Seeing as this is BBC News's lead story on their website I'll put this here. I did a search and couldn't see a thread on this topic.

Here's my tribute to John.

Legendary radio presenter John Peel was an immeasurably influential figure in the history of popular music. Born in Liverpool, England, his career began at the height of Beatlemania on WRR radio in Dallas, Texas. His radio reputation grew throughout the sixties and he was chiefly responsible for promoting then-obscure artists such as Marc Bolan, David Bowie and Captain Beefheart, on his show Perfumed Garden on Radio London. In September 1967 he moved to the new BBC Radio One and his show Top Gear featured live music sessions - "known as Peel Sessions" - from artists such as The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Syd Barrett era-Pink Floyd and Joe Cocker and the Grease Band. Throughout the 1970s John Peel continued to break traditional broadcasting conventions with his natural good humour and relaxed approach to broadcasting. He often ignored playlists and played his own tastes: Including, by the middle of that decade, the emerging punk music of the period. Right up until his death his show was still the most well-loved cutting edge music show on British radio, and his BBC Radio 4 show "Home Truths", a highly intelligent and entertaining documentary magazine programme about family life that aired every Saturday morning, had become a much-loved and always topical broadcasting institution.

John Peel was dedicated as a disc jockey to promoting new music and much of the course of popular music history is indebted to him. His influence on radio presenting in bringing a personal, natural touch to mass communications, is incalculable.

For more information on John Peel, click here.

Wow, that sucks. Yes, a very influential man in the world of music. RIP.