I HAVE always blamed John Peel for my disappointing A-level results. When I should have been studying Jane Austen or the Franco-Prussian war, it always seemed easier to tune in to Peelie's late-night show.

That was back in the early 70s, and the amazing thing about Peelie is that up until a few days before his death he was still thrilling/annoying/amazing his youthful (and not so youthful) fans with his eclectic choice of music.

The key to this remarkable disc jockey and one-man cultural institution was his determination to play what he thought was good music and to hell with categorisation and fickle fashion.

One minute the gruff-voiced Peelie would be playing a manic punk thrash, the next an ethereal folk song. It was the sheer breadth of his musical taste that was so impressive.

It is a testament to his willingness to listen to and promote new music that he played demos by glorious failures Dead Trout, Soldier Bike and Blab Happy (all bands featuring friends of mine) as well as legends like The Fall, The Undertones, The Smiths - and more recently - Cornershop and Nina Nastasia.

He even founded his own, short-lived record label - Dandelion - to ensure non-commercial artists got a bit of exposure.

It is difficult to see where Peelie's successor will come from. Perhaps it's time to recall the equally quirky Andy Kershaw from his exile on Radios Two and Three.