BBC Radio 1 legend Andy Peebles dies aged 76 as Mike Read leads tributes
BBC Radio 1 legend Andy Peebles has died at the age of 76, with colleagues paying emotional tributes to the broadcaster.
The sad news was announced by fellow radio presenter Mike Read on social media, expressing his devastation at the loss of his friend and colleague.
Peebles was a respected figure in British broadcasting, known for his extensive knowledge of music and cricket, presenting on BBC Radio 1 between 1978 and 1992.
In his tribute, Read wrote: “Devastated to hear the news about our chum Andy Peebles. He was about to join us at Heritage. We joined Radio One together. Knew his music & cricket inside out. Raise your bat & enjoy a long rest in the pavilion.”
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Devastated to hear the news about our chum Andy Peebles. He was about to join us at Heritage. We joined Radio One together. Knew his music & cricket inside out. Raise your bat & enjoy a long rest in the pavilion. We lunched recently with DLT & Adrian Juste. Great innings. pic.twitter.com/I9IumRIrP4
— Mike Read (@MikeReadUK) March 23, 2025
Read added that they had “lunched recently with DLT & Adrian Juste” and described Peebles’ life as a “great innings”.
The pair had been colleagues at Radio 1, with both joining the station around the same time.
Others from the industry and fans soon flooded social media with their own tributes to Peebles.
Fellow BBC radio icon Tony Blackburn wrote: “So sorry to hear that fellow DJ from radio 1 when I was there Andy Peebles has passed away.
“He was a lovely man and a great broadcaster , very sad news. R.I.P. Andy,” he added.
“So sad to hear the news about Andy Peebles passing. I’ll miss our long conversations about football and soul music, of which he was far more knowledgeable. There’s going to be a Quiet Storm in heaven tonight. RIP Andy,” radio executive John Simons wrote.
One fan said: “I’ve just heard the sad passing of Former Radio 1 DJ Andy Peebles. He famously was the last person to interview John Lennon hours before he was shot in New York and was also an Avid Lover of Soul Music! RIP Andy!”
“So sad to hear of the passing of former Radio 1 DJ Andy Peebles,” another despaired.
A third reflected: “Andy Peebles brilliant DJ in his heyday famous for being the last person to interview John Lennon talented genius.#RIPAndyPeebles”
Before joining the national broadcaster, he worked at Manchester’s Piccadilly Radio, where he became a stalwart of North West radio.
His career began as a club DJ before moving into radio broadcasting.
Peebles was known for his encyclopaedic knowledge of music across all genres and his professional approach to broadcasting.
He later worked at Smooth FM, with fans recalling his Christmas Day broadcasts of carols in 2011.
Throughout his career, Peebles interviewed a host of music stars, including David Bowie, Elton John and Queen drummer Roger Taylor.
He is perhaps most notably remembered for being one of the last people to interview John Lennon before the former Beatle’s death in December 1980.