Broadcasting Legend John Peel Dies

[ogryn]

I know he had some American listeners (Elijah Wood being one), so this may or may not be relevant to you.

JOHN PEEL has died of a heart attack aged 65.

The broadcasting legend, who had a career spanning over 40 years, was on holiday in Peru when he was taken ill.

A statement has been issued by the BBC which reads: "It has been confirmed that BBC radio broadcaster John Peel died from a heart attack last night whilst on holiday in Peru. He leaves behind his wife Sheila and four children."

Radio 1 controller Andy Parfitt said "John Peel was a broadcasting legend. I am deeply saddened by his death as are all who work at Radio 1. John’s influence has towered over the development of popular music for nearly four decades and his contribution to modern music and music culture is immeasurable.

"Hopeful bands all over the world sent their demo tapes to John knowing that he really cared. His commitment and passion for new music only grew stronger over the years. In fact, when I last saw him he was engaged in a lively debate with his fellow DJs over the state of new music today. He will be hugely missed. "

BBC Director of Radio & Music Jenny Abramsky added "John Peel was a unique broadcaster whose influence on Radio 1 could be felt from its very first days. He nurtured musicians and listeners alike introducing them to new sounds. His open minded approach to music was mirrored by his equally generous approach to his audience when he went to Radio 4 to present Home Truths.

"He had a remarkable rapport with all his listeners. Everyone at BBC Radio is devastated by the news. John is simply irreplaceable. Our hearts go out to Sheila and his children."

Peel was born in Heswall near Chester and started his radio career in Dallas, Texas.

Throughout the 1960s he worked at a number of radio stations across the US, before returning to Radio London in 1967.

Over a career spanning 40 years Peel consistently championed new music, and in 1994 was given the NME Godlike Genius award for his services to music.

John was IMO part of British culture, and a hugely influential figure. He will be missed by me, and many.

 

[disney_nutter]

A sad loss to the BBC I remeber seeing him sometimes on grupmy old men.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

It was Peel that played punk and new wave in the 70s, his tastes spand genres and generations. A lot of bands owe him for that airplay.

 

[ogryn]

If it wasn't for Peel, a whole load of artists who we consider legends now wouldn't have had a leg-up into the public conciousness. Bowie, Joy Division, The Undertones, S*e*x Pistols, Pulp, T-Rex, The Clash, The Smiths, the list goes on and on and on.

Damon Albarn, lead singer with Blur, was one of the first people to contact Radio 1 to tell us how much John will be missed:

"John Peel's patronage was for me, like countless other musicians, one of the most significant things that happened to us in our careers."

"The world is going to be a poorer place with his sudden departure. I will miss him deeply."

"I want to send my heartfelt sympathy to his lovely family. John's memory will never be forgotten because he had the spirit of music in him."
New Order playing a gig for John Peel

Peter Hook from New Order has also been in touch and told us that without John he doesn't think they would have made it:

"It was funny because he actually helped our career from nothing."

""We didn't meet him for a long, long time and one of our warmest memories is that he was just as nervous as we were about meeting him and as soon as you got together it was like meeting old friends."

"I mean the guy really was somebody who looked after you - he had a love of music and helped people who made music."

"He was the only support we had in the beginning - they were very cold and lonely days, and I've got an awful feeling that there'll be a lot of very lonely, cold, days without him ."

"It's a really sad moment - for music, for radio, for groups in general. I'd hate to be in a new group starting out without John Peel."
Pulp playing a gig for John, in front of a background of his picture

John was a huge fan of Pulp and really championed them and at John's 60th birthday party, five years ago, Billy Bragg, Nick Cave and Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker all performed - Jarvis dedicated 'Help the Aged' to him.

Jarvis told us how much John Peel affected his life:

"It would be absolutely impossible to write a history of the last 40 years of the British music scene without mentioning John Peel's name. He was one of those few people about whom you could truly say that the world would have been a much different place without him."

"For many years he almost single-handedly championed new & challenging music in the U.K."

