Radio One DJ John Peel died while on a working holiday in Peru last night. As a DJ with the BBC, his show was heard all over the British Isles, and his willingness to play alternative music helped unite audiences with musical groups that were not regularly heard on the airwaves. He provided exposure for punk, reggae, and hip hop before they were mainstream music. Among the artists he brought into the public eye were David Bowie, Joy Division, The Undertones, The Fall, and The Smiths.
Peel got his start as a DJ in Dallas for WRR before joining Radio One in 1967 when it first went on the air. He was the last of the initial line-up of DJ's to still be broadcasting.