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Tony Prince

Tony's years as a pirate DJ on Radio Caroline and his high sea antics were typical of those depicted in the Richard Curtis film The Boat That Rocked.

His memoir BOAT ROCKER or WALTER MITTY NEVER HAD IT THIS GOOD traces the history of the DJ before Tony's own story augments the facts and vividly describes the battles he fought to bring music to the public.

His colourful life begins in a northern town, the only war baby son of a couple whose nightly drinking sessions led him at the age of 10 to shop them to the police! His first attempt to escapes Oldham happens at the age of 15 when he becomes an apprentice jockey sharing a room with the Queen's future jockey, Willie Carson. On to Butlins where Ringo Star loans him a pair of his cowboy boots inspiring him to enter a singing contest which leads to him forming a group, joining a 15 piece big band and then becoming the only person in history to be expelled from the Musicians Union for playing records in a dancehall.

From a television show host in Bristol to pirate DJ on the North and Irish seas he became known as the Royal Ruler and was bestowed the title Honorary President of the Elvis Presley Fan Club. He not only met Elvis on two occasions, he appeared in a film with him (That's the Way it Is), interviewed him twice and was allowed by Colonel Parker to introduce the King on stage in Las Vegas. When Tony was growing up he had Elvis's picture on his bedroom wall, now Elvis had Tony's photo on his Trophy Room wall in his home.

His 16 years with Radio Luxembourg delivers a high speed chase across pop music's landscape as he and Noel Edmonds are ostracised in the Grand Duchy with hilarious results. Somewhere along the line he becomes Programme Director of 208 the world's most powerful commercial radio station. He dives in the Thames to save a life, he causes the Queens Building to collapse due to fan over-load at Heathrow, he custard-pies Donny Osmond on his 21st birthday, he sings often with Paul McCartney and sets Michael Levy up as a music mogul. His photo library alone reveals an amazing life as he's pictured with Elvis, Abba, Paul and Linda McCartney, Harold Wilson, Cliff Richard, The Osmonds, David Cassidy, even Buzz Aldrin!

For 12 years Tony had his own page in Fab 208 magazine (IPC) documenting in his words and photography his amazing time at the station. He explains why the BBC blackballed him, something which, in hind sight, he is eternally grateful for.

After 16 years with Luxembourg he launched DMC, a company which took the DJ industry into a new realm as music producers. He published and edited Mixmag which became the bible for modern club culture setting up Ibiza as the world's clubbing capital whilst also managing and mentoring the world's top DJs who produced hits for Michael Jackson; Kylie Minogue, The Pet Shop Boys, Wham and Elton John etc. His DMC World DJ Championships reach their 25th anniversary in 2009, they filled the Royal Albert Hall, Wembley Arena and venues from New York to Paris and Rimini.

In the late 90s Tony sells his beloved magazine to EMAP for a cunningly negotiated £9m and so begins his tax avoidance years in New York, as his story moves off at a tangent, his wife of four decades Christine in England refusing to fly, Tony finds himself in a bachelor pad in Battery Park and clubbing in his mid 50's with the DJs he managed (club legends Sasha, John Digweed, Dave Seaman). Twilo at 5am, dining at Windows on the World atop the ill fated Twin Towers beneath which he lived. He is one of the few white men to hear his name called from across the streets of Harlem, such was his fame via the World DJ Championships, known as the 4th Element of Hip Hop which he alone launched and promoted in 40 countries.

Tony is now a partner and Programme Director of a tv station on SKY, Wedding TV. The idea was inspired by his daughters wedding at Clivedon.

As he approaches his pension years, there is no sign of the Royal Ruler slowing down or indeed, as you can witness on YouTube, growing up.

In 2009 he is personally producing 250 hours of television programmes targeting young women with love in their heart or marriage on their mind.

Tony's book is an hilarious account of a life well lived and of his great escape from t'mucky North to an entirely colourful world he created for himself and those around him.

• "I would not have survived my time in Luxembourg had it not been for Tony Prince" — Noel Edmonds
• "He almost killed me in Luxembourg" — Kid Jensen
• "He's a better singer than John" — Paul McCartney
• "He almost talked us out of Mormonism" — Donny Osmond
• "He almost got us shot in Köln" — Alan Clark of the Hollies
• "Of us all, Princey was the real pirate" — Emperor Rosko
• "I went down to the lobby for cigarettes at 2am and found Tony Prince singing with Jimi Hendrix and The Everly Brothers" — Johnnie Walker
• "Tell 'em I love 'em and I gotta come see 'em" — Elvis to Tony 1972