Obituary: Andy Giles

This tribute was shared with StereoNET Editor-in-Chief David Price by long-time friend and colleague Tim Bowern.

Andy Giles sadly died on Monday, 23rd June 2025. His date of birth was never public knowledge, as he didn’t share it with anyone. This was just one of the many quirks of this force of nature, a man widely described as an audio industry legend, no less.

Andy was not your typical human being. He was an audio journalist-turned-public relations man, but that’s not even close to the whole story. He was also a consummate entertainer, a man of extraordinary wit and charm, a bon viveur with a passion for life and raconteur of countless crazy tales. Once met, never forgotten!

I first ‘experienced’ him in the spring of 1994, while spending a week at What Hi-Fi? magazine on a post-graduate work placement. Tasked with the job of populating a group test of mini systems, I was given a list of people to call, with Andy being one of them. While most contacts on my list replied along the lines of “yes, when do you need the product?”, the first thing Andy said as I introduced myself as “from What Hi-Fi?” was, “Oh no, not another feckin’ one!”

At that time I wasn’t sure whether hi-fi journalism would be the right career for me, as I was more into music. But after that first encounter with Andy I thought, “perhaps there’s more to this industry than meets the eye.” Later, at his local pub in Weybridge I was amused to find a plaque declaring:

This seat is reserved for rock’n’roll icon Andy Giles.

I’ve been ensconced in the audio industry ever since…

In the hours since Andy passed, the description being used by almost everyone who knew him is “legend” – and for once the word is apt. Over the space of four decades, he deftly handled media relations for many famous UK and international audio brands, from NAD and KEF to Meridian and countless more besides. He knew the UK industry inside-out, and was respected by many people at its very top.

It wasn’t deep product knowledge that made Andy so effective in representing his clients, but rather his charisma, razor-sharp wit and flamboyant personality that made him so persuasive. If he represented a brand, journalists always paid attention.

Everyone who knew Andy will have their own tale to tell, and I’d wager that many are unprintable. From lavish press launches to long liquid lunches, his manner made every encounter memorable. For example, at a Paul Weller gig at Brixton Academy, around the time of the Stanley Road album, we sneaked off together to drink whisky at the bar. I matched him shot for shot – not an easy thing, as many will attest – and this cemented our friendship. I still can’t quite recall if I made it into the What Hi-Fi? office the next day.

Towards the latter part of his public relations career, while I was still working in audio publishing, Henry Griffiths and I raised the idea of forming a PR partnership with Andy. We weren’t the first to make this suggestion, and the great man wasn’t keen. Yet he subsequently warmed to the idea, and Andy Giles Associates (AGA) was born. During the years I spent as a partner under this umbrella, he became a mentor as well as a friend. They were heady days, and I know my former AGA colleagues Henry, Murdo Mathewson and Dom Dawes feel the same.

Andy’s association with Led Zeppelin was widely known, yet he also had an extensive classical music collection. Despite residing in the leafy Surrey town of Weybridge, he wore his Irish ancestry with pride – and if you weren’t fortunate enough to witness one of his Latvian folk song renditions, then you haven’t lived. Edgy, unpredictable, and outspoken, sometimes Andy said outrageous things that only he could get away with – his unquenchable charm and the glint in his eye ensured that he got away with things that nobody else could. Many people who’d never met him assumed he was a rock star and would furtively approach him to ask: “I know you, you’re famous… you’re, erm, who are you?” Andy would duly tell them which rock band he was a member of that week, with King Crimson being a favourite. He said it with such conviction that nobody ever questioned him.

As I write this, so many members of the hi-fi fraternity are now on social media, sharing their memories of him. Some may be exaggerated, but many are not – such was his demeanour. Across my time as an audio journalist and subsequently working in hi-fi PR, Andy had a huge influence on me, as well as being a great friend for thirty years. So if you ever knew him, then consider raising a glass of cider or Picpoul de Pinet in his honour.

About the Author: 
Tim Bowern is founder and director of UK-based public relations agency Hashstar, where he represents some of the world’s most respected audio brands. He began his career as a journalist at What Hi-Fi magazine in the 1990s, and later went on to edit Hi-Fi Choice. After this he moved into PR as co-founder of Andy Giles Associates, before starting Hashstar.