John Peel, offbeat British DJ
LONDON - Veteran British broadcaster John Peel, who championed all types of cutting edge pop and rock acts over the past 35 years on his radio show, has died after a heart attack, the BBC announced yesterday.
Peel (65), who worked for the BBC's popular music station Radio One
ever since it first started in 1967, suffered a heart attack on
Monday night while on holiday in Peru.
Radio One controller Andy Parfitt called Peel -- who was largely
responsible for introducing Britain to punk rock, reggae and
hip-hop, among other genres -- "a broadcasting legend".
"John's influence has towered over the development of popular
music for nearly four decades and his contribution to modern music
and music culture is immeasurable," he said in a statement.
With his bald head and greying beard, Peel long resembled a
favourite uncle rather than a cutting edge arbiter of musical
taste, but was an icon for generations of British acts and their
fans.
Even in advancing years, Peel -- who built an extension onto his
house to contain an ever-expanding record collection -- remained
passionately knowledgeable about even the sort of avant garde rock
which would frighten off those half his age.
Peel's late night Radio One show was defiantly low-key, and even
in the 1970s and 80s when big-name "personality" DJs dominated,
Peel refused to talk over the top of records or to play just the
hits of the moment.
Born in 1939 near Liverpool, northwest England, Peel headed to
the United States in the early 1960s and picked up work at several
radio stations there, supposedly after he hinted at connections
with hometown band the Beatles.
It was allegedly also during this time in the United States that
Peel, the privately educated product of well-off parents, first
acquired his distinctive Liverpool accent.
In 1967 he returned to Britain and began work at an illegal
"pirate" station before being taken on by the fledgling Radio One,
the high-establishment BBC's attempt to attract the nation's youth
with a diet of pop and frothy chat.
Peel swiftly became an institution in rock circles, famous for
poring privately over the hundreds of demo tapes by new bands he
was sent each week and inviting the best into BBC studios to record
tracks for his show.
Among his minor claims to fame was being the first British DJ to
play a song twice in a row, 'Teenage Kicks' by late 70s Northern
Irish band the Undertones, which became Peel's all-time
favourite.
- Nampa-AFP
Radio One controller Andy Parfitt called Peel -- who was largely
responsible for introducing Britain to punk rock, reggae and
hip-hop, among other genres -- "a broadcasting legend"."John's
influence has towered over the development of popular music for
nearly four decades and his contribution to modern music and music
culture is immeasurable," he said in a statement.With his bald head
and greying beard, Peel long resembled a favourite uncle rather
than a cutting edge arbiter of musical taste, but was an icon for
generations of British acts and their fans.Even in advancing years,
Peel -- who built an extension onto his house to contain an
ever-expanding record collection -- remained passionately
knowledgeable about even the sort of avant garde rock which would
frighten off those half his age.Peel's late night Radio One show
was defiantly low-key, and even in the 1970s and 80s when big-name
"personality" DJs dominated, Peel refused to talk over the top of
records or to play just the hits of the moment.Born in 1939 near
Liverpool, northwest England, Peel headed to the United States in
the early 1960s and picked up work at several radio stations there,
supposedly after he hinted at connections with hometown band the
Beatles.It was allegedly also during this time in the United States
that Peel, the privately educated product of well-off parents,
first acquired his distinctive Liverpool accent.In 1967 he returned
to Britain and began work at an illegal "pirate" station before
being taken on by the fledgling Radio One, the high-establishment
BBC's attempt to attract the nation's youth with a diet of pop and
frothy chat.Peel swiftly became an institution in rock circles,
famous for poring privately over the hundreds of demo tapes by new
bands he was sent each week and inviting the best into BBC studios
to record tracks for his show.Among his minor claims to fame was
being the first British DJ to play a song twice in a row, 'Teenage
Kicks' by late 70s Northern Irish band the Undertones, which became
Peel's all-time favourite.- Nampa-AFP