BBC celebrates the 60th birthday of John Peel in Aug 1999 - ironically a few months after he was nearly axed.

"An evening of programmes dedicated to the boy that who never grew up John Peel night is Sun from 9 on BBC 2"

D'ye ken John Peel? DJ legend, radio original and indie music champion turns 60

Stuart Miller form The Guardian - Tuesday August 17, 1999

Even the Queen Mother cannot expect this sort of treatment. John Peel, broadcasting legend, radio original and indie music champion, is to have two dedicated theme nights on the BBC to celebrate his 60th birthday this month.

The influential DJ will be rewarded for more than two decades of innovative service on August 29 - the eve of his birthday - with an evening of Peel-related programmes on BBC2. Two days later, Radio 1, his main base for the last 22 years, provides it own tribute.

Peel was one of the original line-up of disc jockeys when Radio 1 was launched in 1967.

He built a reputation as the station's conscience, the fearless champion of new bands few other DJs would touch. The list of acts he is credited with discovering includes the Smiths, the Undertones, the Fall and Pulp.

The eclectic DJ has expanded his repertoire in recent years, winning widespread acclaim for his Radio 4 series Home Truths, which invites listeners to discuss their family and lifestyle experiences. The series has won several awards, including three prestigious Sony Radio awards.

Before joining Radio 1, he served as a gunner in the army and worked for a pirate radio station for six months. Ever self-deprecating, he lists making a noise like a dolphin among his specialist skills. Among his fans is the prime minister who said in 1997 that Peel was "truly a radio legend". Last year, he was awarded an OBE for services to broadcasting.

The centrepiece of the BBC2 celebration - presented by Radio 1 colleague Jo Whiley - is The Lives And Times Of John Peel. Other programmes include Fatherhood, a short film shot at his home Peel Acres in which he talks about his life as a son and a father, and John Peel: TV Personality, tracing some of his reluctant appearances in front of the cameras including his often comic appearances on Top Of The Pops.

The Radio 1 celebration will feature a six-hour party from the BBC's Maida Vale studios in west London, where most of the sessions for his show have been recorded.

There will be surprise live performances from many of his favourite bands.

Peel's Pearls:-

• Pulp - First recorded as a session on Peel's programme in the early 1980s, 15 years before reaching mainstream chart success with hits such as Common People and Disco 2000.
• Cornershop - Brimful of Asha was number one for weeks last year, six years after Peel described them as a "bright moment in a dull year for UK music".
• The Undertones - The band wrote to Peel in 1978 asking him for a mention. The day after he played their home-produced EP they were signed by Sire Records. Teenage Kicks remains his favourite song.
• The Smiths - Before their first appearance on his programme in May 1983, the DJ warned: "They've been touted slightly as the latest prophets of northern doom. I should disregard that." The band went on to release eight studio albums.
• The Fall - The Mancunian band's first Peel session was broadcast in June 1978. Over the next decade, they came to be regarded as one of the most important bands to emerge from post-punk Britain.

From the John Peel FAQ - Which song makes you high? "'Teenage Kicks' - Undertones"

John Peel on his 60th birthday

"Teenage dreams so hard to beat" is a kind of nice summary I'd quite like to have that on my tombstone - not just yet

Many happy returns - you will always be the ONE.