241 Pizza

"It is just a terrible shock to see him go at such a young age. He is one of the people I listened to as a kid, who made me want to do the job I've done for the last 25 years. He was a special talent, one of the very few people allowed by Radio 1 to do whatever he wanted, because what they got back was a remarkably unique individual and a broadcaster famous the world over.

"He has been a very regular contributor to the BBC World Service for many years, and this news will shock and sadden people the world over. He has been part of so many people's lives for so long, and he excelled at that job."

In latter years Peel won over an entirely new audience with his much-loved show on BBC Radio 4, Home Truths, which encouraged devotees to contribute with quirky real-life stories.

Jenny Abramsky, the BBC director of radio and music, said that one of the things that made Peel such a unique broadcaster was the warmth of his approach.

"He nurtured musicians and listeners alike, introducing them to new sounds," she said.

"His open-minded approach to music was mirrored by his equally generous approach to his audience when he went to Radio 4 to present Home Truths.

"He had a remarkable rapport with all his listeners. Everyone at BBC Radio is devastated by the news. John is simply irreplaceable. Our hearts go out to Sheila and his children."

Many of the bands Peel championed over the years today told how Peel's support had helped them when they were struggling.

Bernard Sumner of the group Joy Division, who then went on to become the singer and guitarist with New Order, said: "This is a dreadful shock. If it wasn't for John Peel, there would be no Joy Division and no New Order.

"He was one of the few people to give bands that played alternative music a chance to get heard, and he continued to be a champion of cutting-edge music throughout his life."

Andy McCluskey, of synthesiser pop band Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark, said that he owed a "debt of gratitude" to Peel.

He said: "John Peel played a single but crucial role in my early career. He played our first single, Electricity, on his evening show and thanks to him it sold out its first 5,000 run within a week.

"We both come from the same part of the world, the Wirral, but that was not why he chose to play it. He played music because he liked it, not because he was being told to play it or he wanted to be in on the next big thing.

"He championed bands when they were starting out and the music was still raw. There will be many musicians and bands out there today who feel a debt of gratitude to John Peel. I am certainly one of them. This is a hugely sad day."

The BBC reported that its website was besieged by tributes written by Peel’s grief-stricken fans.

One wrote: "Absolutely, genuinely stunned by this sad, sad news. Music radio, and musicians everywhere, owe him a huge debt of gratitude."

Another said: "I feel like a bit of my youth has died with him."

A third emailed: "A giant of a man, the only true idol I ever had. His loss is immensely saddening."

Another added: "The death of John Peel is a tragic loss to the world of music. In an age of ’personality’ over ability, vacuous corporate hype, talentless manufactured rubbish and gimmicks, John Peel stayed true to what mattered most in music."

Explore UK News

• Crime News

• Education News

• Health News

• Scotland News

Times Recommends

• How I lost the gift of joy for a while
• Why Ann Widdecombe has got it wrong
• Alas, it’s the end of the road for petrolheads