Richard Havers

Born in Carshalton, Surrey, he attended Reigate Grammar School and then worked for British United Airways, later British Caledonian, at Gatwick Airport. Initially he was a messenger but rose to become product manager on the company's North Atlantic routes, and then had responsibility for developing their domestic routes. In 1984 he moved to Continental Airlines, launching their service between Gatwick and Houston, and contributing to building up the company's organisation. He left the airline industry in 1989 in order to work in the music industry. His first role, drawing on his airline experience, was in promoting concerts and tours by Paul McCartney, Chicago, and The Beach Boys. He wrote and produced in-flight radio shows, and launched a commercial radio station in Turkey, before becoming a prolific writer of books and articles, mainly on jazz, blues, and pop music.
With Bill Wym…