TRIBUTES

It's an almost impossible task to sum up in a few words what John meant to me. It's also difficult to write something about John without sounding a little soft as it's not something I would have said to him in person for fear of making the man blush or take the piss out of me for being so wet.

To me John was a bit like a father, a bit like a best friend and a bit like John Peel off the radio. Before John died no one as close to me had actually died and it was exceptional to share the grief with half the country and beyond. However, in some strange way I felt lucky because I had the great fortune of being his assistant on his Radio 1 Show and John had invited me into his family home. Not one day passes without me recalling to myself John's infinite wisdom for life and music, his idiosyncratic behaviour, his grumpiness, his happiness and most of all his ability to set the standard and rules. I always looked up to John because he was the only person I knew who I genuinely believed was completely happy with his life. He had a great job which he loved, a magnificent family who not only adored him but who he in equal measure adored back AND (to top it all off) he had the most amazing record collection one could possibly imagine.

From the day I started working with John he was been my source of inspiration and guidance. He would constantly tell us things about music, politics and how to get on in life. Some of his advice I've heeded and some I've heeded a little too late! What's more amazing is that I'm still learning from the man, only today I came across The Sadistic Mika Band from an old John Peel tape and the first thing I did was go to HMV to buy a copy of their record! John made over 15,000 hours of programmes for Radio 1 and no two shows were the same. Radio 1 could easily repeat all of his shows seven days a week for the next 37 years and no one would be any the wiser as the music still sounds as fresh and as exciting as it did then.

I miss John, horribly so. He wasn't my Dad or anything; he was my work mate and my friend. He was also the coolest guy at Radio 1 so it was a bit like hanging about with the coolest guy at school. He was the person who looked out for you and he was also the person who made sure that you were always humble. For someone as famous as John, being humble is a rare trait but it was that what made the man. Keep on Keeping It Peel.

"For any music lover, getting the chance to work with one of their greatest heroes was an honour and immense privilege. The past year has without a doubt, been the best year of my life so far. The experiences I have had with John, Sheila, Hermeet and Louise will be experiences I will never forget.

Describing John (even if it was affectionately) as a 'grumpy old man' couldn't be further from the truth. John was one of the funniest people I have ever met. If he (God forbid) hadn't become a broadcaster, he could have surely become a comedian. Regardless of his age, John's ability to communicate with young people was simply unmatched. This week we have all lost a true friend.

John always hated being called a legend becuase he thought this implied you were either dead or a shadow of your former glories. It saddens me to say that it will now be acceptable to refer to John as a legend. He'd still hate it though.

I'd like to thank every Label and Musician who sent music into the programme, becuase if there wasn't people out there making and releasing exceptional music, we would all be f****d.

My love and thoughts go out to Sheila, William & Sara, Danda Ashley & Archie, Tom, Flossy, Gabs and the legions of Peel fans across the globe.

Gang Awaa in Peace"

"Miti and I were last with John a couple of weeks back, for his show with the Super Furry Animals in Maida Vale. It was the usual mixture of amazing live performance, a glass (or two) of red and, on that occasion, a chat about Peru. It is hard for us to believe we will never spend such evenings like that again. Everytime we worked with John we were reminded of how very privileged we were to know him."

"When I first came to Radio 1 five years ago, John was one of those untouchable legends and I never thought in a million years that I would ever get to spend any length of time with him. Right from the first moment I was introduced - there was never any hint of pompous ego or disinterest - he openly welcomed me into the specialist music fold and I remember thinking "wow" what a breath of fresh air. John positively encouraged me all the way when we set up the new One World series and later on when we aired the first Asian show on Radio 1 - It was truly incredible - here was my childhood musical icon humbly spending his time and energy with me on a show when he could have been doing things for himself.

I've got to say that the more I got to know John, the bigger and better he came. There were so many great aspects to his life - but the four main things that will always stay with me are -

Firstly and most importantly - he was a true family man, a real gentleman who deeply loved his wife and his children and put them above everything else.

Secondly, as everyone knows, he was dedicated to all forms of music - wherever he was in the World he would be listening or looking for new music to play - he still went iligently record shopping every week (how many so called superstar djs still do this eh ?) - even when we went to the Sonar Festival, he couldn't wait to trall the record fairs for that elusive underground cd from the remotest part of the globe - Everytime he got in his car, he always stuck on new demos to listen to- he never entered into record company bullshit, just picked the tunes that he though were great - He was so genuinely into real music with no boundaries, and through that he gave inspiration and hope to generations of musicians and music lovers.

