John Peel dead

[Andie]

when i told some of my friends at work this afternoon we all took a minute to think about him...then Steve Wright played Teenage Kicks, My Perfect Cousin and something by T. Rex which i've gone and forgotten now...

sad times

[Padstar]

As a musician.... well its like having the foundations rocked.

Shattered.

Paddy.

[vicus]

[CellThree]

Now there is NOTHING left on Radio 1 to listen to.

[Lars Svensson]

They just had Peel's old chum from Radio 1 Andy Kershaw on (Front Row, Radio 4, it might be archived soon...not sure)

At the very end of the prog, they asked him when he last saw Peel and he said it was about 3 weeks ago. Said he looked really sh*t and asked him what was up. Peel said that he felt he was being sidelined at Radio one, being put on later and later. "It's killing me," said Peel.

Kershaw told him he had (and there's no doubt he was right here) enough clout to say 'look 'ere, what's going on...you can't do this'

Too late though.

Kershaw's last words about all of this: "Silly bugger..." Sounded really upset and frustrated at what *is* a bleedin' sad moment for anybody who really gives a sh*t about music.

*sigh*

And the first person to come on here and say 'He was only a DJ. Get over it' gets, as we said during my leeds childhood, "a nacking"...

[Quiff Boy]

its like paddy says, its a foundation shaker.

the man was a pioneer - he didnt just push the boundaries of commercial radio, he totally ignored them and played whatever the f*ck he wanted.

and by god he wanted to play some bloody cool stuff.

possibly the most "open mind" in terms of musical styles i've ever come across. the man was insane - one minute he'd be raving about the stranglers and the next he'd be playing a 30 second long track of some bloke stuck in a wardrobe trying to get out. and then he would play mozart, followed by the sound of a drag race recording made 10 miles away from the actual race course. and then he would play a demo some band they you saw play the local dive last week, followed by some bizarre nonsense by a band consisting of the cellists and a dog that barked in welsh.

f*cking genius.

there will never be another dj that f*cks trends and corporations so effortlessly and so unpretentiously.

can you honestly imagine another radio one dj that would play whatever the hell he liked? can you honestly imagine ever steve lamacq being that "out there" and utterly un-corporate?

i've lost track of the number of times I wished he was my dad, or granddad, or whatever. a top chap.

[Zuma]

QB, without wishing to encourage the wrath of Boris Johnson and co. (and who cares anyway) - maybe a little tribute or change in the heartland theme colours for a short while sounds appropriate?

Maybe I'm just a sentimental old git....

I'll get me coat..

[Lars Svensson]

The link to the radio special is here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/arts/ram/frontrow.ram

Think it might only be there for 24 hours though...

(there's a bit of The Archers on at the start too...another National Treasure...)

[paint it black]

i just loved the fact he wasn't ever off duty, we went up to him all like and he was all f*ck off with that bollocks, came round to our house with andy kershaw had beer, loved all the local music, word got around he stayed on well into the night.

mates got two sessions out of him, couldn't believe how cool he was in the studio, they all watched the footie together, while the producers did thier bit

like lars said interesting what andy said on channel 4 news, side-lined to make way for the new generation whatever that is

very sad, no more football results at reading now

[Quiff Boy]

http://www.myheartland.co.uk/
http://www.marchviolets.co.uk/

[James Blast]

He may have been very self effacing and mild mannered in his latter years, but he had real fire in his belly and wasnt afraid to speak out. How long would I have had to wait to hear Tangerine Dream, Ivor Cutler, Vyvian Stanshall, Magazine and a certain combo from the Leeds environs sans human drummer without him?
I haven't listen to his Radio 1 output for some years, but I loved his voice, general good nature and humour on 'Home Truths'. He was such a family man too, let's not forget the gap he is leaving behind for them.

@ Lars I missed that, thanks for the post
@ QB well said

[Izzy HaveMercy]

No further comment.

It would be in vain, anywayz....

Just have to add it was him that introduced me to Napalm Death, Carcass and Bolt Thrower.

Afterwards, he introduced me to Nirvana.

Then again, he also introduced me to Joy Division , The Sisters, The Clash...

Ah... well.

This man made me the musician I now am.

And no towers falling to the ground can make me feel sadder than I now feel.

Bye John. You'll be missed. And THANX!

IZ.

[paint it black]

if you have a favourite to remember him by?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/alt/johnpee ... acks.shtml

[Sunsonic]

An imense influence on my musical education, opened my ears to all sorts of musical genres. Every time I listened to him he surprised me with a tune that made me remember the power of music.

His outlook on life, being yourself, open mined and a sense of humility should be a lesson to us all.

RIP John

A legend, hero and one of us

[Red_Kola]

http://www.myheartland.co.uk/
http://www.marchviolets.co.uk/

Nice tribute Quiffy.

Was doing OK until I listened to Frontrow. They played his theme tune but then his dulcet tones did not fade in...

Kind of brought it all home. Blub.

[Shadow_Smile]

There goes another hero,................

[boudicca]

Delighted to see that they have been playing "Teenage Kicks" on the news - there was a clip of him saying he wanted "teenage kicks, so hard to beat" on his tombstone. Yeah, I know he was droll, but it sums up his attitude to the music he kept playing - always hungry for the new stuff, the exciting stuff, the rebellious stuff.
Listening to radio one these days (as I'm forced to at college) normally makes me want to go out and kill people, but tomorrow, I think it'll make me want to cry. Who will take his place and champion underground music now?

[Black Biscuit]

Considering that the Peel Sessions version of No Time To Cry is the only one I like, and judging by the respect Peel obviously has amongst music fans, one comment: JOHN PEEL - REIGN FROM HEAVEN!

[Barracuda]

My record collection would be very different without him. Haven't listened to him for years, but played a big part in formulating my misspent youth. Will be missed.

[Silence is platinum]

Even here in Greece he was an absolute legend...

so sad...

[markfiend]

Shit. I can hardly believe he's gone.

[Francis]

commercial radio

But the BBC is not a commercial entity and 10pm was hardly prime time. Personally I prefered to listen to Radio Luxemburg under the bed covers during the 70s. At University in the early 80s I occasionally listened in to try and figure out why all the hepcats thought he was some kind of deity, but I have to say that most of what I heard was complete dross. I could have listened to him all night though, if only he hadn't played any records.

[ryan]

You heard them here first - Peel's discoveries

1960s: Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band Jefferson Airplane; Captain Beefheart; Jimi Hendrix; Pink Floyd

1970s: David Bowie; Marc Bolan; The Faces (featuring Rod Stewart); Bob Marley & The Wailers; The Ramones; The Undertones; The Sex Pistols; The Clash; The Cure; The Fall; Joy Division/New Order

1980s: Grandmaster Flash & The Furious 5; The Smiths; Billy Bragg; The Pogues; Jesus & Mary Chain; Public Enemy; The Wedding Present;The Bhundu Boys (breakthrough Zimbabwean band); Pixies; Nirvana; Happy Mondays

1990s: PJ Harvey; Orbital; Pulp; Blur; Elastica; Belle and Sebastian

2000s: The Strokes; The White Stripes; Interpol

[James Blast]

great anecdote from Janice Long on t'radio yesterday from when they introduced David Cassidy on TOTP -

Janice: 'Ooh, I used to have him on my bedroom wall'
Peel: 'That was very athletic of you Janice'

[Chairman Bux]

A significant loss.