h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

This is a bad day. John Peel has died. A massive heart attack, nothing could be done to save him. His wife was with him, so he didn't die alone. It's just so damn sad.

He has been a big influence on my life via his radio shows and music work, and, through his Home Truths programme on Radio 4. He is just such a good, decent Man. I have grown up with him, and travelled through life with his dry humour and musical finds. If he liked it, he played it- what better criterion? Without him I would not have heard Pulp, The Undertones, The Stranglers, Loudon Wainright III....... the list goes on, too many to list. I nearly fell out of bed laughing one night when he played Half Man Half Biscuit's "Vatican Broadside". His taste may not always been mine, but it was always interesting- you could hear some Beefheart followed by the latest Grunge, then the Pig's Big 78, and then something chilled. His work with new bands is legendary. This is a loss to the music industry, but equally important is his loss to us, the listener- on the wider scale.

I have had some bad times this year, and listening to his show, and hearing his comments and stories between the music has taken my mind off things and made those long nights bearable.

My heart goes out to his family. Their loss is far greater than ours. I can only hope that they have some comfort from the fact that he was not alone, and that a lot of people are thinking of them and grieving with them.

He was a down to earth Man, and I think he would probably not like to hear me say this, but we have lost a decent, lovely Man with a genuine love of music, who happened to be a Legend, and also was a friend.

I will miss you John. Rest peacefully. We won't forget you.