John Peel RIP

That is fantastic! A prize beyond my wildest dreams: especially since I already happen to have a picture of DLT that's been signed by all the members of Showaddywaddy - so I now have a complete set which I'm sure would really impress all friends, if only I had any!

R.I.P

:-(

(x-post)

It's curious that he's an obviously had an enormous effect on rock music in general, and is revered as a cultural force in the UK, but outside of alt-rock fans here, his name barely registers. CNN had a small obit on their frontpage, but so far nothing on MTV's, Rolling Stone's and Spin's sites (though it might be early for them).

Right now I think I'll play Bridget St. John (yet another artist he nurtured) in tribute.

that's the one thing that cheers me slightly: that we did love him, and we did show that love.

John was born in Heswall near Chester, and after completing his military service in Britain in 1962, went to Texas and began working for WRR radio in Dallas. At this time The Beatles success was reaching its peak and John with his Liverpool connections found it helped his ratings to claim acquaintance with the group. He was in Dallas when John F Kennedy was shot and was at the press conference just before Lee Harvey Oswald was shot.

For the next three years he moved to various radio stations in America, among them KOMA in Oklahoma City and KMEN outside Los Angeles. He returned to Britain in 1967 and joined Radio London with the celebrated show The Perfumed Garden.

John has been with Radio 1 from the beginning in 1967, establishing himself with the late night programme Top Gear. John was the first DJ to give exposure to punk, reggae, hip-hop, long before they crossed over into the mainstream. Almost anyone who is anyone in the world of music has recorded a session for Peel.

Apart from regularly topping music paper Best DJ polls, John won the 1993 Sony Award for Broadcaster of the Year and in 1994 was named Godlike Genius by the NME. He also presents Home Truths for Radio 4.

John has been awarded a host of Honorary Degrees MA (University of East Anglia), Doctorates (Polytechnic University of East Anglia and Sheffield Hallam University), Hon. Degrees (Liverpool University, Open University, Portsmouth University, Bradford University) and a Fellowship (John Moores University Liverpool).

John is a lifelong fan of the Archers. He lives in Suffolk with his wife Sheila, affectionately known as The Pig.

John recently celebrated 40 years on the air and continues to seek out the best new music around.

RIP.

Play it loud and play it fast tonight.

Steve

Though I never actually heard his show until I streamed it online a couple years ago, I still feel like I've known the man for ever. Like he was a close friend (which seems to be how a lot of people feel).

I'm inexplicably a wreck over this.

(this made me think of the thread on ile asking abt present-day heroes. seeing this thread made me realize that john peel was one of mine.)

Yay! Time for our favourite John Peel stories!

Apparently he once jacked in his job to drive Don Van Vliet and Drumbo around in his mini while they were on tour!

Oh and you all just absotively, posilutely have to listen to this!

he was also a big champion of electronic music so please save your generalizations for elsewhere.

I swear I remember listening to it on his show (under the bedclothes on a schoolnight, natch) at least 6 months before they blew up...

only since the internet have i really had a chance to hear his shows,but i still have enormous respect for the man and what part he has played in forming my musical tastes.

truly sad.

And big band, and Zimbabwean pop, and UK garage, and J-Pop, and techno, and folk, and hiphop and country etc...

Weirdest thing I ever heard him play - Naomi Campbell's 'Ride A White Swan'. He liked it!

I'm now going home to play the Mary Chain and The Fall loud enough to make the neighbours bang the wall. Then I'll sooth them wih "Another Day" by This Mortal Coil when hey come round to complain.

multiple xpost - some of the Festive 50 stuff [1983-1989] that aldo_cowpat mentions upthread is also available from my slsk folder, username Onimo. I'll stick the machine on as soon as I get home (7pm) and you can help yourselves.

RIP

this had not even occurred to me.

fuck. taking his name out of the listings is gonna really bring this home. i think i'm going to get someone else to do it: seriously.

from p221 of Simon Garfield's 'The Nation's Favourite'