For those of use who grew up while Brit punk, new wave and alternative music was growing up, BBC DJ John Peel (pictured left) was a central figure. The BBC is reporting today that Peel, just 65 years old, died of a heart attack.
Just as Alan Freed might be the DJ most closely associated with promoting American rock'n'roll of the 1950s, Peel did the same for the underground sound that developed in Britain in the late 1970s. He sought out new bands, promoted them, and had a great ear for a new sound.
“Right from the outset, Peel changed the rules. He played every track without interruption, to the delight of those wishing to tape his show, while providing a witty and knowledgeable running commentary, seemingly a million miles away from the transatlantic platitudes of many of his colleagues,” the BBC obituary says. “In the early days Peel championed acts like Marc Bolan, David Bowie and Captain Beefheart, as he did throughout his career, by giving them studio-time to record legendary “Peel sessions”.
I was a club DJ through most of the 1980s and always looked for The Peel Sessions series, albums of music by key bands of the day — Joy Division, Echo and the Bunnymen, Teardrop Explodes, UK Subs, Buzzcocks, and so on. They were sessions recorded specifically for his show and were often terrific.
No doubt you've probably run across a lot of commentary on Peel (and you might have written much yourself) but Salon's commentary includes links to some audio and is a good read to boot.