October 10, 2000 14:34

WHITE ON THE CASE

Over 1,000 people turn up to listen to the wisdom of the [b]Walrus of Love[/b]...

Barry White received a standing ovation when he entered the OXFORD UNION to talk to students last night (October 9).

Over 300 people were turned away from the Walrus of Love's talk, during which he addressed issues including the Internet and availability of music, and was questioned about his tactics of seduction.

Speaking about free downloading of music from the 'Net, he said he was against free downloading. "To give music away, that's a problem with me. You can sell it for half-price, 15 per cent of the price, but the work that I do must be worth something."

A spokesperson for the Oxford Union told nme.com: "There was a real buzz about the place. It was a fabulous evening. We had around 800 people there and 300 more were turned away. The reception he got when he walked on was incredible."

While Steps were tipped to be among future speakers, they are not now scheduled to appear. Bianca Jagger, Charlton Heston and Michael Barrymore are the next batch of celebrities lined up to address the Union.