Station bids farewell to radio legend
NORTH RIDING – 'He had a calming effect on everyone around him, he was more than a colleague to us'.
Gavin Singh’s passing has left a void in the hearts of his listeners and the souls of his colleagues.
The 46-year-old Hot 91.9FM’s radio host suffered a fatal heart attack on 13 July.
BREAKING: Popular Hot 91.9 radio host passes away
Singh had a long history in the radio world but for many, he was more than just a voice. Fellow host and friend Kwanele Kunene said, “We instantly became like brother and sister from the moment we started working together. He was the best person to turn to for advice.”
Kunene also spoke about his calming spirit that had an effect on everyone around him.
“I have no regrets regarding our relationship, he knew how much I loved him and in his final week he acknowledged a lot about our friendship,” she joked and said, “He finally admitted that I was funny.”
Paul Almeida who worked closely with Singh spoke about his passion for local music. “I cannot stress how much he valued local artists; he was constantly promoting home-grown talent and visiting as many performances as possible.”
Another friend and colleague Nick Barker emphasised Singh’s love for teaching. “He was the same guy off-air that he was on-air.”
Almeida fondly remembers how Singh would sneak a U2 song onto the playlist whenever the bosses weren’t in the studio.
His colleagues and friends all agreed that he also had a funny and cheeky streak. Tony Isaacs laughed at the effort he put into pranking those at the office. “Aside from his hilarious antics, he was able to build you up in just one chat. He made you feel like you could achieve anything,” added Isaacs.
Hot 91.9FM’s managing director Lloyd Madurai delivered the eulogy at Singh’s funeral on 16 July. “[During our journey] I discovered more things I liked about him such as his humility, kindness, generosity, and he taught me many life lessons including, how to be a good listener. Trust me there was no better listener than Gav,” said Madurai.
During Singh’s low times in life, he also needed to be reminded of all the great advice he passed onto his friends, notably ‘things will get better’.
“Gav, goodbyes are not forever and are not the end. It simply means we’ll miss you until we meet again,” ended Madurai.
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