Annie Nightingale facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Annie Nightingale
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A publicity photo when she was a DJ on BBC Radio 1
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| Born |
Anne Avril Nightingale
1 April 1940 |
| Died | 11 January 2024 (aged 83) London, England
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| Years active | 1963–2024 |
| Spouse(s) |
Gordon Thomas
(divorced)Binky Baker
(divorced) |
| Children | 2 |
| Career | |
| Style | Disc jockey |
Annie Nightingale was a famous English radio and television presenter. She was born Anne Avril Nightingale on April 1, 1940. She passed away on January 11, 2024, at the age of 83.
Annie made history in 1970. She became the first female presenter on BBC Radio 1. She was also the first female presenter for BBC Television's The Old Grey Whistle Test. She worked on that show for eleven years.
Annie was known for finding and supporting new and underground music. She also inspired many other women to become DJs and broadcasters. She was the longest-serving broadcaster at BBC Radio 1. She even held a Guinness World Record for the longest career as a female radio presenter.
Contents
Early Life and Learning
Annie Avril Nightingale was born in Osterley, England. Her birthday was April 1, 1940. She was the only child of Celia and Basil Nightingale. Her dad ran a family business that sold wallpaper.
Annie went to St Catherine's School, Twickenham when she was five. Later, she attended Lady Eleanor Holles School. She also studied journalism at the Polytechnic of Central London. As a teenager, she became a big fan of blues music.
Journalism and TV Work
Annie Nightingale started her career as a journalist. She worked in Brighton, England. She wrote for local newspapers like the Brighton and Hove Gazette and The Argus. At The Argus, she was the only woman in the newsroom. She wrote a pop music column called Spin With Me. She also interviewed famous people like Sean Connery and Peter Sellers.
In the 1960s, Annie also worked in television. She was a reporter for BBC news shows. She also worked on music shows for ITV.
Annie met singer Dusty Springfield and her manager. This led to Annie hosting her own TV show called That's For Me. On this show, she introduced new musicians. She also showed the Who's first music video. She hosted other TV specials too. She even covered the Sanremo Music Festival in Italy. Annie often appeared on the popular show Ready Steady Go!.
Later, she co-hosted a music series called Sing A Song Of Sixpence. She also appeared on Juke Box Jury.
In the mid-1960s, Annie opened a chain of fashion shops called Snob. She put on fashion shows and modeled. She also wrote for popular youth magazines. She wrote about teen issues and new ideas about women's rights. She also wrote for music magazines. Annie was the pop music writer for Cosmopolitan when it started in the UK. She also wrote for the Sunday Mirror and other newspapers.
In the early 1970s, Annie hosted a documentary series for BBC One. It was called Before The Event. This series showed the preparations for big British sports events. She also appeared in a movie called Home Before Midnight. She played a TV talk show host.
Annie worked on BBC TV's The Old Grey Whistle Test for eleven years. In 1978, she became the main presenter. She helped the show feature new music styles. These included punk rock and new wave. She left the show in 1982. During her time, she introduced many important artists. She also interviewed stars like Mick Jagger and Frank Zappa.
She continued to work with the BBC. She presented shows like Late Night In Concert. In 1980, Annie traveled with the band The Police. They went on their first world tour. A documentary was filmed about this tour.
For Live Aid in 1985, Annie was the BBC's main presenter in Philadelphia, USA. She introduced many famous artists. These included Madonna and Led Zeppelin.
Between 1989 and 1990, Annie hosted an interview TV series for ITV. It was called One To One. She interviewed stars like Paul McCartney and Debbie Harry.
In her later years, Annie wrote for major newspapers. These included The Guardian and The Times.
Radio Career
Presenter and Writer
1963 - 1969
Annie Nightingale's first time on the BBC was in 1963. She was a guest on Juke Box Jury. She also contributed to Woman's Hour.
She worked briefly at Radio Luxembourg in the 1960s.
Annie wanted to become a disc jockey. She was inspired by pop pirate ships. These ships broadcast music into Britain from international waters. The UK government later shut down these pirate stations. The Prime Minister decided that the BBC would start a new pop music station. This became BBC Radio 1. It launched in September 1967.
At first, Radio 1 decided not to have women DJs. Annie applied but was turned down. She kept trying for three years. Finally, her friends The Beatles helped her get an audition.
1970 - 1981
Annie was given a trial run of six shows. Then, she became the first female DJ on Radio 1. Her first show was on February 8, 1970. It was a Sunday evening show. Her early shows were hard because she wasn't taught how to use the equipment. Her male co-workers were not friendly. But she became good friends with John Peel.
Annie was the only female DJ at Radio 1 for 12 years. This was from 1970 until 1982. Then, Janice Long joined her. Annie asked to broadcast her show in the evenings. This allowed her to play more new and experimental music.
She hosted a Sunday afternoon request show on Radio 1. This show was one of the first to play music from CDs. From 1979 to 1982, Annie hosted a Friday night music chat show. It featured live guests like Michael Palin and Sting.
1982 - 1999
Annie's Sunday afternoon request show came back in 1982. It aired until 1994. She would start the show by playing the intro of the first song. Then she would say "Hi" right before the singing began. When Annie was away, guest DJs like Annie Lennox would fill in.
During this time, Annie also presented another Radio 1 show. It was a Wednesday evening show called Mailbag. This show focused on politics and issues for young people.
In the late 1980s, Annie became interested in acid house music. She started playing it on her Radio 1 show. This electronic dance music used longer tracks. It was perfect for playing later in the evening. So, Annie began presenting late-night party slots on Friday and Saturday nights.
