My favourite DJ Mark Radcliffe speaks about his friendship with the great John Peel: 'I thought the world of him'.
In a way, Radcliffe was (still is) my 'Peel' - the DJ who got me into music and kept me into it, constantly widening my tastes. I loved Peel too though - the way he could be warm and gruff at the same time, the way he talked about his wife and family with such affection (I hear he wore a ring in the shape of a pig - his nickname for his wife Sheila), and of course the music - full of surprises (pleasant and unpleasant!). Peel was the one who got me into Laura Cantrell, for which I am very, very grateful. It's difficult to accept that he's not there anymore.
The most touching bit of the tribute show on Saturday night was Phill Jupitus, tugging at his hair and blinking away tears as he spoke. I rarely cry at the telly but I did shed a tear for Phill, for John. Channel 4 are repeating Peel's excellent Sound of the Suburbs series, from a few years back, and there's a lovingly-assembled unofficial website - The John Peel Session Archive. You may also like to play the John Peel Sweet Eating Game - perhaps at the wrong speed...
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