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Barry Hearn, sports promoter

Barry Hearn, sports promoter, shares the eight tracks, book and luxury item he would take with him if cast away to a desert island. With Lauren Laverne.

Barry Hearn is a promoter who has been at the forefront of some of the biggest snooker, boxing and darts events in the last 40 years. He played a central role in turning snooker into a television phenomenon, and as a boxing promoter he represented Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn. He later turned darts players, including Phil 'The Power' Taylor, into household names.

Barry was born in Dagenham in East London in 1948 and grew up in a council house. At school, he enjoyed playing cricket and football, but freely admits he wasn’t good enough to become a professional player. Instead, he became an accountant and when one of the companies he worked for asked him to find some investment properties, he bought a chain of snooker halls.

Barry took advantage of the snooker boom of the 1970s - which started after the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ began televising competitions - and signed a young Steve Davis. Steve went on to win the World Snooker Championship in 1981 and Barry formed his company Matchroom the following year. He consolidated his success by moving into boxing and then introduced darts to a mainstream audience.

In 2021 Barry was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Sport Industry Awards, and also handed over the chairmanship of Matchroom to his son Eddie. His daughter Katie also works for the company. Barry is reluctant to retire just yet, and remains company president, where his new role has given him some more free time to enjoy one of his favourite activities – fishing.

DISC ONE: The Gambler by Kenny Rogers
DISC TWO: Sweet Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Chicago by The Blues Brothers
DISC THREE: Sunshine On My Shoulders by John Denver
DISC FOUR: The Lonesome Boatman by Finbar & Eddie Furey
DISC FIVE: Snooker Loopy by Chas 'n' Dave
DISC SIX: The Best by Tina Turner
DISC SEVEN: American Pie by Don McLean
DISC EIGHT: Forest Lawn by Tom Paxton

BOOK CHOICE: The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
LUXURY ITEM: A fishing rod and rocking chair
CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Sunshine On My Shoulders by John Denver

Presenter Lauren Laverne
Producer Paula McGinley

Available now

36 minutes

Last on

Fri 25 Nov 2022 09:00
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4

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Music Played

  • Kenny Rogers

    The Gambler

    • The Essential Kenny Rogers.
    • EMI Ireland.
    • 17.

  • Blues Brothers

    Sweet Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Chicago

    • The Blues Brothers Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.
    • Rhino Atlantic.
    • 10.

  • John Denver

    Sunshine on My Shoulders

    • The John Denver Collection, Vol 4: Sunshine On My Shoulders.
    • Windstar Records.
    • 1.

  • Finbar & Eddie Furey

    The Lonesome Boatman

    • The Lonesome Boatman.
    • Transatlantic Records.
    • 1.

  • Chas & Dave

    Snooker Loopy

    • Double Bubble.
    • Crimson.
    • 18.

  • Tina Turner

    The Best

    • Tina Turner: The Platinum Collection.
    • Parlophone UK.
    • 1.

  • Don McLean

    American Pie

    • Legendary Songs Of Don McLean.
    • CAPITOL CATALOG MKT (C92).
    • 2.

  • Tom Paxton

    Forest Lawn

    • The Best Of Tom Paxton: I Can't Help Wonder Wher I'm Bound: The Elektra Years.
    • Rhino/Elektra.
    • 18.

Broadcasts

  • Sun 20 Nov 2022 11:15
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4
  • Fri 25 Nov 2022 09:00
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4

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