With the passing of Andy Sneddon on Friday 21st August, 3MDR has lost a long serving volunteer. 

Andy had been a fixture of the station since its earliest days presenting his old time jazz and country show in a variety of time slots. For many years Andy presented his show early Saturday afternoon and could be found entrenched in the studio with his racing form guide in hand placing his bets by phone or thumbing through his much worn Moroccan bound compendiums of jazz music. A lover of both kinds of music - country and jazz - it was probably the latter that was his greater preference. Jazzman Andy, as he was affectionately called, had served with the Australian Army during the Second World War and was a drummer in a services band and shared the stage with many touring American swing bands at the time.  

Andy was a great personality and loved a chat as many presenters found over the years. There was nothing indirect about Andy and he was quite open to providing those who cared to listen with a frank assessment of  what was wrong with the world . In a nutshell he thought affairs had headed south since 1945, that the country had never been the same since Robert Menzies was PM and that the music of today was rubbish (to put it mildly).

In fulfilling the 'old time' criteria of his show Andy ignored modern technological advances such as CD players and computers and continued to play vinyl and, as a concession to modernity, cassette tapes on which he could record many of his LPs.

A funeral service will be held on Monday 31st August 2015 at 4pm at Heritage & Heritage 733 Boronia Road, Wantirna.

Andy was a life member of 3MDR and he will be sadly missed.

 

This Wednesday on Harmonica Riff Raff, Steve Williams holds a workshop on blues harmonica in the third position.

Inspired by John Lennon, Steve started playing the harmonica at 14. He took up saxophone in his twenties and his first professional performance was with country legend CHAD MORGAN in 1979.

In the eighties Steve played with many Melbourne rock bands whilst recording television jingles, TV themes, albums and movie soundtracks.

He was a member of the IMT Band and the DON'T FORGET YOUR TOOTHBRUSH Orchestra. He met John Waters during the JCS Tour which led to his theatrical debut in 1995 in the play REUNION. He co-hosted the TV show WHAT ON EARTH in 1997. Steve also plays guitar and sitar as well as doing backing vocals.

Steve and Old Shep are sure to have a gold ol time.. Check out their jam @ the end of the show!!