David Hepworth (born 27 July 1950) is a British music journalist, writer, television presenter, and publishing industry analyst.

[1] David Hepworth was born in Dewsbury, then in the West Riding of Yorkshire, and attended the Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Wakefield, and Trent Park College of Education.

He joined the newly launched magazine Smash Hits in 1979, and two years later, after turning it around financially, became its editor.

[citation needed] In 2006, Hepworth sold his independent publishing company Development Hell to the EMAP group (today known as Ascential).

[5][6] His subsequent primary professional activities are publishing books on music nostalgia and collaborations with Mark Ellen on Word In Your Ear, a series of podcasts and music-themed live events.