Iconic British DJ John Peel is being posthumously honored in one of the coolest ways this transit aficionado can think of: He’ll have a train named after him by the British transport agency Merseyside. The John Peel makes its maiden voyage to Liverpool this Thursday, two days before the fourth anniversary of his 2004 passing. Peel’s widow Sheila Ravenscroft will be on hand for the christening; Ian Prowse from the British pop outfit Amsterdam will also be in attendance. He’ll play the band’s track “Does This Train Stop On Merseyside,” which was No. 31 on the 2003 edition of Peel’s year-end countdown the Festive 50.
As part of Idolator’s continuing effort to geekily analyze every music chart known to man, we present a new edition of Project X, in which Idolator Critics’ Poll editor Michaelangelo Matos breaks down rankings from every genre imaginable. After the click-through, he looks at the legacy of British broadcaster John Peel’s annual Festive 50 countdown, and how Peel’s fans are continuing the tradition, for better or worse:
Three years after his still-kinda-tragic death, British radio institution John Peel finally has a headstone for his gravesite, inscribed with the lyrics to Irish punk band the Undertones’ Peel-beloved “Teenage Kicks” and the insignia from his football club of choice, Liverpool FC. More »
In the interests of promoting writings that aren’t necessarily found online, we bring you the Idolator Book Club, in which we look at music books that may be residing in a bookstore near you. In this installment, Idolator intern Cortney Harding gives a once-over to the recent memoir/biography John Peel: Margrave of the Marshes.
To mark John Peel Day–which honors the British DJ, musical omnivore, and rock hero who passed away two years ago this month–we’d like to present a few songs by The Fall. The Mark E. More »
