John Peel, the most influential DJ I never heard, died this Monday in Costa Rica.
Nick Currie, aka iMomus, has an appreciation of Peel in his Live Journal.
By Nick’s account, Peel was a grounded sort of guy. He quotes him talking about Elvis Presley:
“‘I used to believe that if Elvis had come and lived with us for a couple of weeks we’d have got him sorted out. Charles and Diana too. Trouble with people like that is that they’re not rooted in any recognisable reality. What they needed is someone like me telling them: ‘Right, now we’re off to Sainsbury’s then we’re going to pick up the kids from school. Then we’ve got to feed the animals’. I really mean that.’”
Peel and Currie didn’t agree on esthetics, but admires the man for what he did for music:
“By ensuring that up to 90% of the records he played were things you wouldn’t hear anywhere else on the radio, he created a non-commercial climate in which small independent labels could thrive — commercially. Like some kind of greenhouse, his nightly programme protected all sorts of delicate plants from the cold winds of commerce, at least until they were big and tough enough to make it on their own. His disregard for money and hype actually redistributed money and hype in more deserving directions.”
More: Tributes and Peel’s all-time “Festive 50″ from the Independent.
