Every week, DJ Dave Leslie plays hits on his radio show to thousands of listeners - all from the comfort of his Housing for Older People Scheme home.
Dave, whose brother, Steve Harris, has played bass for internationally famous heavy metal band Iron Maiden for nearly 50 years, has enjoyed his successful DJ career since he was a teenager.
Now living in Western House in the “smashing village” of Kelvedon, 74-year-old Dave has a regular show on Storm FM in Brighton, a station with 20,000 listeners a week
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Dave recalls:
“DJing has always been a paying hobby of mine, ever since I was asked to ‘keep the crowd happy’ at my school’s end of year dance until the band turned up."
That experience set ‘Dave the Rave’ on his way, and he began working as a roadie and warm-up DJ in 1968 before launching his own mobile disco a few years later.
If you’ve been to a wedding or party in Essex, then there’s a fair chance you have been entertained by Dave, who retired the mobile disco aged 65.
But the great grandfather didn’t stop there, and now broadcasts from his living room at Western House, one of 24 Housing for Older People schemes managed by Eastlight, which are available to residents aged 55 and over.
Dave was inspired to get into DJing by his beloved, recently deceased Dad, who played guitar and banjo and helped to cover the cost of Dave’s first set of equipment.
Dave describes DJing as a “paying hobby”: “I just love music – it’s always been about the music.”
