John Peel day to be held in October

Gigs will be taking place across the UK in as many venues as possible to celebrate the life and times of radio DJ John Peel. Radio 1 will also be holding a John Peel Day for the visionary DJ. The first Peel Day is set for Thursday, October 13, and organisers hope it will become an annual event. Peel, who discovered dozens of major bands, was the longest-serving Radio 1 presenter, and also presented the Home Truths programme on Radio 4. Bands such as The Undertones, The Smiths, David Bowie and Pink Floyd owed much of their initial success to Peel's support. Peel, who died from a heart attack on October 26 last year while on holiday in Peru, had been with the station since its launch in 1967.