John Peel RIP

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Here's John Peel:

Interviewer: Do you believe in God?

John Peel: No, not really - I'd like to, because I'd like to believe in an afterlife. Obviously the older you get the more you think about these things - not because I want to spend all eternity singing hymns, but I'd like to sort things out with my dad, apologise for being a crap son and find out whether he really wanted my brother Frank to have the Welsh dresser.*

That was John Peel. He helped me grow up, and while I must confess I've neglected his show in recent years - chiefly due to being out and about, seeing the bands he made me fall in love with - there's a bloody great hole in the world now he's gone. I fear he's absolutely irreplaceable, and music radio - not to mention music TV, festivals, Home Truths, and all those ads he did to get the kids through college or buy some more shelves for his vinyl or whatever - will never be as free, unpretentious, passionate and just plain inspirational again.

I'm really very sad about this. Somebody name a venue after him, please.

[stop press: Glastonbury Festival figurehead Michael Eavis has announced that the festival's New Tent is to be renamed the John Peel Stage - perfect!]

*quote from www.molara.co.uk/7696.html