Between 1989 and 1991, Annie also hosted shows for Greater London Radio. She had live phone-ins and guests like Ronnie Wood.
In 1994, Annie moved to a weekend overnight dance music show. It was first called The Chill Out Zone. She continued to present this show until she passed away in 2024.
As a DJ, Annie traveled and performed all over the world. She went from Ibiza to New York and Paris. She played at major festivals like Glastonbury and Sziget. She also made TV and radio documentaries. She visited countries like Russia, Japan, and China.
2000 - 2009
From the mid-2000s, she hosted a breaks show. It often featured famous breaks DJs. Annie regularly DJed live at clubs and festivals.
On September 30, 2007, Radio 1 celebrated its 40th anniversary. Annie co-hosted a special return of the Request Show. It featured contributions from musicians like Paul McCartney.
2010 - 2019
In 2013, Annie was featured in a BBC Radio 4 program. It was called Getting on Air: the Female Pioneers.
In 2015, Annie was asked to sign a letter to the Prime Minister. The letter warned that changes to the BBC could harm it. Annie was one of 29 people who signed it. She later said she had not read the letter before signing.
Also in 2015, Paul McCartney asked Annie to write a book. It went with the re-release of his albums Tug of War and Pipes of Peace.
2020 - 2023
In July 2020, Annie was a guest on the BBC Radio 4 show Desert Island Discs. She chose a saxophone as her luxury item. She picked "Space Oddity" as the one song she would save.
In 2021, Annie's weekly Radio 1 show moved to an earlier time. It was then on Tuesdays at 11 pm. In November 2021, Annie started the Radio 1 scholarships. She helped find female and non-binary DJs. Three of them were given a special one-off show.
Her last show on BBC Radio 1 was in December 2023. She presented a "Best of 2023" show.
BBC Radio 2
In April 2012, Annie presented a show on BBC Radio 2. It was called Annie Nightingale's Eternal Jukebox. She continued to present this show sometimes. It featured "enjoyably unexpected musical pairings." Listeners would suggest a song. Annie would then pair it with another song, often from a different style. She would explain the link between them.
On January 1, 2014, Annie had another one-off show on Radio 2. It was called Annie Nightingale: Whatever Next?. This show featured music from seven decades.
50th Anniversary at Radio 1 and Radio 2
In 2020, Annie celebrated 50 years in broadcasting. The BBC had special shows. A music album was also released. It featured music from the Rolling Stones and Paul McCartney. They had never allowed their music on such albums before.
Annie's 50th anniversary at Radio 1 was also marked by two BBC TV documentaries. She also released her new memoir on September 3, 2020. It was called Hey Hi Hello. The book talks about pop culture and history over five decades. It includes interviews with artists from the Beatles to Billie Eilish. The book also shares her memories of her 50 years at BBC Radio 1. She was the station's first female DJ. She was also the longest-serving broadcaster of any gender. She held the Guinness World Record for the longest career as a female radio presenter.
Books and Music
Annie Nightingale wrote two books about her life. They were Chase The Fade (1981) and Wicked Speed (1999). Chase the Fade was an art book with photos from Annie's collection. It described events like The 1970 Isle of Wight Festival.
She also put together three music albums. One of them was Annie on One (1996). It included the then-unknown band Daft Punk.
Hey Hi Hello
Annie Nightingale's 2020 memoir was called Hey Hi Hello. It celebrated five decades of pop culture. It also marked her 50th anniversary as the first female DJ on radio. The book became a bestseller. It was also nominated for a music book prize.
Hey Hi Hello received great reviews. Its publication was celebrated with a BBC Radio 2 Christmas Special. Annie also recorded an audiobook version of her memoir.
The book's release happened at the same time as her 50th anniversary celebrations. These included an "Annie Nightingale Night" on BBC 4. This night featured two documentaries. They focused on the punk and new wave music that Annie supported. Annie was the first woman to host a rock music TV show by herself.
Awards and Recognition
In 2001, Muzik magazine named Annie "Caner of the Year." This was for her DJ appearances in Ibiza.
In 2002, Annie was given an award called Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). This was for her great work in radio.
In 2004, she became the first female DJ from Radio 1 to be added to the Radio Academy Hall of Fame.
She won the Best Radio Show award at The International Breakspoll Award in 2006 and 2007.
On May 20, 2011, BBC Four showed a documentary about her. It was called Annie Nightingale: Bird on the Wireless. It featured tributes from musicians like Paul Weller and Paul McCartney.
In 2011, Annie won the Best Special Radio Award for the sixth year in a row. She also won a BBC A&M award.
The BBC opened its new Archive Centre in 2011. They named one of its storage vaults after Annie Nightingale. She is honored alongside famous people like Michael Palin.
Annie was made an honorary Doctor of Letters by the University of Westminster in 2012. She was also an ambassador for Prince Charles' The Prince's Trust. She supported Sound Women, an organization that helps women in broadcasting.
In 2020, Annie received an even higher honor. She was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). This was also for her services to radio broadcasting. She is the only BBC Radio 1 broadcaster to ever receive this honor. In 2020, she was nominated for an Aria Award. She also received a lifetime achievement award.
In 2022, Annie was included in "100 Voices." This celebrated important BBC figures for the corporation's 100th birthday.
Personal Life and Death
Annie Nightingale was married two times. When she was 19, she married writer Gordon Thomas. They had two children, Alex and Lucy. They later divorced. In 1978, she married actor Anthony "Binky" Baker. They also later divorced.
Annie Nightingale passed away on January 11, 2024. She died after a short illness. She was 83 years old.
See also
In Spanish: Annie Nightingale para niños
