John Peel

John Peel (b. John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, 30 August 1939) was a British radio presenter, DJ and music journalist famous for his long-running show on BBC Radio One. He is particularly noted for his switch from more traditional rock to punk and post-punk music after 1977 and in particular for championing post-punk and new wave bands such as Joy Division, Siouxsie & the Banshees, The Undertones, New Order and countless more. Prior to that he had also been an early supporter of major artists such as David Bowie, Queen, Mike Oldfield and Marc Bolan.

Ever the anti-conformist, he became one of the most senior and respected DJs on radio. His shows were noted for the eclectic mix of styles and also for the regular 'sessions' in which bands and artists were invited to BBC studios to showcase their material with 'live in the studio' recordings of usually three to four tracks.

Peel also became a regular presenter of Top of the Pops between 1982 and 1986 (see below).

He was the subject of an edition of This Is Your Life, broadcast on 24 January 1996. In a Radio Times article shortly afterwards he stated "'My first reaction to the Red Book was, why me, Lord? My second, expressed on camera, was that I would, all things considered, rather go home." Among the guests, apart from his wife and four children, were colleagues Tony Blackburn, Ed Stewart, Alan Freeman and Andy Kershaw plus long-standing friend and programme producer John Walters.

Peel continued to broadcast up until his death. He died from heart failure whilst on a working holiday in Peru on 25 October 2004.

Top of the Pops
Peel first appeared on the popular weekly chart show on 01 February 1968 although was famously excluded from the regular BBC Radio 1 DJ presenting roster. He then re-appeared on Christmas Day 1981, together with most other colleagues of the era, and began as a regular host on 04 February 1982, remarking: "''This is my first Top of the Pops in fourteen years, but it's consistency that counts so you can watch me again in 1996." H''e did however continue to present the show regularly until February 1987, forming a famous co-presenter partnership with David Jensen, calling themselves 'The Rhythm Pals'. He also teamed up several times with Janice Long after Jensen's departure from Radio 1 and the BBC. He presented one more edition in December 1995 although this was 'foil' so that Michael Aspel could present him with the Big Red Book for an edition of This Is Your Life, broadcast in 1996 (see above)


 * see John Peel Wiki - Top of the Pops appearances, for full list

Other TV appearances
During the 1980s Peel appeared as a guest presenter on The Noel Edmonds Late, Late Breakfast Show, The Tube plus selected edition of The Old Grey Whistle Test, Eight Days a Week, The South Bank Show plus a special edition of Wogan, celebrating 20 years of Radio 1 in 1987.


 * see John Peel Wiki - John Peel on TV, for full list

Radio
Aside from his own BBC Radio 1 show, originally Top Gear, Sound of the 70s etc., Peel featured in various other BBC radio shows on Radio 1, BBC World Service and also on the BFBS service. His own eponymous lasted on Radio 1 from its inception in 1975 until his death in 2004. Taking his earlier years into account, this totalled thirty-seven years of unbroken service with Radio 1, a record since broken only by his colleague Annie Nightingale.


 * see John Peel Wiki - Peel on Radio for full list