Radio loses its best...
Sad news this morning: BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel has died of a heart attack at the age of 65 while vacationing in Cuzco, Peru. Oddly enough, last night I saw the movie Motorcylce Diaries, in which Cuzco, Peru is a setting.
Peel exemplified the huge gap between the music climate in the States and the UK, where people still purchase seven inches in great part due to Peel's tireless promotion of the radio single. (The Undertones' "Teenage Kicks" was his all-time fave.) Peel was the BBC's longest tenured DJ and had championed countless great bands over the years, from Beefheart to The Fall. His commentary, always sharp, was simply unmatched amongst commercial DJs. He leaves behind a legacy of "Peel Sessions," the on-air performances which became a staple of his show.
Peel exemplified the huge gap between the music climate in the States and the UK, where people still purchase seven inches in great part due to Peel's tireless promotion of the radio single. (The Undertones' "Teenage Kicks" was his all-time fave.) Peel was the BBC's longest tenured DJ and had championed countless great bands over the years, from Beefheart to The Fall. His commentary, always sharp, was simply unmatched amongst commercial DJs. He leaves behind a legacy of "Peel Sessions," the on-air performances which became a staple of his show.