Former BBC Radio 1 DJ Andy Peebles dead at 76
Andy Peebles, the former BBC Radio 1 DJ and Top of the Pops host, has died aged 76, his family confirms.
Peebles presented on Radio 1 from 1978 to 1992 and was notable for being one of the last people to interview John Lennon prior to his death in December 1980, chatting with the former Beatle just two days before he was shot and killed in New York City.
In an interview with CBS, he noted how terrified he was for the occasion, saying, “I don’t think I’ve ever been so nervous in my life. I’d grown-up not just idolising him but the group and everything they’d done.” He would remain close friends with Lennon’s wife, Yoko Ono, and interviewed her for a second time in 1983 in Tokyo.
The DJ presented the iconic BBC music chart television programme Top of the Pops, having become a regular host of the show in 1979, appearing alongside many of his Radio 1 colleagues, such as Steve Wright and Tony Blackburn.
Peebles began his career in the 1960s as a nightclub DJ before making a transition to broadcasting, landing a job at BBC Radio Manchester in 1973, and becoming a co-founder of Piccadilly Radio in 1974 where he began presenting his Soul Train show.
Former colleague Mike Read has paid tribute to Peebles, stating that he was “devastated” to hear of his friend’s passing, and commented on his love of music and cricket, saying: “Raise your bat & enjoy a long rest in the pavilion.”
Tony Blackburn has also expressed his sorrow, calling Peebles “a lovely man and a great broadcaster.”
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