Thirdly, Liverpool football team - well I'm sure believe still up for debate with lots of us - but just to say that John always finished his dj sets with a Liverpool anthem followed by Teenage Kicks - pure dedication again !

Fourthly, John was a magnificent storyteller - and for sure he had some great stories - the wombles will never be the same to me - But we were lucky enough over the few years to collect some stories about John too ! - From hearing John blasting Happy Hardcore at the Big Chill through to bogus Carl Cox interviews at the Sonar Festival - we have had some great moments.

I'm so grateful that I had the chance to meet John and his family - you really do have to believe it all - the Legend - he was so much more than could ever be expressed in words"

"I interviewed John for a documentary I was working on for Radio 1. I first heard back from him on a frustrated voicemail message. "Oh, I hate these things. What am I supposed to do now? I'll try again later. Oh, it's John Peel by the way." In person, he was initially a little guarded as he didn't know me, but he was hugely impressed and grateful when I managed to fix the air conditioning in the studio. We got on swimmingly after that. Amazing to hear the voice I'd listen to for so many years talking to me as a complete equal as music fans."

"It's like losing one of the family."

"Just adding my love and respect to a lovely man who would have been horrified to know how intimidated I was by him.

His love of new music and the life it gave him was never taken for granted by either John or the people who shared in it. More than anything, I feel privileged to have briefly met and worked alongside such a passionate and funny man."

When I was a student journalist the first project on the course was "get an interview with someone famous" - I went for John Peel thinking that no one of his status would agree to help out a student when the interview would never be broadcast and was effectively just for practise. Why would he - there's no benefit to him? He didn't even hestitate - I turned up at Radio 1's old building - his PA showed me to his office - it had a glass door and through it I could see him fast asleep on his desk! Do I knock or wait? I knocked - he was the most down to earth, pleasant, friendly man and the interview went down very well with my fellow students who worshipped him.

Little did I know that years later I'd end up reading the news during his show at Radio 1. He was so endearingly chaotic - never properly ready for the news junction, often crashing the beds into it - playing music under one of your copy stories by mistake! Few things in life that are called unique actually are - I think John Peel was a unique broadcaster - I do believe he achieved something incredible and lasting - he changed expectations and horizons - how many of us can say we keep the kind of passion he retained for the job we do?

I knew John personally since the very early 80s. Back then, I used to be Factory Records' German representative. I also played in the bands, Die Unbekannten & Shark Vegas, and I also worked as a live sound engineer (we toured together with artists like Nick Cave, Malaria!, New Order and people like that)

When john first came to Berlin, I introduced him to East Berlin and my contacts there. So naturally after that, when he came here, we would always meet up. I loved hearing his stories about being in Dallas on the day JFK got assassinated, or tales of terror on the high seas during his Radio Caroline era.

I really really miss John. I especially miss his familiar, friendly voice. He was a truly wonderful and warm person. He accompanied most of my life musically, since being a small child (yes, back in the Radio Caroline days)and surely without his inspirational show, I probably would never have entered into a life of music myself.

He always supported me, my labels and my artists. whether it was Paul Van Dyk, Cosmic Baby, Corvin Dalek or Eiven Major. It was always a thrill to receive his quirky, spiky, handwritten postcards with his witty comments to his life (and my records). I loved that old-school, traditional part of him.

Not many people in the UK are aware just how immensely important John was to the Eastern Europeans, and his contribution to the fall of communism too. It seems incredible, but it is the truth. I firmly believe that he was one of the subliminal driving forces that eventually toppled the communist regimes of Eastern Europe. Without John's open minded approach to music, these politically active people (some signatories to the charter 77) would never have heard the more obscure, non-commercial side of modern music that you could buy in the West. All of them really wanted to be able to live in a society where they, too, could buy the records John played on his show, and if their protest meant having to go to prison, then some were even prepared to do that.

Through music, I had made many politically "dissident" friends in the east of Europe (East Berlin, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Poland) and they were all really driven by the music John played. All were hardcore fans, and each religiously listened to his BFBS & BBC radio programmes - even though it was forbidden, recording his shows onto cassette to be clandestinely distributed to their friends. Their knowledge of Western underground music, knowledge they had ONLY received through John's radio shows, was astounding. Some probably knew more about the UK independent music scene than the average British citizen. It was an incredible feeling to know that their wish was about to come true when I was standing on the streets of Prague, witnessing their "velvet" revolution first-hand, while it was announced that their hated communist government had crumbled. I'm very privileged to have experienced that moment. It is nice to know that in the now Czech Republic, these former political dissidents have become successful writers, politicians or diplomats and each still holds a great interest in contemporary indie music.