if there's one guy who deserves to be immortal, it's John Peel.

jk

JOHN PEEL: 1939-2004

When John Peel’s sad, sudden death at the age of 65 was announced today
(October 26) on BBC Radio 1, the station that had been his home for
five decades, broke with programming and played Undertones ‘Teenage
Kicks’ – his all-time favourite song.

It was a fitting tribute to a man whose dedication and unerring passion
for all that was fresh and vital and youthful and vigorous about music
saw him reject the dictats and mores of broadcasting to pursue a
singular path launching the career of hundreds of bands, and
soundtracking the youth of millions of music fans.

Born John Robert Parker Ravenscoft in Heswall, near Liverpool, in 1939,
Peel was the son of the wealthy owner of a cotton mill. He was sent
away to boarding school in Shrewsbury, which he hated, an ordeal made
bearable when he first heard Elvis Presley singing ‘Heartbreak Hotel’.

"Everything changed when I heard Elvis," he said. "Where there had been
nothing there was suddenly something."

In 1959, after National Service, Peel moved to America where
Beatlemania soon took hold. The Liverpool connection helped Peel land a
spot as DJ on WRR radio in Dallas. He moved back to England in 1967,
where he first joined Radio London, before moving to BBC Radio 1 for
its launch. He was to remain with the station for the rest of his life,
the only original DJ.

His style was immediately different to other presenters. He played the
records from start to finish without interruption – which later became
useful if you wanted to tape the tracks - providing an informative
commentary for listeners. During his early period, Peel was a friend
and supporter of some of the biggest names in rock. Marc Bolan, David
Bowie and Jimi Hendrix all recorded Peel Sessions and Peel famously
once showed up on Top Of The Pops miming mandolin for Rod Stewart on
the chart-topping‘Maggie May’.

As the 70s progressed, Peel’s tastes evolved. He was in the vanguard of
punk, pushing the sounds of The Ramones, The Clash, The Undertones, The
Buzzcocks and the Sex Pistols, then latterly Joy Division. In the 80s,
he kickstarted the careers of New Order, The Fall, Smiths and any
number of other acts you care to name. We would never have heard the
Pixies or Pulp or The White Stripes if it wasn’t for John Peel.

As the years rolled on, the scope of his radio show widened. He moved
between gum-bleeding German techno, world music and the occasional Roy
Orbison hit with ease – even if it was sometimes a little taxing for
his legions of fans. Until recently, a place on his annual countdown of
the best singles of the year – Peel’s Festive 50> – was a much
sought-after berth for bands on independent labels.

In recent years, Peel built a new army of fans. His award winning ‘Home
Truths’ programme on BBC Radio Four grew into a must-hear for
middle-aged listeners in middle England. And his spots on the BBC’s
‘Grumpy Old Men’ – a series featuring irritated men of a certain age
riling against the things they found most absurd about modern life –
were frequently the funniest and most telling.

Balding, a little plump, a devoted father, grandfather and husband not
to mention a big fan of genteel radio series The Archers, Peel kicked
open the door for people like Steve Lamacq and Zane Lowe, letting the
mainstream programmers see that an audience existed for music that was
not always a chart fixture.

His influence is immeasurable.

John Peel often told the story hearing ‘Teenage Kicks’ for the first
time. He was driving in his car listening to the song on a demo tape.
He was so overcome by the tune that he pulled onto the side of the road
to have a cry.

There are thousands of people across Britain today who will have had a
similar experience on hearing of his untimely death.

Paul McNamee

Published: 26-10-2004-16-27

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