Tributes to Monty Lister, the man who interviewed The Beatles

Listeners and volunteers at Radio Clatterbridge have been saddened to learn of the death of one of the station’s founding members, the broadcaster Monty Lister.

He was 92.

Monty managed the station until 1967 before he moved to BBC Radio Merseyside to present the long-running Sunday morning request programme Tune Tonic.

Roger Hazlewood, our Honorary President who Monty enlisted the previous year, described him as a “force behind the scenes” who was always available to discuss strategy for the station in the early years.

“I have met many gentlemen in my life but Monty is one of a very small number that can also be called a gentle man. Rest in peace.” – Roger Hazlewood

Monty interviewed a number of well-known celebrities of the era including Bill Haley, Cliff Richard and Gene Vincent and he recorded possibly the last interview with Eddie Cochran who died in a car crash days later.

However, he is perhaps best remembered for recording the first broadcast interview with The Beatles for us in 1962 for the programme Sunday Spin, which he also broadcast to Cleaver Hospital in Heswall.

For more click here