R.I.P. WHEB Portsmouth NH Radio CoHost Andy Blacksmith

Rock WHEB 100.3 FM's Longtime personality DJ Andy Blacksmith, of “Greg & The Morning Buzz,” lost his five-year battle against heart failure at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston on Saturday.

Fosters.com reports the news was broken to the local community via a Facebook post by the morning talk show’s host Greg Kretschmar on Sunday morning.

“It is with heartbreaking sadness that we announce that we have lost our friend, brother, and co-worker Andy Blacksmith,” Kretschmar wrote. “Although he fought valiantly in the face of long odds, this weekend, his heart grew too weak to fight anymore.”

Andy Blacksmith

The 50-year-old had spent the last five years awaiting a heart transplant and only recently received a surgery to stabilize his own weakened one during the continued wait for a donor. Blacksmith was airlifted to Boston from Portsmouth Regional Hospital on Tuesday following heart complications, according to a statement from station owner iHeartMedia New Hampshire.

The station ran segments titled “Best of The Buzz” throughout the afternoon on Sunday and a show dedicated to Blacksmith’s life will air when “Greg & The Morning Buzz” returns.

“Naturally, we were devastated,” Kretschmar told iHeartMedia. “Even though Andy’s condition was always front and center—and he was the first to joke about it — the reality of him not being here is still hard to believe… Andy was truly a one-of-a-kind personality whose absence will be felt for a long time.”

Prior to joining the “Buzz” family in 2000, Blacksmith had already established an impressive foundation in radio. Beginning behind the scenes, Blacksmith began his radio career after working with legendary music manager Dee Anthony for eight years. Anthony is known for his influence in building the careers of rock greats such as Peter Frampton, Joe Cocker and Sammy Hagar.

Making the transition into the spotlight, Blacksmith “landed nights on WHEB-FM” before working at the legendary “98 Rock” (WIYY) in Baltimore during the 90s and winning a trade association award for “Air Personality of the Year.”

Blacksmith’s radio audience also included Rock 101 in Manchester; Kool 96.3 in Keene; Q106 in Claremont; and 104.9 The Hawk in Meredith/Laconia.