RADIO DJ Mike Smith, who started his career at Chelmsford hospital radio, has died from complications connected to his recent major heart surgery..
The 59-year-old was born in Chelmsford and educated at King Edwards VI Grammar School, in the town.
He went into freelance production and presenting before working for the BBC.
He moved to Capital Radio in 1980 to present the Breakfast Show, but became best known to a generation of radio listeners as the voice of BBC Radion 1's Breakfast Show, which he presented 1986 and 1988.
He and fellow TV presenter Sarah Greene were both seriously injured in a helicopter accident in Gloucestershire in 1988. He proposed a few weeks later, and the following year the pair married
Noel Edmonds, a long-term friend of the couple, said in a statement: "I am totally stunned and heartbroken for Sarah and his family.
"Mike introduced me to motor racing and I introduced him to radio.
"He was so much more than simply a presenter. Mike was that rare individual - the consummate broadcaster in an era when professionalism, dedication and hard work were truly valued.
"I am typing this through the tears. I wish I had told him more forcefully and frequently how much I admired his talent and valued his support."
Simon Mayo, who took over the Breakfast Show, wrote on Twitter: "Shocked to hear of Mike Smith's death today. Condolences to Sarah and all his family.
"When we joined Radio 1 in 86, he was the guy who had it all. His breakfast show was a shiny, sparkly thing, a must-listen."
