Normally I wouldn’t post obits on here, since I figure in the internet age, most people find out about this stuff at the same time as, or before, I do! But here’s one that might be obscure enough to slip under the radar (at least in the US). BBC disc-jockey John Peel died today at age 65. John had been with the BBC since it’s inception in 1967, and was still at the top of his game today. Always keen to expose new talent, his “Peel Sessions” series of live-in-studio recordings gave many unknown bands the opportunity to document their work in a way they would otherwise not have been able to, and a quick glance at some tracklistings from his most recent shows confirms that he had no plans of abandoning his search for new talent anytime soon. Like Creation’s Alan McGee, John Peel was in it for the music, from start to finish, and he reminds us all that getting older does not have to mean getting old.
UPDATE: Momus has spent a little bit longer on his Peel tribute than I did, and it’s worth a read…
yeah - that’s huge over here. the guys at radio one were shook up.