With HJ's indulgence I'll let this one stand. Much of my early motoring (come to think of it, much of my present motoring) has been accompanied by bands discovered by Peel. A great loss to the nation. I'm off to listen to some Joy Division whilst reflecting on the pleasure this man bought to so many.
ND
I just heard earlier this evening that John Peel has died today of a heart attack. I know, I know, it's not got much to do with motoring. Please indulge me here mods - I just think that a lot of other Backroomers will, like me, miss the easygoing nature of one of the greatest broadcasters to grace the airwaves. Plenty of people will have had their car journeys shortened by listening to him over the last 40 years or so, and he introduced thousands like me to some fantastic music. I for one am sorry to hear that he's gone, but equally glad that he was here.
I do remember a motoring anecdote of his - he was once a guest on Room 101 and one of his pet hates was ... motoring in Essex! He claimed he would take huge detours just to avoid the county, because of the number of boy racer lunatics he said he would otherwise have encountered. He recounted how he liked to drive like a flat cap, as it were, and wind up the speed merchants overtaking him with exaggerated "go ahead, son, you can do it" gestures as they roared by. He reckoned this good-natured encouragement from an old geezer would annoy them far more than sticking up two fingers!
He didn't take himself too seriously, was no slave to fads, had a fantastically dry sense of humour without being cruel, and his wry observations on "Home Truths" got many of my Saturday mornings off to a good start. Thanks John.
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andymc
Vroom, vroom - mmm, doughnuts ...
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JP belonged to that amazing summer of 1967 when everything seemed endless. His Perfumed Garden show on pirate Radio London, scratchy and fadey after midnight, lasted only 3 months but is how I always think of him.
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i heard the news earlier on and was saddend by the loss of a great broadcaster. his relaxed attitude made many a journey.
he will be sadly missed.
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I dont usually reply to this type off thread..But on this occasion. I have to agree. With all points raised.JP is a sad loss. Feel sorry for his family and wish them well..One of the only DJ`s I took seriously.I for one will miss him..
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Steve
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He came across as a good bloke who was more interested in the music he was playing than promoting himself. It will be an ever so slightly greyer world without him.
It strikes me that in comparison to Peelie, you would struggle to remember anything about most contemporary DJ's even if they were talking to you
www.mikes-walks.co.uk
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Knew John Peel only by his penetrating, humourous and often uplifting "Home Truths" on Saturday mornings (music gene missing). I will miss him also. RIP JP.
Hawkeye
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Stranger in a strange land
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Genuinely saddened to hear of this. Not many people left in public life/media that when you think of them, you really think "good bloke".
I'd venture to say that John Peel had a unique talent (Radio 4 & 1 in this day and age?!) and will be sadly missed by a great many people.
Thanks for letting this stand ND.
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Lee
MINI adventure over. Now having a Fabialous time.
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RIP John Peel.
A great man.
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Well said Andy. What a great loss to the nation, an amazing bloke with a unique self-depreciating attitude. Heard a series of clips on the radio this morning, of his characteristic errors, not queing up records, playing them at ths wrong speed and so on.
Also heard Michael Evis saying he was going to rename the Glastonbury new bands stage after JP.
Saturday mornings will not be the same.
Andy
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My 18 year old son invited JP to Brighton to listen to a band comprising some of his friends. He spent the whole day with them, touring round little record shops - browsing the old vinyls - having a couple of drinks and being a good companion. A sad loss indeed.
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To give this a motoring link I was driving up to the North East yesterday afternoon listening to R5 and I thought I wonder what Radio 1 are doing about this - switch over to hear Smiths followed by New Order followed by Pistols followed by Buzzcocks followed by Undertones - just a great driving moment, just terribly sorry that it took his death to prompt it.
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Heard the news yesterday and couldn't believe it. Glad there's a thread here. He was one of the good guys and part of that generation which thought the world could and should be a better place. Played the Undertones on a trip to Leicester today. I'll miss him greatly and will take a long time to get used to his absence from this world. A great loss.
Douglas
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Shock when I tuned in to the radio and heard this...a loss to British broadcasting. A class act in the true sense of the phrase.
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Too soon to lose such a genuine and likeable character. I think the nation has suffered a huge loss.
I really hope that Glastonbury stage is named after him, it would seem to be one of many fitting tributes that he deserves.
His work and influences will live on for generations to come.
ND and HJ thanks for letting this thread stay. Andy, thanks for posting it here in the first place.
Hugo
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65 is much too young to die. Saturday mornings will never be the same without Home Truths.
Very very sad for the nation and of course his family.
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Been in the lakes for the last couple of days. Got back in the car yesterday evening to head back home, turned on the radio to hear the Home Truths music playing - odd at 5.30pm I thought.
Absolutely gutted to hear the subsequent news.
A very sad loss to broadcasting, and the only celebrity I will genuinely mourn.
Steve
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tinyurl.com/6hqvq
Hope the above works. A Motoring tribute to John Peel.
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Someone wrote in to a national newspaper asking
'Should we all have a minute's noise?'
I think John would have enjoyed that.
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I would just like to inform members of the Back Room that this coming Saturday 6th November 2004 BBC Television are going to broadcast a Tribute to John Peel.
The programme will run on BBC 2. It starts at 10.00pm and lasts until 11.30pm. Should be well worth watching/recording.
Galaxy
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Came across as the sort of guy who would make a very pleasant companion, laid back, affable and very funny.
The music, though, was dire.
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I think we all agree JP was a "nice guy" and all the rest of it. I enjoyed listening to him on Radio London and it was on one of his shows that I first learnt Elvis had died. But come on, this is getting a bit mawkish. There are not a few wives out there morning the fact their husbands won't return from Iraq, and they're unlikely to get anything like the column inches this guy got as a result of simply dying of old age.
Even the Gulf Daily news In Bahrain gave him a full send-off, Lord knows what that meant to their multi-cultural readers, if anything.
Now then, can we get back to matters slightly less loosely related to the horseless carriage, moddies?
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I'm afraid I agree. I was going to post somethign yesteerday, and didn't.
I suspect that John Peel himself would mock too much outpouring, so lets leave it there.
The sentiments and points have been made.
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