Andy Kershaw is a presenter and journalist for the BBC, he was born in 1959 in Rochdale, Lancashire. He failed his degree in politics at the University of Leeds because he was busy organising gigs in his postition as entertainment secretary. Whilst there he managed to arrange appearances for 80's stars such as The Clash, Elvis Costello and Black Uhuru. In 1984 Andy came to London and was hired as a roadie and driver for Billy Bragg, but while working for Bragg he was spotted by the producers at the Old Grey Whistle Test. They decided that he would make a good presenter and after his report on the Monsters of Rock heavy metal festival he was made a lead presenter of the show. In just a year he became a Radio 1 DJ, exposing the public to his own musical tastes ranging from rock to African music, this fondness coming from his meeting with the musicologist Lucy Duran (now a fellow presenter and old friend). He was sacked by Radio 1 in May of 2000 but was soon hired by Radio 3 controller Roger Wright, starting broadcasting again in April 2001 with the spirit of the original show still at it's heart.
When he isn't listening to music or broadcasting Andy enjoys racing motorcycles and travelling, this has lead to him to reporting as a journalist for the BBC and Channel 4 on numerous occasions. Most notable were his reports on the volcanic eruption in Monserrat and during the horrors of Rwanda in 1994. Currently he lives in London with his partner (Juliette Banner, a restaurant owner) and his two kids Sonny and Dolly.