referred to the Sylvia Young Drama School in London but never took up the offer.

What’s your most useless talent?
Name a country, I’ll tune an actual radio broadcast from that country in under 60 seconds. 

What will finally break the internet?
Daft Punk’s reformation in 2040.

If we went to Happy Hour what would you order?
A lovely cold refreshing pint of Brewdog Punk IPA and some wasabi peanuts.

Finally - is there anything specific you want the listeners to know about you…
I’m just playing about with the radio stuff. It might sound half decent, but I’m still just doing it to keep me off the streets. The fact that anyone listens, never mind gets in touch, still astounds me. And also means the world to me.

 

Contact Stephen

 

 

 

 

On Air Now Piers Mettrick 7:00am - 10:00am
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Schedule

  • The Daily Drop with George Heron

    10:00am - Noon

  • That Friday Show with Mel Judson

    Noon - 2:00pm

    Get ready for the weekend with Mel. Catch ‘That Friday Show’ from 12-2pm. Some really fresh, fun beats to get you in the mood!

  • The Chris Clark Show

    2:00pm - 4:00pm

    Join Chris on his show at 2pm on Calder Valley Valley

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  • A Celebration of the 80's - Disco,  Pop Sensation - 'Tight Fit' & Quiz & Raffle 

    Get your tickets to our 80's event of the year happening on Saturday 21st of September. Doors open at 7pm till late at the Mytholmroyd Community Centre !! Dress to impress!! We have the 80's Pop sensation 'Tight Fit' - In the Jungle Hit, playing on the evening. Win a prize for Best Outfit!! or be the winning team in our 80's quiz. This is a chance to relive your best school discos and if you are too young to remember and love everything 80's, come along and experience it.

    Tickets are £5 entry - get them from Mytholmroyd Community Centre front desk
    eventscvr@outlook.com

  • Welcome to Calder Valley Radio.

    Welcome to Calder Valley Radio. Established in 2020 with Dave, Guy, Fiona, Tony and Val and the help of Hebden Royd Town Council and comedian, Jon Richardson, we launched in the middle of a pandemic. All our Planning in 2019, could never have prepared us for what happened in 2020, but this was our best training. We didn't miss a broadcast and even through our own health issues and sad times, we carried on. Radio became our support too, in our times of need. We know, from your messages to us, that Calder Valley Radio helped you through too and music truly is a great healer.

    As we venture forth, with Tim Morsley as our Programme Manger and a great team behind the scenes, we are so excited to be supported by Calderdale Council. We are looking forward to delivering a wonderful programme of events and shows in the coming seasons ahead.

  • We will Miss you Tony!!

    All our thoughts and love to Tony’s Family and Friends in this time. We will miss you very much Tony, we are forever grateful for helping to set us up & being such a core member of our team. Being behind the mic is what you loved doing and it’s how we will remember you. 💗💗💗

  • Trevor Simpson was born and raised in Kebroyd, Triangle and spent most of his working life in Halifax. After joining the legal firm of Bearder and Son, solicitors from school, he spent thirty-two years working for them as the agency manager for Abbey National Building Society. When the Abbey decided to open a full branch office in 1990, they offered Trevor the job of Branch Manager, where he worked for several years, before taking early retirement in 1995. 

    A keen sportsman, Trevor played as a goalkeeper in local football and was an avid Halifax Town supporter from the age of seven. An injury in 1966 enforced his change of direction and he became a football referee after learning his craft locally. He progressed through to the Football League where he spent seven seasons (1984-1991) officiating at the highest domestic level (all top clubs except West Ham Utd!). He also had two appearances in Wembley F.A. finals, various European and International matches and as a linesman at a World Cup qualifier. He retained his activity in football working for The Professional Game Match Official Ltd. as a referee coach and later a referee assessor on the F.A. Premier League. Trevor also completed 30 consecutive years as a referee and ambassador at the Dallas Cup International Youth Tournament in Texas. 

    His greatest interest outside sport has always been popular music. An avid record collector since his teenage years, Trevor possessed every No.1 record since the British charts began in 1952. He was viewed by many as a worldwide authority on Elvis, wrote numerous articles about him in various worldwide magazines and visited Graceland several times. Trevor published five comprehensive volumes charting Elvis’s early career which have now sold-out. He researched and wrote two local volumes of ‘Small Town, Saturday Night’ chronicling the 1960s music scene around Halifax. He was also part of the Halifax Music Heritage Trails.

    Trevor was the founder of Radio Calderdale in 1981, the hospital radio service in Halifax. During his time there he did regular shows and helped raise funds for the station. Each year until 2020, Trevor broadcast on Christmas Day morning and took great delight in announcing the babies that had been born that day. He also assisted with live commentary of FC Halifax Town’s matches from the Shay for several years. For the past two years, he volunteered as a presenter at the online community radio station, Calder Valley Radio, where his weekly music show was adored by many listeners all over the world. He cared passionately about the station, helping out with grants and fund-raising initiatives, such as the hugely successful Elvis night in September 2023.

    Following the sad news of Trevor's passing in January, his family have decided that any donations made in Trevor's memory should go to Calder Valley Radio as Trevor really enjoyed the two years he spent with the station and did so much to raise our profile.

    If you would like to donate, here is the link:

    https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/in-memory-of-trevor-simpson

     

     

     

                      

     

     

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