File Under Pop

The most influential punk DJ, John Peel of the BBC, has died of a heart attack while on holiday in Peru. Until this sad event, Peel was still going strong over at the BBC, but he is best known for hosting the show to get played on for UK punk/diy bands of the late 70s/early 80s. A band could press a thousand 7"s themselves, send one to Peel, get enthusiastic play on his show, and that would mean they could get a distribution deal with Rough Trade or Cartel; and their indie cred of the day would be established. They could even get called in for a live radio show, and they would have a Peel Session to add to their credentials. Maybe they could even get signed to Rough Trade. Those were the days.
No one man's taste was more influential than John Peel's. He championed bands no one would give the time of day to (think of the Television Personalities), and he often made their careers. If you look at the International Discography of the New Wave by B. George and Martha DeFoe, most of the UK 7"s in there come from John Peel's collection. So, in a sense, a band doesn't exist if they didn't send their record to Peel. God speed, John