It was the moment Fife’s world darts champion took his place in pop folklore.
The gap-toothed Kirkcaldy-born darts legend’s smile was seen by millions of music fans on the world’s longest running weekly music show.
On September 30 1982 Dexy’s Midnight Runners appeared on Top of the Pops to perform ‘Jackie Wilson Said’ which was their tribute to the soul legend.
Appearing on the screen behind them, however, was a giant picture of Jocky Wilson, which was a deliberate joke as requested by the band.
The performance 35 years ago has subsequently achieved cult status and is still fondly remembered today as one of TV’s more surreal moments.
Wilson was the reigning darts world champion while Dexy’s were enjoying great success and performing the follow up to ‘Come On Eileen’.
Dexy’s lead singer Kevin Rowland recalled: “For a laugh, we told the producer to put a picture of Jocky Wilson up behind us.
“He said: ‘But Kevin, people will think we made a mistake.’
“I told him only an idiot would think that.
“The morning after, the (Radio 1) DJ Mike Read said: ‘Bloody Top of the Pops. How could they mix up one of the great soul singers with a Scottish darts player?’”
The story of the “embarrassing mix-up” became part of the TOTP narrative to the extent that, when Jocky Wilson died in 2012, the incident featured prominently in his obituaries.
Dexy’s guitarist Billy Adams added: “We were perceived as such a serious band few people expected us to have a sense of humour.
“People would rather believe it was a mistake than think we might be having a laugh.”
Top of the Pops presenter David “Kid” Jensen said he pointed out the “mistake” in rehearsals to the team but it went ahead.
“It’s just become part of the show’s folklore,” he said.
A short, tubby man with very few teeth and a passion for lager, Jocky Wilson was one of Scotland’s most unlikely sporting successes.
He twitched, jerked and almost launched himself at the board.
Nevertheless a consistent player, he reached at least the quarter-finals of every World Championship between 1979 and 1991 — a 13-year run.
The two-time world champion made his final televised appearance at the PDC’s World Matchplay event, before finally retiring from the sport in 1996.
Legendary darts commentator Sid Waddell once said of Wilson: “He’s going like the Loch Ness Monster with a following wind!”
