Help finding a singer on the radio

[Bev Duckworth]

I'm searching for information on a Joseph AYRE who, according to family legend, was a singer on the radio. 
He would have been born around 1880 and I know he lived in Horley, Surrey at some point in his life but I have no idea which radio station he may have worked for.
He and Eva Hinde MANCHESTER (nee SHARMAN) ran off together, had 2 children (b 1920 & 1922, registered in Reigate) and later married in Tynemouth, Northumberland (in 1933) once Eva's 1st husband died.
AYRE seems a common name in Northumberland so it's possible this is where he was from originally.

Does anyone have any ideas for where I could find any records relating to radio broadcasts that may help?

Thanks in anticipation.
Bev

[Nick29]

Well, I would have thought that the BBC would be a good place to start, although I doubt whether much documentation from that period would have been kept, you won't know for sure until you ask.  Since public broadcasting didn't start until the early 1920's, and almost all of it was from studios in London, then I'm not sure how your relative could have done this from Reigate or Northumberland.  Have you checked to see whether Joseph made any recordings ?  Google doesn't seem to bring up anything.

[Isabel H]

According to this: http://www.bbc.co.uk/historyofthebbc/resources/factsheets/1920s.pdf
broadcasts from Newcastle began on 25 Dec 1922, so it is possible he was broadcasting from there.

Records of radio stations and the people who broadcast from them seem to be few and far between. When I was looking for someone a while back, the only reference I could find to him was in the Radio guides published in Newspapers.

[Bev Duckworth]

Thanks Nick - I've tried the BBC but can't find anything.
I tried Google too and got nothing.

I've ordered his marriage cert so I can find out where he's from as then I can narrow down the search geographically - if he was a singer he must have performed somewhere before he made it to radio. So maybe some local newspaper archives may help.


Thanks
Bev

[Bev Duckworth]

Thanks Isabel.
Will see where his marriage certificate leads me.

Bev

[carol8353]

I have an ancestor with quite a rare surname,who according to a census(and family hearsay) was a music hall artist.Unfortunately no record seems to exist of his 'stage name'.

Hope yours used his own name 

Carol

[MissBea]

Have you got him on any census returns and do you know his occupation?
There are 4 Joseph Ayre's in the 1911, but none with 1880 as the birthdate. They have 1884-5, in Leicestershire, Yorkshire, Durham and Northumberland.

[Bev Duckworth]

Unfortunately I don't know much about him at all. Hence the need to get his marriage cert.
I gave up looking for him and the 2 daughters a while ago and have only just renewed the search. This time at least I've been able to find them.
Forever onwards ...