John Peel 1939 – 2004
“The Monday evening show the weekend after the Hillsborough tragedy was a piece of broadcasting I’ll never forget. He said nothing at the start of his show. He just played a record. A long slow record. It was Aretha Franklin’s heart breaking gospel version of You’ll Never Walk Alone. I looked through the glass from my adjacent studio and John was just weeping. Silently. So were all of us – his listeners. Nothing more needed to be said.” Nicky Campbell of BBC Five Live.
The fact that 30,000 users have emailed the BBC’s tribute page in under 24 hours is testament not only to John Peel’s broad appeal but the fact that he has singlehandedly helped increase the muscial awareness most of Britain’s youth in the last 30 years. Rather than blather on myself, please check the links to some excellent content care of his long time employer, the BBC.
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a great loss indeed.
A terrible loss of a Giant among men. I’ve had the Joy Division out in honour. Without Peel, I probably wouldn’t have heard of half the bands I so love now.