From unknown DJ to media darling within four years, Simon Dee's story tells of a meteoric rise to fame.

Early Days

Born in Ottawa Canada, 1935 as Carl Nicholas Henty-Dodd, Simons family moved to the UK in 1948.

His first brush with the media was as an actor in a Player's cigarettes advertisement in 1956. As a self-confessed radio addict, after various jobs including RAF photographer, he changed his name to Simon Dee  and was recruited to DJ for Radio Caroline in time for the launch in March 1964. His was the first voice heard on the opening broadcast. At the station his shows played with an accent on Motown and the big band sounds of the day.

Light and Luxembourg

Leaving Caroline and turning freelance in May 1965, he was soon approached by the BBC to be one of the presenters on the daily Light Programme pop show Midday Spin from July. Listeners in the UK and Europe also began to hear him on 208 Radio Luxembourg with shows such as Simon's Scene. Further shows on the Light followed, including Swing into Summer and Stay Late.

Dee Time

Already becoming a familiar face on ITV from appearances in Smith's Crisps commercials and Top of the Pops, his fame in the UK rapidly increased when in 1967 he was offered his own regular 30 minute BBC TV show Dee Time. Here he interviewed major TV, film and pop stars; his first show alone included Cat Stevens, Lance Percival and Jimi Hendrix!

Broadcast on Saturday nights, the shows opening sequence featured Dee arriving at BBC Television Centre in a sports car accompanied by a nubile blonde. The show became a magnet for the celebrities of the era and Dee was transformed into the hippest man of the moment with 15 million viewers.

Radio 1

Despite his new found TV fame, Simon continued to present on BBC Radio. When Midday Spin was additionally heard on Radio 1 from September 1967 he made a natural transition to the new station.  Despite his new found TV fame, Simon continued to present on BBC Radio. When Midday Spin was additionally heard on Radio 1 from September 1967 he made a natural transition to the new station.  His workload became too much of a challenge, however, and coupled with a reprimand for playing the then banned record Jackie by Scott Walker on Midday Spin, he left BBC Radio in December 1967 after two and a half years, in order to devote more time to his TV show.

Downer

Dee Time continued as a long-running series, but following a general newspaper turnaround from public praise to public criticism about his political opinions and an alleged previous conviction, the BBC did not renew his contract in 1969. The following year Simon moved to present a similar format show on ITV Saturday nights which was short lived. His position in the media spotlight diminished, and following little radio success Simon was faced with unemployment.

Back on the Beeb

Listeners to Radio 2 on Saturdays in 1988 heard Simon once again, presenting a new series titled Sounds of the Sixties for 13 weeks, now presented by Brian Matthew.

Simon Dee was admitted to Royal Hampshire County Hospital, near his home in Winchester in August 2009 suffering from cancer. His condition deteriorated swiftly and he died on the Sunday 30th, aged 74.

Mark Linsey, BBC controller of entertainment commissioning, said: "Simon was an iconic figure within the entertainment industry and shaped the face of entertainment chat shows in the 1960s and was one of the leading presenters of the time."