Andy Peebles
Encyclopedia
Early life
The son of a head postmaster, Peebles attended Bishop's Stortford CollegeBishop's Stortford College
Bishop's Stortford College is a co-educational independent school for day and boarding pupils from the ages of four to eighteen, with a campus located on the edge of Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, England...
, Hertfordshire before training in hotel management.After DJing at a college dance he was offered a job at Samanthas in Bournemouth.He worked at Chelsea Village,The Scotch of St James in London and at the Hardrock in Manchester.
Radio career
He began his broadcasting career in 1973, presenting a Saturday morning show for BBC Radio Manchester. In 1974, Peebles helped launch Manchester's Piccadilly Radio, before joining BBC Radio 1BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
in 1978, where he presented the Monday-Thursday 8-10pm evening show.
In September 1979, Peebles briefly presented weekday afternoons, taking over from Tony Blackburn, before moving to a 10.30am-12.30pm weekday show.
Peebles' name was thrust into the media spotlight in December 1980 when John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
was murdered in New York. He had conducted the last British media interview with Lennon at the Hit Factory recording studio, two days before Lennon's death. The Lennon interview was later published in print as The Lennon Tapes, now in print as The Last Lennon Tapes.
In 1981, Peebles began to present a regular Friday evening show, mixing music and sport, and in 1983, he started a weekly show entitled My Top 10, where he would interview stars from music, the arts and sport.
In 1987, he presented his weekly Soul Train show, firstly on Sunday nights from 9-11pm & in 1989, it went out on Saturday evenings.
In September 1990, Peebles moved to the 12-2am slot on Friday night/Saturday morning, and in May 1991 he was heard from 12-4am as Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
started broadcasting 24 hours a day.
Peebles left Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
in March 1992. He then joined BBC Radio Lancashire, presenting the morning show before presenting the Late Show for BBC North. He has presented shows on BBC Radio 5
BBC Radio 5 Live
BBC Radio 5 Live is the BBC's national radio service that specialises in live BBC News, phone-ins, and sports commentaries...
& commentated on cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
for BBC Network & Local Radio for 27 seasons.
Peebles joined BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
from 1999–2002, where he presented his Soul Show on Wednesday evenings. He then joined Jazz FM in both London
102.2 Jazz FM
102.2 Jazz FM was a local jazz and soul music station for London run by GMG Radio. The station was based and broadcast from Castlereagh Street in London to around 15.5 million people within the broadcasting area...
and the North West
100.4 Jazz FM
100.4 Jazz FM was an independent local radio station for the North West England playing jazz music. 100.4 Jazz FM played its own music from its Salford studio during the day, whereas specialist shows like Dinner Jazz and Legends of Jazz with Ramsey Lewis were networked from London's 102.2 Jazz FM...
of England presenting a weekly show, mixing soul music with sport. He later presented shows on the Smooth Network.
Andy Peebles Soul Train is broadcast every Saturday on the Smooth Radio network from 8pm - Midnight. He can also be heard on the network in the same timeslot on Monday to Thursday with the Evening Show.
Peebles is a supporter of Manchester City Football Club.