On the Radio Luxembourg 208 Facebook pages on January 2nd 2024 Renée Aakrann-Fezzo wrote: ‘I just found out via a message written by her sister on Adrianne’s FB that Adrianne Sebastian-Scott passed away yesterday after many years of fighting her illness. I will always remember her beautiful personality, the sunshine she carried with her at every moment even when she was in pain. All my love to this wonderful woman.’
From the Pirate Hall of Fame: ‘Judy Murphy – A Canadian DJ, she had studied Radio and TV in Toronto. While travelling in Europe, a chance meeting with former Radio Monique DJ Herbie Visser led to her joining Radio Caroline. Her first show was on 19th July 1988. She left the station before Christmas but, before departing, made a taped show to be broadcast on New Year’s Eve. She then joined Radio Luxembourg where she broadcast as Jodie Scott. She later worked on Sunshine Radio in Luxembourg but is now back in the UK where she works as an actress, voice-over and singer.’
I attended Herbert about her passing and he wrote a special item about how she got into radio:
“Although I hadn’t been in touch with Adrienne for I guess over a decade (we were still Facebook-friends) and our lives moved apart, we were close friends throughout the 1990’s and kept our friendship going on for many years. Her death comes certainly as a shock to me. I met Adrienne together with her Canadian friend Karen Evans in the spring of 1988 sitting on the stairs outside of the then Radio 10 building in the Honthorststraat in Amsterdam.
Radio 10 had just launched as a legal commercial radiostation on cable only (versus an Italian broadcast-license) and I was working there as a news broadcaster. The two Canadian ladies were on a trip to Amsterdam to check out the quality of the coffeeshops. One of them, Karen, was actually at that time working for a radio station in Toronto called CHUM and when she saw she was passing by a radio station in Amsterdam she decided that the stairs of the Radio 10 building would be a great place for a short rest.
I stumbled upon them and when Karen told me she did radio as well I asked both of the ladies to come in and have a cup of tea. And showed them the studio of course. The other lady had no such background although she occasionally had lend her voice in Canada to a radio commercial. But now she lived in London and her friend Karen had come over to see her there and together they decided to also include a visit to Amsterdam during Karen’s stay in Europe.
While Karen and I were discussing our mutual love for the medium radio, Adrienne said: “I wished I had a radio job as well. Would you know any opportunities in Europe?” Ehm, well, what I knew was that Radio Caroline was still broadcasting from the high seas that spring of 1988 but was dealing with a severe staff shortage.
And her Canadian passport would make Adrienne not violating any European laws if she’d be out there. Her voice sounded good to me and she had this friend Karen who could teach her a few presenting-skills. So I said to her: “Mmmm, I may know something but would it be a problem for you to not getting paid? I mean: at this radio station you can broadcast in English, you will have a comfortable bed, you’ll get all the food and drinks for free, lots of fun but don’t expect a regular financial income”.
Adrienne answered: “well at this moment my source of income is busking on the streets of London (singing songs with her guitar on the street and people passing by throwing some coins in a basket). This makes me just enough to pay rent and food and then all the money is gone. Having a place to stay and food and drinks but no money is equal to me” she answered.
I then started explaining about Radio Caroline and its unique position broadcasting from the high seas and that working for Radio Caroline was illegal for almost anyone on board but not for her as she was a Canadian. And of course I had a AM-radio on my desk and thus could tune in to Radio Caroline to let her listen to the radio station for a short while. Adrienne got very excited realizing that this was from a ship in international waters and against the laws of all surrounding countries but it was there anyway and blasting pop and rock to western Europe.
Knowing the understaffing situation on Radio Caroline I gave Adrienne Mike Craig’s (chief-engineer Mike Watts) phonenumber in Brighton. And told her to call Mike when she’d be back in London. Adrienne herself didn’t have a fixed telephone line in London as she was staying here and there and renting whatever was available for an affordable price. In the evening I called Mike from my home and told him the story about the two ladies visiting Radio 10 in Amsterdam and he promised me he’d introduce her into the Radio Caroline-organisation (or lack thereof) if she indeed would get in touch with him.
A couple of weeks later on Radio Caroline on 558 khz all of a sudden a female voice appeared calling herself “Judy Murphy” which I instantly recognized as the voice of this lady who visited Radio 10 together with her friend Karen. And as a DJ she got better by the day. After a couple of stints on the Ross Revenge she disappeared again but soon after reappeared on Radio Luxembourg as “Jody Scott” . Of course I called Radio Luxembourg after hearing her to congratulate her on her fast career and she immediately invited me to come over to Luxembourg and see her. She didn’t need to say this twice. I’d also wanted to visit the 208 studio’s at Villa Louvigny and now even became a regular visitor, hanging out not only with Adrienne but with almost all the staff. Adrienne will be sadly missed.“
Herbert Visser January 3rd 2024.