The Radio 1 DJ John Peel has died of a heart attack aged 65.
For those on the other side of the Atlantic who may not be familiar with him, Peel was an important figure in the British independent music industry who was instrumental in giving many bands their first national audience.
Posted by Alan Allport at October 26, 2004 07:20 AMIt's one of those fainting numbing deaths (as Douglas Adams' was). I wouldn't call him a hero, but he was such a formative influence that his voice - dry, wry, amused and warm - is deeply embedded in my head. Very few DJs manage to convey such warmth but he did.
Posted by: Mags at October 26, 2004 08:55 AMHe had one of those extraordinary voices (like Peter Jones or Joss Ackland) which reminded you of the kind uncle you never actually had.
Posted by: Alan Allport at October 26, 2004 09:02 AMI feel terribly sorry for Peel and his family, but I have to play devil's avocado here: he championed so much shit I
quite frankly feared for his sanity in the later years. Sure, he furthered
the cause of the Faces and Viv Stanshall but all those hours of absolute rubbish he played for years with an obstinacy that made him look rather foolish, not to mention hatching the vile Billy Bragg and probably the awful Smiths as well.