John Peel (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004)
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My first exposure to John Peel were those odd looking records, usually in the bargan bin, with all the writing on them, at my local independent record store back in a suburb of Kansas City, KS in the late 80's. They confused me as a kid and, to be honest, I typically steered clear of them. It wasn't until many years later that I understood the significance of these records and the man behind them. In all the interviews I've seen or read of John Peel he was a man that oozed genuineness. His love and respect for not just the music but the cultural importance of the music for my generation and beyond is unparalleled. And I'm a bit embarrassed to say, even years after his death, I'm still discovering the immense influence his work has had on me. Better late than never I guess.
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Peel Quotes
Peel on Big Black:
"Once a week I drive a nail through my foot to remind myself of the stupidity of not going to see them when I had the chance."
On the Dwarves:
"If hero worship were sex, they'd all be carrying my babies".
From when he was presenting Top of the Pops. After a video of the dismal Aretha Franklin/George Michael duet (I Knew You Were Waiting For Me), it cuts back to Peel who says something along the lines of:
"You know, Aretha Franklin can make any old rubbish sound good, and i think she just has."
Peel's compering debut on TOTP: "In case you're wondering who this funny old bloke is, I'm the one who comes on Radio 1 late at night and plays records made by sulky Belgian art students in basements dying of TB."
After a 1984 Cocteau Twins session which he played in full: "Missed me over the last quarter of an hour? Suppression of the ego; always a good thing in DJs, a pity there's not more of it about."
After playing The Beatles' 'new' single "Hello, Goodbye" in 1967:
"that's enough to make all the other groups go and live up the lesser tributaries of the amazon"