Tributes poured in today to the radio broadcaster John Peel, who has died after suffering a heart attack while on holiday with his wife Sheila in Peru.

Famous names of the broadcasting world revealed that Mr Peel was the inspiration who fired their desire for a career in radio, and even provided them with their start.

"Whispering" Bob Harris, the presenter of the cult 1970s television music show The Old Grey Whistle Test, described how in 1966 he became hooked on Peel's radio show The Perfumed Garden, which was broadcast from the middle of the North Sea on the pirate station Radio London.

"John was always the champion of everything new and innovative," said Mr Harris.

"Back then he had just got back from America with a huge wodge of brand new vinyl albums by bands which back then no-one had ever heard of in Britain, like the Steve Miller Band and the Quicksilver Messenger Service.

"His philosophy was that the most important records in his collection were the ones that had arrived this morning, and he championed new music from when I first listened to him in 1966 right up to the present time."

Peel's career in pirate radio ended when he was recruited as one of the founder disc jockeys of the BBC's brand new popular music programme, Radio 1, in 1967. His six-week contract ended up lasting nearly four decades.

Mr Harris continued: "The really great broadcasters are the ones where there is virtually no gap between the way they are when you are with them and the way they are behind a microphone. With John, what you heard was what he was.

"He was erudite, he had a quirky way of looking at things, and he was extremely open in expressing his emotions, not just about music but about his family and the relations between his family, adding a spice of dry humour that seemed to be unique to him. John's humour is one of the things that created his unique broadcasting style."

Andy Parfitt, the controller of Radio 1, said: "He had a completely adventurous ear, he was totally engaged by new things. Sometimes he disappeared into the tributaries of music, but all the time pushing forward and pushing forward.

"With John, age wasn't the issue: he was just totally committed and passionate about music and everyone respected him for that."

Mark Goodier, the former Radio 1 DJ, spoke for many when he said he was "absolutely stunned" at the news.

Explore UK News

• Crime News

• Education News

• Health News

• Scotland News

Times Recommends

• Margot Fonteyn: In her footsteps
• Forget beautiful people, let's have wonky Brits
• Fundamentalist brew: faith and power