John Peel, who died last week at the age of 65, is responsible for bringing music to the people, music that many people would not hear anywhere else. He featured music on his two-hour BBC radio program that no one else would feature. But aside from simply playing music, he invited bands to come in - everyone from the Fall to the Dillinger Escape Plan, from the Cocteau Twins to the Pixies, from Clinic to the Baptist Generals - to play live. These live recordings would result in a vast catalog of Peel Sessions. Some of these bands had yet even to be signed or step foot in a proper studio, but Peel knew. He was proof that radio does not have to suck.
Enormously eclectic and rigidly independent, Peel was respected as a man who never bought into commercial radio playlists or mandates. He was responsible for exposing listeners to music they had never heard before. He championed early punk, new wave, reggae, techno, hip-hop, country, hardcore, indie rock and everything in between. He played music years ago that people are just catching on to now. He was the first DJ to spin Joy Division, New Order and countless now-classic acts. At the age of 60, he had better taste than most teenagers will ever have. John Peel, music legend and trusted friend, will be sorely missed.
