Farewell Charlie Gillett

Man, this has turned into the obit blog this week. Today I learned that influential BBC disk jockey Charlie Gillett has passed away.

I do a lot of listening to the Beeb online and always enjoyed Gillett's shows, which incorporated lots of world music, along with British and American pop,rock and soul sounds. He was one of those legendary Beeb djs, like the late John Peel and the troubled, missing-in-action Andy Kershaw, who helped shape tastes and consistently introduced his audiences to new sounds.

Unlike most American djs -- held hostage by narrow, commercially-minded play lists -- these guys broke new acts and helped boost the careers of deserving, little-heard musicians. I don't know that there's anyone around to fill their shoes, even on the BBC.

Along with his incredibly important work as a broadcaster, Gillett also was the author of "The Sound of the City," a must-read history of American rock'n'soul.

I'll miss him and I'm sure thousands more will too.