For 40 years British broadcaster David Rodigan has been a champion of Jamaican music. Now the 65-year-old is getting set to release his autobiography covering his years in reggae.

The book, My Life In Reggae, written with Ian Burrell, is set to be released on March 3. The work chronicles how the son of an army sergeant major from Oxfordshire in England became one of the biggest ambassadors for ska, dub, dancehall and all genres in-between.

“I’ve always been a champion for the artist(e)s and the music, but it was never really about my journey. However, over the years, my story has entwined with reggae, as has my relationship with the culture and people of Jamaica. I was reluctant to publish an autobiography, but I was frequently told by artist(e)s that I needed to “write it down”, not just for myself, but for the music — to document the journey and the sounds we’ve come to love. So here I am at the sprightly age of 65 telling my story. I am proud to have been an ambassador for this great music over the past 40 years,” he states on his Facebook page.

He notes that he has already been blown away by the response to My Life In Reggae, and a tour of key reggae pockets in the UK — London, Bristol, Glasgow and Liverpool — is being organised to coincide with the release of the work. This tour will also be used to showcase his vintage dubplate collection.

“I’m doing a book launch Q&A tour with special guests, including Gilles Peterson, Soul II Soul founder Jazzie B, and Massive Attack’s Daddy G. After the Q&A’s I’ll be doing special dubplate only sets with surprise guests. These are going to be special evenings full of stories, tales and, of course, lots of rare dubs,”Rodigan stated.

The book launch will take place at Mick’s Garage in London, with the tour through Bristol at The Lantern Colston Hall on March 11, The Art School in Glasgow on March 25, and The Merchant in Liverpool on March 26.

— Richard Johnson