Meet DJ Donny Watson
Donny Watson
Some DJs simply play records. Others know exactly when to drop the one tune that changes the whole mood of the room.
Donny Watson belongs firmly in the second camp.
After spending around 14 years behind the microphone at Retro Soul Radio London, Donny has now made the move to Love Soul Radio London—bringing with him a considerable record collection, years of experience and one of the most recognisable Friday-night soul shows around.
It Started with a Sneaky Night Out
Donny’s journey into soul music began while he was still in his final year at school.
Like many of the best musical stories, it involved doing something he probably wasn’t supposed to do: sneaking into a nightclub.
Once inside, he discovered the music of artists including Fat Larry’s Band, Lonnie Liston Smith, Edwin Starr and Evelyn “Champagne” King. Those records made an immediate impression. The funk and soul bug had bitten—and there was no going back.
That first nightclub experience grew into a lifelong passion. Donny began collecting music, gradually building up an impressive selection of 12-inch singles and carefully chosen album tracks.
These weren’t records bought simply to fill shelves. They were records selected to be played—loudly, properly and in front of a dancefloor.
From London’s Bars to the Radio
Donny went on to work as a DJ in music bars and pubs across Greater London.
Playing to a live crowd teaches a DJ things that cannot be learned from a playlist. You begin to understand when people are ready for a classic, when to change direction and when to let a groove breathe for a little longer.
Over the years, Donny has played a wide assortment of music. However, the heart of his collection has always remained firmly rooted in soul, jazz-funk, disco-funk and the great dancefloor classics of the day.
That combination of musical knowledge and real dancefloor experience would eventually become the foundation of Friday Floor Fillers.
Fourteen Years of Friday Floor Fillers
For approximately 14 years, Donny was a familiar part of the Retro Soul Radio London line-up.
Every Friday from 6pm, his two-hour Friday Floor Fillers show signalled that the working week was over and the weekend had officially begun.
Archived editions show just how wide Donny’s musical reach could be. A single programme might travel from The Temptations and The O’Jays to Gwen Guthrie, before moving into the early hip-hop and electro energy of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five.
The connection between the records was always the feeling: music with rhythm, personality and the ability to lift a Friday night.
His long run at Retro Soul Radio gave him something that cannot be manufactured overnight—a loyal audience. Following his departure, listeners were actively asking where he had gone and whether he would appear on another station.
They now have their answer.
A New Home at Love Soul Radio London
Donny Watson has joined Love Soul Radio London, and Friday Floor Fillers has come with him.
The show remains exactly what its name promises: two hours of bangers, familiar favourites, forgotten dancefloor gems and records capable of turning the kitchen, living room or car into a Friday-night dancefloor.
Donny isn’t trying to follow whatever happens to be fashionable that week. His programme is built on years of collecting, playing to real crowds and understanding which records still produce that instant reaction.
There will be soul. There will be funk. There will be disco. And there will almost certainly be a record that makes you stop what you’re doing and say, “I haven’t heard this in years!”
More Than Just a New DJ
Donny’s arrival is about more than filling a space on the schedule.
He brings history, experience and an established programme that listeners already know and love. He also shares the values at the heart of Love Soul Radio London: genuine musical knowledge, personality on the microphone and records selected by a human being who understands them.
After approximately 14 years at Retro Soul Radio London, this is the beginning of a fresh chapter.
The station may have changed, but Donny’s purpose remains the same: to send listeners into the weekend with a smile on their faces and a floor filler coming through the speakers.
Welcome to Love Soul Radio London, Donny.
The weekend has a new home.
Catch Donny Watson’s Friday Floor Fillers, Fridays from 6pm to 8pm on Love Soul Radio London—from London to the world.
