Paul McCartney paid homage to the pioneering UK radio DJ and TV presenter Annie Nightingale, who died on January 11 at age 83. According to a statement from her family, Nightingale passed away “at her home in London after a short illness.”
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Nightingale had befriended The Beatles during the 1960s, and her association with the band helped her gain an audition with BBC Radio 1. She became the station’s first female DJ, as well as its longest-serving host.
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“I was very sad to hear that my friend Annie Nightingale passed away last week,” McCartney wrote in a tribute posted on his official website and socials. “She was such a special woman, full of knowledge about the music scene, with a great spirit and a fabulous sense of humour. Having known her for many years, we both watched the music scene change and develop.”
He added, “I was always pleased to meet up with her for an interview or a cup of tea. She will be missed by many people, and the music world will be poorer without her. Love to her family from me and my family.”
About Annie Nightingale
Nightingale began her media career in the early 1960s, working first as a newspaper journalist, then as a reporter and panelist on a number of news and entertainment programs. She hosted the music TV series That’s for Me in 1964 and ’65, and presented The Who’s first promotional film while on the show.
As a BBC Radio 1 DJ, Nightingale established herself as a passionate champion of new music. In 1978, she began a four-year run as co-host of the popular UK music TV series The Old Grey Whistle Test. During that period, she embraced a variety of artists from the punk and New Wave scene.
In later years, Nightingale championed various other music genres, including dance and breakbeat. Nightingale continued as an on-air BBC radio personality until last year.
The Who Pays Tribute
The Who’s Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend also posted tributes to Nightingale on their band’s official website.
“More than anyone I know, or have known, Annie was a 100% real music fan, the real deal,” Daltrey wrote. “Her radio shows probably did more for music than the total output of BBC Radio 2 since the late ’60s. A wonderful person and a great friend, always full of life. What a woman.”
Added Townshend, “Very sad to hear Annie Nightingale has finally gone to the DJ Broadcast in the sky. She was a close friend for many years, and always very clued in about music—new and old.”
