AN AUDIENCE WITH THE BROADCAST LEGEND GLEN LEWIS

We've seen him on our TV screens, and heard his voice on the airwaves, for 30 years. We all know him. But can anyone outside his inner circle claim to really know Glen Lewis? Unlikely. So we sat down and got to know him: the legend, the enigma, and Kaya FM's newest DJ.

- Sanelisiwe Maliza

We've been listening to Glen Lewis on the radio for decades: for laughter on our way to work company on lazy afternoons in our homes, and nights of dancing to his midtempo mixes.

DESPITE THE THOUSANDS OF HOURS we’ve spent ‘with’ and listening to him, it’s almost shocking to realise that we don’t really know the man affectionately called the Teddy Bear of the Airwaves.

Is he married? Does he have children? Who is Glen Lewis, really? These are just some of the things the DJ has kept to himself.

‘All I wanted to do is do radio. I do not want to be distracted. Even here at Kaya FM, I’m giving them headaches, I’m refusing to do photo shoots. I tell them, I came here to do radio.’

He laughs. ‘But you know, times have changed!’

In a world where people believe that in order to be relevant and at the top of your game, you need to dominate news headlines and be controversial, Glen Lewis has gone against the grain.

The drivetime DJ has managed to shy away from the spotlight – while being in the spotlight.

‘I’ve never wanted to do anything else. I don’t want to be a station manager. I don’t want to be a programme manager. I just want to be a jock, on air.’

His long and illustrious career has earned him his colours in the league of radio legends.

‘Glen is GOATed – the original king of cool, and the best dressed. He belongs to a niche group of radio excellence. He sits high up on the list of the original radio superstar crew, whose talent and authenticity supersede [all others],’ says Metro FM’s prime-time producer and former colleague Phila Tyekana.