anotheranon

BBC radio DJ John Peel died today of a heart attack.

I was a huge admirer of Peel from high school onwards. I even dragged my dad's old shortwave up to college with me to listen to his show on BBC World Service.

In the days before streaming media and internet radio, the thin, staticky squeaks from that awkward box were my only exposure to music even more inspiring and more strange than what my local college radio could cough up (their selection, while laudable, was still fairly easy to find in stores, unchallenging for my then music obsessed vinyl fiending self). Also, being surrounded by musical purists (thou shalt like goth, or techno, or indie and never shalt they meet in a single eardrum!) it was refreshing to listen to a dj who would throw anything against the wall, regardless of label, style, genre or recording quality :)

It was in part John Peel's "anything goes" philosophy and hunger for new sounds that inspired me join the college radio station and enjoy my brief time on the air.

Normally I care little for the comings and goings of celebrities, but JP I will very much miss.