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This year, we’ve said goodbye to many celebrities, but Hot 102.7 FM’s Mark “Baldy” Pilgrim got a send-off fit for a king. Janice Phiri tells us more about the evening.
I remember driving in the car with my mother, as we listened to the voices that were backdrops in my childhood over the radio. From the ramblings of some of the country’s greatest voices to the hilarious pranks by Darren "Whackhead" Simpson and the radio stations that featured some of the best playlists, the radio always made me feel better.
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It’s always a hard pill to swallow when we have to say goodbye to another one of our celebrities. First, the shock sinks in, and then we think about all the ways they impacted even the most mundane parts of our lives.
Although saying goodbye is always bleak, Hot 102.7 FM’s Mark Pilgrim received the best kind of goodbye at Hot 102.7’s Pilgrimage Party, which took place at The Sound Room in Kyalami on June 10.
Pilgrim passed away in March after he was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer in February 2022. He was only given three months to live at the time of his diagnosis, but he refused to give up and survived an entire year after receiving it
In an article published by News24 in March, Lloyd Madurai, the managing director of HOT 102.7FM, told the news site:
“He was determined to try everything. Old-school radio pros like Mark don't come around very often and the only comfort we can draw is the fact that Mark had an incredible impact on not just South African radio, but the broader community, bravely fighting this awful disease in the public eye, and inspiring and giving hope to people in a similar position” Madurai said.
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Pilgrim passed away on a Sunday morning, after being in remission from cancer for 33 years. Pilgrim was initially diagnosed with aggressive stage 3 testicular cancer in 1988, at just 18 years old.
His new diagnosis became the backdrop for his YouTube channel that documented his journey with lung cancer until the very end.
Known by his peers simply as baldy, it only made sense that his fans, friends and supporters would send him off with a big blowout party to honour his life.
The Pilgrimage Party honoured the legacy of Pilgrim, who was one of HOT 102.7FM’s most respected and well-known presenters. Tickets to the event sold out in less than 48 hours, with more than 800 people in attendance.
“Such an amazing evening and one I hope Mark would have been proud of. An ‘Old-Skool’ party dominated by classic 80s party tracks – the kind of party he was the star of on many occasions and just one of the ways we felt, as a station, that we could pay tribute to our friend and the impact he had on all of those around him,” said Madurai.
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The evening wasn’t short of surprises and featured an emotional rendition of Don’t Stop Believin’, which was the theme song from Pilgrim’s fight with cancer, the evening also included some of Pilgrim’s favourite old-school songs.
The surprises didn’t end there, as guests were also given the opportunity to write dedications on the radio host's enormous memorial wall. Many were also treated to variations of the games that Pilgrim loved, such as the One-Second Challenge, the Hot Rewind, and the Anagram Game, which were all run by Pilgrim during his time on HOT 102.7FM.
Pilgrim's favourite foundation, Reach For A Dream Foundation, was also given R102 000.70.
Madurai added:
“These were things that were important to Mark and were part of the many things we loved about him.
“While throwing this party in his honour doesn’t take away the pain of his loss, we hope it just provided another opportunity for those who loved him to pay their respects and say their goodbyes, in a way he would have appreciated.”
Pilgrim's efforts were known to many, as the radio and television host, even won awards throughout his career. In 2021, Pilgrim was honoured with an induction into the SA Radio Awards Hall of Fame. While he is gone, we can always remember the voice that filled the room even on the darkest days.
