OBSERVER: Radio man Philip Brady retires
Melbourne radio legend Philip Brady has hung up his radio microphone, at age 85.
Brady recorded a farewell message to his listeners when co-host Simon Owens visited the veteran in his home suburb of Kew.
“Well it has come to this, after 67 years in the business I am quitting and I am very sad to be leaving you, but, well, I have been around forever and I have been at 3AW since time began,” Brady said.
“But it is time to move over and give the younger guys a go like Andrew (McLaren), for example.
“Don’t think I will ever forget you, I love you, each and every one of you.
“I treasure our friendship, but it is time to move on for the younger guys.
“I’ll be looking out for you. Goodbye now.”
Brady’s announcement was met with tributes from fellow radio presenters and listeners.
3AW morning presenter Tom Elliott said: “ I do regard him as a very close friend. I’ve loved working with him over a number of years, our audience will miss not having him on air here.”
Current on-air partner Simon Owens said: “For more than half my life I’ve worked alongside Philip Brady.
“Just over 20 years as his producer and just under 10 years as his sidekick. And this was after he and the late Bruce Mansfield got me the job by going in to bat for me back in 1995, convincing management to give me a job at 3AW.
“How do you thank someone who gave you a start in your desired career, then taught you how to do the job, and was beyond generous all the way through? Words just don’t do it but they are all I have.
“Thanks Phil. Thanks so much.”
Philip Brady started his 65-year media career in 1958, leaving Xavier College and joining the announcing staff at GTV-9. He stayed for 13 years in his first chapter with Nine.
He would farewell the station’s viewing when nightly transmissions closed before midnight.
Graham Kennedy quickly brought him into the In Melbourne Tonight fold. Brady also worked on the Ernie Sigley and Don Lane shows, as well as chapters with Steve Vizard, and as producer for Bert Newton’s morning radio show on 3UZ.
He later appeared in other Graham Kennedy TV shows, as well as regular spots with Bert Newton on Good Morning Australia.
He became a quiz and panel show host and helmed seven shows for Reg Grundy including The Moneymakers, Casino Ten, Password, Get The Message, Concentration and Everybody’s Talking.
In his only year of not working in the media, Brady worked in a travel agency. Over his life, he visited many countries around the globe.
Supplementing his TV work, Brady was 3AWs weekend music shift host during the summer from 1971 to 1979.
He had been hosting a daily radio program from Murwillumbah, but returned to Melbourne in 1990 and teamed up with Bruce Mansfield to create an enduring radio partnership at 3AW.
Mansfield died in 2016 at age 71. Brady then presented Nightline with v arious on-air partners including Paul Cronin and Simon Owens.
The final Nightline program was presented in September 2019. In the previous year, Brady was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for services to the broadcasting industry.
Observer Editor Ash Long said that he had first met Philip Brady at Nine in the 1970s, and that they had enjoyed an enduring friendship over that half-century.
“Whenever we put Philip Brady in the front cover of the Melbourne Observer, we could be assured of a sell-out edition, such is his popularity with the public. We wish Phil well for his retirement,” Long said.
Pictured: Philip Brady with Observer Editor Ash Long