John Peel passed away last week at the age of 65 and was probably one of the most influential DJs of all time- you can read the BBC’s obituary
here. The fact that Tony Blair was quoted should give you a better idea of Peel’s influence in his native land.I’ve never heard an actual broadcast of John’s- but I do have a few CDs of his short-lived, syndicated U.S. show, Peel Out In The States. He championed some really great bands- The Fall, The Undertones, The Wedding Present, Blur and many more- and recorded many greats of the late 70′s and 80′s on a series of EPs known as "The Peel Sessions." He was among the first to play punk on a large radio station- and this was when he was well into his 30s.
A couple of years ago, he compiled what is one of the best mix CDs I’ve ever heard.
Fabriclive.07 is a mix of rock, punk, covers, oldies, reggae, dance, etc.- a very wide reaching selection of styles that somehow works from start to finish. This CD inspired me to start my own series- which I hardly gave to, or played for, anyone, yet gave me a lot of joy in compiling the six monthly volumes I made it through. His passing makes me want to try to give it another shot…The BBC website also has a
great tribute from fellow DJ Mark Radcliffe- a few lines really struck a chord with me, as I’m 37 and just now publicly sharing my thoughts on music (with a few occasional exceptions since I was 16):People used to ask him how he kept going, but it never occurred to him to stop.
He made us realise that you did not have to mellow with age – music could continue to mean as much to us now as it always did.
He felt that there was so much music out there, you must have been able to find something you loved.