BRITAIN:Disc jockey and broadcaster Alan Freeman, the man who coined the phase "greetings, pop pickers", has died aged 79.
Freeman died peacefully at his Brinsworth House home in Twickenham, London, yesterday, after a brief illness.
Born in Melbourne, Australia in 1927, he came to Britain in 1957 and enjoyed almost 50 years in the industry.
He coined the phrase "pop pickers" in 1961 and described rock music fans as "music lovers". His later broadcasting career focused on opera, when he presented Their Greatest Bitsfor BBC Radio Two from 1997 until 2001.
Broadcaster Chris Tarrant once expressed his amazement that any man could build an entire career on three phrases, "All right", "Stay bright" and "Not 'arf".
Nicknamed "Fluff", Freeman was described by a BBC spokeswoman as self-effacing.
She said he enjoyed the friendship of colleagues throughout the industry including John Peel, Robert Plant, Noel Edmonds, Paul McCartney and Chris Tarrant.
His personal manager for the last 20 years, Tim Blackmore, said: "Alan was a naturally warm man who never quite understood the nature of his appeal. He cared passionately for music of all kinds, for his family and for his friends yet . . . he still retained a total bewilderment that so much success and affection should have come his way."
When Freeman came to Britain on holiday in 1957, he joined Radio Luxembourg as a summer relief disc jockey.
By 1960 he was on the BBC's Light Programme (the precursor of Radios 1 and 2) with a show called Records Around Five. In September 1961, he introduced his first Pick Of The Popsas part of a Saturday evening show on the Light Programme and presented the show on Radio 1 until 1972.
As well as his radio work, he appeared regularly on TV's Top of the Pops and appeared in films, including Absolute Beginnersand Just for Fun.
In October he was treated in hospital for lack of nutrition and a chest infection and earlier this month, he was discharged back to the care of Brinsworth House.