Music stars pay tribute to rock-champion DJ
Some of Ireland’s top music stars turned out in style tonight to pay homage to veteran DJ Larry Gogan at the IRMA honour’s show.
Television star Terry Wogan presented the 2FM DJ with the annual honour from the Irish Recorded Music Association in a glitzy ceremony in Dublin.
The veteran DJ was honoured at the black-tie event for his long-standing contribution to the Irish music industry.
In a video shown before the presentation, a host of stars were asked to pay tribute to the broadcaster.
“In the early eighties when there was no-one playing rock music in the afternoons you were the exception. You still are an exception,” Larry Mullen said.
Bob Geldof said: “We had few champions in this country.
“There are benchmark people in every country’s broadcasting.
“In Ireland there’s Gay [Byrne] and there’s Larry, these men had a profound effect,” he said.
Songwriter Paul Brady and Dublin band the Thrills rocked the Burlington Hotel as dozens of stars including singer John Spillane, actress Victoria Smurfit, campaigner Adi Roche, Simon Casey and a host of DJs turned out.
Singer Christy Moore who celebrated 40 years in the business, was the first artist to receive this honour last year as U2 musician the Edge turned out to present it to him.
Organisers were hoping to raise thousands of euro for charity tonight through the auctioning of paintings from five of Ireland’s leading artists including Rasher, Robert Ballagh, Jim Fitzpatrick, Graham Knuttel and Barry Flangan.
The three charities set to benefit from the artists’ generosity are Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin, The Chernobyl Children’s Project and the IRMA Trust.
