Peter Young (1951–2018)

In memory

Peter Young, aka PY, passed away on 1st November, 2018. He will be remembered by his legions of fans for his more than 35 years of broadcasting.

It is no exaggeration to say that PY was responsible for introducing generation after generation of British youth to American soul music via his hugely influential radio show, The Soul Cellar, which he began in 1979.

The Soul Cellar

PY saw his Soul Cellar show as a celebration of the R&B music of Black America, mainly from the late-1950s through to the early-1980s, but concentrating primarily on the golden era of the 1960s and 1970s.

Motown, Stax, Atlantic, Chess, and Philadelphia made up the backbone of the show, along with some of the smaller record labels from the Southern States.

Jazz FM

It was always Peter Young’s ambition to be involved in music and he cited radio presenter Alan ‘Fluff’ Freeman as an inspiration for making everything he played sound exciting.

PY remembered buying his first soul record from Edgware Electrics in 1963 at the age of twelve: “Fingertips” on the UK Oriole label by another 12-year old: Little Stevie Wonder.

PY worked for Capital Radio for over a decade before becoming one of Jazz FM’s original presenters when it launched in 1990. He also briefly worked for BBC Radio, before returning to Jazz FM—the station he regarded as home.

Peter Young at Right On

In 2004, Peter Young celebrated 25 years of The Soul Cellar and marked the occasion by playing a rare club set at Right On Describing the event afterwards, he said,

“I really enjoyed it. It was so refreshing to play to such a friendly and enthusiastic crowd and the amount of young people present certainly filled me full of hope for the future. This music has got a lot of life left in it yet, thank God.”