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Annie Nightingale, BBC Radio 1’s First Female DJ, Dies At 83


A statement from her family said she passed away at her home in London after a short illness.

“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.” Radio 1’s Pete Tong also commemorated Nightingale, recalling that “Annie was a pioneer, a trailblazer and a role model, who possessed a relentless passion to discover and champion new & groundbreaking music.

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