John Peel: A Life in Music by Michael Heatley


John Peel: A Life in Music
Title : John Peel: A Life in Music
Author :
Rating :
ISBN : 1843171570
ISBN-10 : 9781843171577
Language : English
Format Type : Paperback
Number of Pages : 240
Publication : First published January 1, 2004

John Peel had a pioneering radio career that spanned almost forty years, in which he championed left-field sounds from Captain Beefheart to Siouxsie and the Banshees. When he died suddenly at the age of sixty-five in October 2004, millions mourned the loss of this quirky, influential figure. This highly successful biography by Michael Heatley, now in paperback, traces Peel's fascinating life from boyhood and adolescence to his early counter-culture days on pirate radio, and charts his lengthy maverick career at Radio One up to his later years where he found a new audience on Radio Four's popular Saturday morning show, Home Truths.

John Peel: A Life in Music Reviews

  • Pete daPixie

    John Peel was essential listening for me every Sunday afternoon in the late sixties. His BBC radio programme provided the underground and eclectic sounds that I could record onto a small reel to reel tape machine. 'John Peel-A Life In Music' was published in 2004, and as the man himself passed away in October of that year, this short little book could be seen as another of those 'cashing in' biographies. However, Michael Heatley's treatment of his subject is certainly affectionate and something of a tribute to the man and his forty years of broadcasts.
    A review for the Sunday Times describes this book as "quite simply stunning. It is a monumental achievement, and essential reading for all those whose tastes Peel influenced over so many years."
    Stunning and monumental achievement seem a tad over the top.
    My surprise was learning that the man was working in Dallas at the time of Kennedy's assassination. Not only that, but he attended the D.P.D. press conference with the alleged assassin along with the assassins assassin Jack Ruby. The biography is light on the personal side and mainly documents the BBC career, where I found the book to be less than stunning.
    Never a Smashie or Nicey is why the man is missed.

  • Phil Tall

    I have this memory of John that sticks in my mind from the early eighties and I can hear his voice say " here is a song from the Neon Babies" and I'm lying there in bed listening and thinking weird name! Weird band! Book is a great read! RIP John

  • Viv

    I read this book while I was waiting for "Margrave of the Marshes", John's autobiography, to be published. It is a reasonable enough biography of John by Michael Heatley, and worth having as it has John's "Festive Fifty" at the back, his favourite music spanning over 30 years from 1976.

  • Peter

    RIP John Peel.

  • Sally

    I did enjoy the musical history in this and learned about his time in the US but felt it was a bit impersonal for a biography

  • Andy

    Thoroughly enjoyed this one,
    a good insight into the world of one of my heroes and inspirations.
    No one can ever be like him or replace him.
    R.I.P. John you legend

  • Erica Hudson

    I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!

    http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/12862641

  • Tracey

    A good read about a great man, much missed.