Desert Island Discs Revisited

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BBC Radio 4 Extra

Factual: Life Stories

Selected castaway gems from the BBC Desert Island Discs archive.

Desert Island Discs Revisited: Black American Icons: George Foreman

George Foreman

Black American Icons

Desert Island Discs

BBC Radio 4 Extra - Desert Island Discs Revisited, Black American Icons, George Foreman

Former heavyweight champion, George Foreman is castaway by Sue Lawley.

4 Extra Debut. From The Beatles to Sam Cooke. Former heavyweight champion, George Foreman, shares his choices with Sue Lawley. From 2003.

Former heavyweight champion, George Foreman is castaway by Sue Lawley.

George was born in Texas into a large but poor family. His earliest memories are of being hungry. He found school difficult and felt he was written off because of his scruffy clothes. He had a short temper and would often get into fights as a child, sometimes beating people up for no reason. Soon he discovered that mugging was an easy way to get funds and terrorised his neighbourhood, although he never used knives - just his fists. 

Heading nowhere fast, George was saved by The Job Corps, a project started by President Lyndon Johnson which aimed to get training and jobs for young people with few opportunities in life. It introduced him to boxing and he began to train seriously.

George won the gold medal for heavyweight boxing at the Mexico City Olympics in 1968 and became a professional boxer. He defeated Joe Frazier in 1973 and became heavyweight champion at the age of 24. 

After being defeated by Muhammed Ali at the infamous Rumble in the Jungle in 1974, George took up religion and became a preacher, giving up boxing for good, or so he thought. 

By the mid-1980s George was short of money: he was building a community centre and wanted it to be well stocked with equipment. So he returned to the only honest way he knew of making money. Ten years out of practice in 1987 when he was 38, George started to train again. 

Remarkably, on 5 November 1994, at the age of 45, George won the heavyweight title for the second time - this time against Michael Moorer, aged 26, by a knockout in the 10th round.

DISC ONE: You Send Me - Sam Cooke
DISC TWO: William Tell Overture - Gioachino Rossini
DISC THREE: Don't Be A Dropout - James Brown
DISC FOUR: I Wish It Would Rain - The Temptations
DISC FIVE: George Foreman's Little Girls - Vienna Boys' Choir
DISC SIX: Mamma Say Knock You Out - LL Cool J
DISC SEVEN: All You Need Is Love - The Beatles
DISC EIGHT: Strangers in the Night - Frank Sinatra

BOOK CHOICE: An anthology of poems which include the poem Waiting by John Burroughs  
LUXURY CHOICE: A pillow  
CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: All You Need Is Love - The Beatles

Producer: Lisa Jenkinson

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in January 2003.

Desert Island Discs Revisited: Black American Icons

Your digital radio entertainment station showcasing the best in comedy and drama

Your digital radio entertainment station showcasing the best in comedy and drama. With recent favourites from BBC Radio 4.

A collection of castaways of leading figures in Black American cultural history.

Marking Black History Month 2023 - a collection of castaways of leading figures in Black American cultural history.

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