And there... goes... Walker....

[Logan Mountstuart]

Sign of a good commentator is that you like them so much more than their sport.

[Various Artist]

I was pondering something along the lines of "Go! Go! Go!... Gone". RIP Murray, an epic life – and he remained so hale and hearty into recent years I thought he might well make his century. One of the greats to ever pic up a mic.

[Sean of the Shed]

Seeing a funeral cortege flash past at 140 mph should be quite a sight.

[Amor de Cosmos]

One of the greats to ever pic up a mic.

But disliked by the motor racing fraternity when he began apparently. More power to him for hanging in. RIP

[Nocturnal Submission]

Icon.

RIP

[Paul S]

Last of the old school commentators, having seen service during WW2 then worked in industry before becoming a commentator.

[Snake Plissken]

Part of the team who wrote "A Mars a day helps you work rest and play".

Wonderful voice, total enthusiasm for his job and by all accounts one of the nice guys.

[longeared]

But disliked by the motor racing fraternity when he began apparently. More power to him for hanging in. RIP

His father was a commentator and there was a feeling that young Murray got gigs because of, well, nepotism basically. This was in the days when commentary couldn't be done off the telly because the technology didn't exist and races would be covered on the wireless and at the circuit by different commentators positioned at different points of the lap (basically like the Grand National is still done to this day) For much of his adult life he worked in advertising and did club commentaries at the weekend or going to the Isle of Man for the TT, he didn't start going round the world until the BBC started showing live races in about 1978, by when he was already in his mid 50s.

[Amor de Cosmos]

His father was a commentator and there was a feeling that young Murray got gigs because of, well, nepotism basically.

That, and the fact that motor racing was a small tight-night brotherhood. If you hadn't "been there and done that" you didn't count. He was viewed as a bit of a groupie, especially compared to his predecessor Raymond Baxter.

[Guy Profumo]

"There's nothing wrong with him except he's dead"

[Third rate Leszno]

Farewell Muddly Talker. A great commentator and a genuinely nice, kind man. A life very well lived.

[Satchmo Distel]

Clive James pointed out the contrast between Murray's excitability and the drivers' placidity.

[Patrick Thistle]

One of those recognisable voices forever linked with a particular sport. Used to make even the dullest processions more interesting.

RIP

[Sits]

RIP a voice from my younger days, and many of ours clearly.

I read his autobiography when he was a mere stripling in his mid 80s, recommended. In fact I’m now wondering if it’s available as an audiobook - him reading of course.

For me his golden years were those with James Hunt, whose languorous, couldn’t-give-a-shit approach was the perfect counterpoint.

[Various Artist]

I read his autobiography when he was a mere stripling in his mid 80s, recommended. In fact I’m now wondering if it’s available as an audiobook - him reading of course

It's a great read, I much enjoyed it too. The audiobook would be fantastic, but with him reading it the whole thing would be done in about 3 minutes 42 seconds flat of course.

[Mr Delicieux]

The good sometimes die old.
Here's a thought that's become more defined as the years have passed: my father passed away in 1988 when I was a wee 7 year old, and Walker is one of those people I knew my Dad was aware of, what with him being a big formula 1 fan, and I've noticed in recent years that when somebody who my father would have been aware of passes away it just makes me think of Dad and puts a little lump in my throat.

[blameless]

Not a shock due to his age, but still a real shame. One of the very, very best on the telly and by all accounts a lovely man too.

Nice tribute from Walker's co-commentator Martin Brundle too; it's an irony that Walker and James Hunt are always talked of as the commentary partnership, but as Hunt's eventual replacement Brundle has now been doing the job longer than Hunt or even Walker did.

[Snake Plissken]

As a birthday present, Mrs P queued to get a signed copy of his autobiography (she even got a photo of him signing it). The only problem with reading it is that my inner monologue started using in his voice, which combined with the writing style is actually pretty tiring!

[longeared]

it's an irony that Walker and James Hunt are always talked of as the commentary partnership, but as Hunt's eventual replacement Brundle has now been doing the job longer than Hunt or even Walker did.

Yup, Walker / Hunt were together from Hunt's retirement in 1979 to his death in 1993, their final race was Canada 1993. Walker says in his book that by that stage it was the only race they commentated off tube from London. Brundle is about to start his tenth season alongside Croft and his twenty fifth overall, though has admitted he might not go on much longer.

One thing I haven't really seen mentioned in the tributes is that unlike many veteran commentators he stopped at the right time. He missed a meeting in 2000 because of a fall at home and had another round where he did a below par commentary and got a fair bit of stick in the papers for it. So he announced that winter he would wind down in 2001, doing eleven races and James Allen commentated at the other five. The third last round that year was at Monza the weekend after 9/11, Schumacher and Ferrari had long wrapped up both titles and there was serious talk that they'd end the season there given that the remaining rounds were USA and Japan - no-one knew if they would be allowed to have a round in the States or if the whole circus might even get stuck there if war broke out. Walker was down to finish there as Allen was doing Japan, so ITV really had to hedge their bets, promoted Italy as "Murray's last grand prix in Europe" and pushed him forward in their coverage in case it turned out to be his final commentary.

[Flynnie]

His father was a commentator and there was a feeling that young Murray got gigs because of, well, nepotism basically. This was in the days when commentary couldn't be done off the telly because the technology didn't exist and races would be covered on the wireless and at the circuit by different commentators positioned at different points of the lap (basically like the Grand National is still done to this day) For much of his adult life he worked in advertising and did club commentaries at the weekend or going to the Isle of Man for the TT, he didn't start going round the world until the BBC started showing live races in about 1978, by when he was already in his mid 50s.

The Indianapolis 500 is still done this way on radio. The finish line is the coveted anchor position (and is usually helmed by somebody who goes on to having a long broadcasting career in racing, eg Bob Jenkins or Paul Page) but ironically they have sod all to do, as the turn announcers really do the vast majority of the broadcasting.

[jwdd27]

I think ITV have done away with multiple commentators for the long distance horse races - camera/drone technology make it unnecessary, and they bring in their expert ex-jock (McCoy, Walsh, Mick Fitz etc) between fences to give Hoiles the chance for a swig of water.

The BBC approach was probably their typical overmanning as much as logisitics, as when they had two commentators for a single second half of live football commentary.

[Snake Plissken]

For me his golden years were those with James Hunt, whose languorous, couldn’t-give-a-shit approach was the perfect counterpoint.

I thought this had prompted me to post this, but it hadn't, so here you go.

[tee rex]

The Guardian's obituary is by Frank Keating who died in 2013.

I wonder what the record is for outliving your own obituary writer.

[Gangster Octopus]

I mused the same thing.

[blameless]

As sad as it was to lose him, at least Walker got well into his 90s. Poor Sabine Schmitz has just passed at the age of just 51 due to cancer.