No!!!!!!

OMG, John Peel is dead. I'm SO sorry to hear that; he was the coolest of DJ's. I even forgave him for hating ELP.

Oh he only hated ELP, cause he was saddened over the loss of the Nice... but he will always have a place in the hearts of ELP fans... maybe not where he'd like to be... but he's there...

"Veteran BBC broadcaster John Peel has died at the age of 65, while on holiday in Peru.   Peel, whose radio career spanned 40 years, was on a working holiday in the city of Cuzco with his wife Sheila when he suffered a heart attack.

He was BBC Radio 1's longest-serving DJ and in recent years had also presented Home Truths on Radio 4.

Radio 1 controller Andy Parfitt said Peel's contribution to modern music and culture was "immeasurable".

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/3955289.stm - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/395528 9.stm

Thats truly tragic news, John contributed so much to the music scene and introduced us to many many new bands. He will be missed my millions of people.

Terrible news

I still have tapes of some of his shows from the early to mid 80's. I'll have to give them a listern tonight. He was a true supporter of alternative music and has been an inspiration to music lovers of all ages. He will be very sadly missed.

Apparently he was at the first ever Hawkwind show and pursuaded a reluctant Doug Smith, their manager to be, to sign them up. Well done John

RIP..

That is really sad news, because he was the one dj who pointed me in the direction of the music that formed the basis of my record collection and in deed my musical tastes. For all his declared dislike of prog when he became a born -again punk fan - he most certainly did most for the movement in the late 60's and early seventies. As already stated it was more the demise of Nice (you can hear his voice on an ad for the band included on the 3 CD set Here Come The Nice), than the creation of ELP that annoyed him about prog.  And most of all he did a huge amount for independent musicians. Unfortunate none of the original Radio One dj now survives on that station, making it duller and less adventurous than ever.

On a lighter side, we will now not get to know how he bedded feminist Germaine Grear, as promised in his autobiography.....................................

Stolen from NME web page - a rare occasion the magazine makes some sense:

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 http://www.nme.com/artists/90964.htm - 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 http://www.nme.com/artists/69687.htm - Elvis Presley singing ‘Heartbreak Hotel’.

"Everything changed when I heard http://www.nme.com/artists/69687.htm - 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, http://www.nme.com/artists/10615.htm - David Bowie and http://jimihendrix.nme.com/ - Jimi Hendrix all recorded Peel Sessions and Peel famously once showed up on Top Of The Pops miming mandolin for http://www.nme.com/artists/84431.htm - 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 http://www.nme.com/artists/71263.htm - The Ramones , http://www.nme.com/artists/16990.htm - The Clash , http://www.nme.com/artists/90964.htm - The Undertones , http://www.nme.com/artists/13222.htm - The Buzzcocks and the http://sexpistols.nme.com/ - Sex Pistols , then latterly http://www.nme.com/artists/45694.htm - Joy Division . In the 80s, he kickstarted the careers of http://neworder.nme.com/ - New Order , http://www.nme.com/artists/28416.htm - The Fall , http://www.nme.com/artists/81706.htm - Smiths and any number of other acts you care to name. We would never have heard the http://www.nme.com/artists/68681.htm - Pixies or http://pulp.nme.com/ - Pulp or http://www.nme.com/artists/173888.htm - 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

>minute's silence<

Much before my time, however i know all about him and thank him for the smiths pixies and joy division, all 3 some of my favorite bands

I turned the radio on this afternoon to hear a snippet of discussion about John followed by the DJ playing Joy Division's Atmosphere. It was odd how I felt so sad without me hearing that John had passed away.

But celebrate his life. He said himself it couldnt have been better.

From one JP to another. Heres to you John!

He died in Cusco, while vacationing as a tourist: a heart arrest. God rest his soul: he was a real protector of the arts in the avant-garde scenes. i have a copy of Peter Hammill's Peel Sessions -- one of these days I'll listen to it to Mr. Peel's honour.

It's sad to lose such an important rock influence and icon.

R.I.P., Mr Peel. Thanks for all the great music!

See!

Peel choose to "make his passage" at one of the mos magic places on earth. Cusco is one of the most fantastic places you can imagine. No doubt that his soul will be in peace....  

___________

Lunar