I've been at a loss for words about the sudden death of John Peel ... I only ever heard bits and pieces of his show over the years (thanks to Peel Sessions boots and internet streaming) and yet, I can recall his voice in my head without much thought. I suppose his voice is one of those you just subconsciously are forced to remember -- even though many North Americans couldn't hear his show every night, Peel's reputation still loomed large over a lot of the music they liked. So when we did get a chance to hear his voice, it slotted effortlessly into permanent memory.

Many North Americans first learned about him through the Peel Sessions. The most well known (The Smiths, The Fall, and so on) of them were readily available here. My introduction was the second Joy Division PS, which was not only my first PS but also my first JD recording, and was thus the touchstone for my subsequent adoration of that band. I'd sometimes open up the sleeve and just stare at the (incomplete) list of bands that had recorded Peel Sessions. The liner notes didn't lie -- it really did seem like anyone and everyone important had recorded a session for his show. "Peel Session" became a Grade A stamp of quality ... if you saw a Peel Session recording in Sam's or HMV, then you made a note to give that band a first or second chance.

Even in the age of internet, I didn't make a point to hear his show more often because it just seemed as though there was no hurry. He'd always be around. Funny how people always make those sorts of silly assumptions and then feel bad about them once a person isn't around anymore. I never heard the legendary Festive 50 (only read the charts). The last time I heard his voice was during Orbital's final performance -- which was on his show in the Maida Vale studios -- which for me (Orbital being one of my favourite bands ever), is a fitting way to close my books with him.

It's well known that "Teenage Kicks" by The Undertones was Peel's favourite song. BBC Radio 1, fittingly, played it as a tribute to him when they announced his death (I've listened to it twice today too). I learned it was his favourite from Melody Maker's "Rebellious Jukebox" column, in which music personalities were asked to list and comment on their favourite records. Peel said he got choked up every time he heard the song, and was physically incapable of speaking every time he played it on the air -- he always had to play a song immediately afterward. Besides the "choke up" principle being a fine way to identify one's favourite songs, it's notable that Peel was 39 when "Teenage Kicks" was released. People tend to have their strongest feelings toward the music of their youth. And yet, it's amazing to think that I might still be several years away from hearing my favourite song. And that's the way I (and many others, I'm sure) will remember John Peel -- as a favourite uncle who grew older and balder but never stopped being cool.