Former Radio 1 DJ Andy Peebles, last interviewer of John Lennon, dies aged 76

Former BBC Radio 1 DJ Andy Peebles, the final interviewer of John Lennon, has died aged 76, his family have confirmed.

He interviewed Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono in New York for a radio series, two days before The Beatles star was shot dead aged 40 in 1980.

Peebles began working as a club DJ in the 1960s before joining local station Piccadilly Radio in Manchester.

He then earned a job on BBC Radio 1 in the 1970s hosting daytime programmes and hosted the station’s shows such as My Top Twelve and Soul Train along with Top Of The Pops.

Peebles left the BBC in the 1990s and went on to Global’s classic station Gold Radio.

Fellow veteran DJ Tony Blackburn, a BBC Radio 2 presenter, wrote on X: “So sorry to hear that fellow DJ from radio1 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.”

Former BBC Radio 1 DJ Mike Read, who says he had lunch with Peebles recently, wrote on X that he was “devastated” by the news.

He added: “He was about to join us at Heritage (Radio).

“We joined Radio 1 together. Knew his music and cricket inside out.

“Raise your bat and enjoy a long rest in the pavilion.”

Peebles also had stints at Manchester’s Smooth FM and London’s 102.2 Jazz FM, and was inducted into the Radio Academy’s Hall of Fame in 2011.

His wife Ann confirmed Peebles died on Saturday.