"Through his radio sessions he allowed unknown and unsigned bands to be heard for the first time. Through his work with the BBC World Service he brought some of those same bands to a worldwide audience."
John Peel

"On the few occasions I was fortunate enough to meet him I found him to be a witty but quite a shy man who was completely unimpressed by the "razzmatazz" of the music industry - but who could instantly lay his hands on any obscure single you could mention hearing on his show whilst in your teens."

"My teens were when Peel was most important to me I guess: the local radio stations wouldn't play any 'punk rock' cos they thought it 'wasn't music'."

"One night in frustration I started tuning the dial and suddenly - bang! - there it was; I caught the end of an Elvis Costello track, heard the dry, slightly droney voice that followed and I was hooked."

"A whole new world opened up - stuff that you would never get to hear anywhere else and it was fun! It wasn't dry and academic - the monologues that invariably followed each song were often as entertaining as the tracks themselves (sometimes more so)."

"In a world that is becoming ever more homogenised and pre-programmed John Peel stuck up for the 'sore thumbs' of the music scene and I really can't think of anyone who could have done it better or who's going to do it now he's gone."

Tributes have been flooding in all day - Thom Yorke from Radiohead said:

"Who am I going to listen to now? He's been my inspiration since I was 14. I'm thinking about you. Thanks John Peel."

And Gaz from Supergrass said:
"I was shocked to hear about John. I was fortunate enough to meet him and play a session at his home."

"I remember we had a great conversation about Elvis that day & when I saw his record collection, it blew me away."

"He was the first to play our debut single 'Caught By The Fuzz' on the radio which I know brought us to people's attention."

"He was a big influence to so many. We'll miss him."
Orbital playing their last gig for John Peel

Over the years Orbital played many sessions for John, including their final ever gig, recorded in June this year.

We spoke to Paul who said he was constantly bumping into John and told me how important he was to their career:

"He was one of those people that you always look forward to playing your music to."

"He was like a musical grandad or something - he was the man you look forward to hearing your stuff."

"Every time you finished a good track you'd think, 'Oh, I can't wait to send that to John Peel' - let alone thinking about sending it to a record company or your fans hearing it!"

"He just influences you so much that you just want to keep playing him stuff and hoping that he likes it."

"Funny thing was that if you ever met John Peel you'd just love him for being this big, enthusiastic, friendly man."

"I just love him because he's just so enthusiastic and unpretentious and just loves good music, right across the board."


Guy from Elbow told us he thought they owed everything to John - he was the first to play them with the track 'Powder Blue' in 1997.

It was that air time that really got the ball rolling for them, so a very sad moment when they heard the news:

"We were in the studio this morning when we heard the news - we were all absolutely gutted."

"He's an amazing man - I only met him once but you felt like you knew him."

"It was due to him playing us that we got the attention we did in the first place."

"It's really sad that he's gone."

Gruff on stage at Glastonbury Super Furry Animals played a session for John just before he went on holiday to Peru a few weeks ago.

Lead singer Gruff had this to say about John:

"I suppose the highlight for us was doing a session in his house, meeting his family and playing in his front room."

"He was enthusiastic about all the new records he'd had in and picked out an obscure death metal record for us to listen to."

"We'd just seen him a few weeks back so it was a really big shock."

"He's been such a champion of culturally diverse music - we were just saying nobody thought he was ever going to die - we thought he'd be around forever."

John's influence and appeal is deomstrated by the fact that even Prime Minister Tony Blair has added his voice to the tributes pouring in:

Mr Blair's official spokesman said the premier was "genuinely saddened by the news".

The spokesman went on to say:

"His view is John Peel was a genuine one-off, whether on Radio 1 or Radio 4. He was a unique voice in British broadcasting and used that voice to unearth new talent and different subjects and make them accessible to a much wider audience."

"The Prime Minister knows he will be missed by everyone."

Steve Lamacq is hosting a special programme tonight (Tuesday) at 11pm - he'll be playing some of John's favourite tracks and telling some of his favourite stories about him.

 

[disney_nutter]

The man was a lengend. Also remember seeing him on house in florida on discovery. Plus anyone who played the clash and the pistols desevers to be remember. RIP john