NOVA Entertainment as announced that entrepreneur and Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson will be joining smoothfm’s weekend line-up from Saturday.

One of the most significant and influential figures in British music, Branson had entrepreneurial ambitions from a young age.

Starting with a record store chain, his business instinct saw him grow the Virgin brand into an impressive music label and airline company. His music, business and humanitarian contributions have also made Branson one of the most prominent figures in British culture.

Georgie Page, program director at smoothfm, said: “Sir Richard Branson has had a huge impact on the music industry. He was responsible for signing many iconic bands and artists that appear on smoothfm’s playlist, including Culture Club, UB40, OMD and Simple Minds.

“Smoothfm’s listeners may not be aware of the significant contribution he has made to music and relationships he has formed with some of the greatest artists in the business.

“We can’t wait for him to share his experiences, rich understanding of the music industry and the behind-the-scenes stories about working with some of the biggest names in music with our listeners.”

Commenting on his new gig, Branson said: “It was great to go down memory lane and listen to the songs of many a years ago. Each song conjured up many happy memories from the days when we were signing (these) bands and trying to break them around the world.

“I was addicted to music from a very young age and then stumbled into it in a big way when I heard an artist called Mike Oldfield. I loved his music, so I thought I’ll start a record label and put it out myself. That album was Tubular Bells and its success kick started the Virgin story.”

Branson joins a star-studded line-up of smoothfm guest hosts that includes James Blunt, Dolly Parton, Barry Gibb, Neil Diamond, Elton John, Olivia Newton-John and John Farnham.

Richard Branson can be heard on smoothfm 95.3 in Sydney, smoothfm 91.5 in Melbourne and on smoothfm DAB+ from 4pm this Saturday.