Trailblazing BBC Radio 1 DJ Annie Nightingale has died at the age of 83.
Born in Osterley, west London, Nightingale joined BBC Radio 1 in 1970 and remained the only woman on the line-up for 12 years.
She since became the station's longest-serving broadcaster - remaining on air until late 2023 with her show Annie Nightingale Presents.
Nightingale was also known for co-hosting BBC Two music show The Old Grey Whistle Test.
Announcing her death on Friday, a statement from her family read: "Annie Nightingale MBE passed away yesterday at her home in London after a short illness.
"Annie was a pioneer, trailblazer and an inspiration to many.
"Her impulse to share that enthusiasm with audiences remained undimmed after six decades of broadcasting on BBC TV and radio globally."
It continued: "Never underestimate the role model she became.
"Breaking down doors by refusing to bow down to sexual prejudice and male fear gave encouragement to generations of young women who, like Annie, only wanted to tell you about an amazing tune they had just heard.
"Watching Annie do this on television in the 1970s, most famously as a presenter on the BBC music show The Old Grey Whistle Test, or hearing her play the latest breakbeat techno on Radio One is testimony to someone who never stopped believing in the magic of rock 'n' roll."
BBC Radio 1 is extremely saddened to hear of the passing of Radio 1 DJ, Annie Nightingale CBE. Our deepest condolences are with Annie’s friends and family at this incredibly difficult time.
— BBC Radio 1, 1Xtra & Asian Network Press Office (@BBCRadio1PR) January 12, 2024
Rest in peace, Annie 🤍 pic.twitter.com/oXbpZz5Me1
The statement added that a celebration of her life will be taking place in the spring at a memorial service.
BBC Radio 1 has said it is “extremely saddened” to her the news.
Alongside a photo of the DJ, the station added: “Our deepest condolences are with Annie’s friends and family at this incredibly difficult time. Rest in peace, Annie.”
Many other celebrities also paid tribute to the star.
DJ and host Mary Anne Hobbs posted: "RIP Queen Annie Nightingale."
Fellow DJ Zane Lowe quoted Nightingale, writing: "If you're a young person, make your life exciting now. Make this decade the thing that you're excited about. Come on! Use it now! Don't look back. I don't look back. RIP Annie Nightingale."
BBC Radio 2 Breakfast show presenter Zoe Ball wrote: "Heartbroken to hear the news. the original trailblazer for us women in radio.
"She loved music like no other… and could out last any of us at the party. So grateful for all the love & support she offered me over the years. What a dame… rest well."
RIP Queen Annie Nightingale pic.twitter.com/YrWjOHMEBQ
— maryanne hobbs (@maryannehobbs) January 12, 2024
Greg James, the host of BBC 1 Breakfast, added: "Annie Nightingale’s life and achievements were so extraordinary you couldn’t possibly sum them up on here.
"It was such a treat if you happened to be in the building at the same time as her. She was always so interested in what everyone else was up to. We’re going to miss her so much. She was just absolutely amazing."
Former BBC Radio 1 DJ Annie Mac has praised her late colleague for changing “the face and sound of British TV and Radio broadcasting forever."
The Dublin-born DJ and broadcaster, who real name is Annie Macmanus, posted a black-and-white photo of a young Nightingale to Instagram to pay tribute.
She wrote: “What a devastating loss. Annie Nightingale was a trailblazer, spirited, adventurous, fearless, hilarious, smart, and so good at her job. This is the woman who changed the face and sound of British TV and Radio broadcasting forever. You can’t underestimate it.
“Before Annie Nightingale came on Radio 1, it was legitimately believed by BBC bosses that people didn’t want to hear women’s voices on the radio. Radio DJs were seen as husband substitutes for the wives who listened at home. God forbid British women might want to listen to other women.”
Annie Nightingale ✨
— Zoe Ball (@ZoeTheBall) January 12, 2024
heartbroken to hear the news. the original trailblazer for us women in radio
she loved music like no other… and could out last any of us at the party
so grateful for all the love & support she offered me over the years
what a dame… rest well ❤️ pic.twitter.com/nwPpfb7KqP
Macmanus said Nightingale “smashed through all the sexist stereotypes of what kind of broadcaster a woman should be” and continued on through until she was an older woman.
She added: “She was always the epitome of ‘cool’, relentlessly curious and enthusiastic and hungry to learn. She always had the messiest desk in our office, the best outfits, and the most outrageous stories to tell. She was so sound!
“I hope stages and festivals and awards will be named in her honour for decades to come. Queen of breaks! Annie Nightingale, you absolute legend, may you always be ‘on One’.”
Glastonbury Festival co-organiser Emily Eavis said Annie Nightingale was “an inspiration to so many women in music” and a “lovely human being”.
“Goodbye dear Annie, a female trailblazer and true enthusiast,” Eavis posted on Instagram.
Nightingale was known for her passion for a wide range of music, championing everything from prog rock and punk to acid house and grime and encouraged women to become DJs and broadcasters.
She was first broadcast on the BBC in 1963 as a panellist on Juke Box Jury, before joining Radio 1 seven years later.
She remained the station’s only female DJ until 1982, when Janice Long joined. She is credited with helping to pave the way for the likes of Sara Cox, Jo Whiley and Zoe Ball.
In 2021, BBC Radio 1 launched a new scholarship for female and non-binary dance music DJs which was named after Nightingale.
She documented her pioneering career and the evolution of five decades of pop culture in her 2020 memoir Hey Hi Hello.
In 2019, she was made a CBE for services to radio having previously been made an MBE in 2002.
