Lucky Peterson
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Lucky Peterson (born Judge Kenneth Peterson, 13 December 1964, Buffalo, New York[1]) is an American musician who plays contemporary blues, fusing soul, R&B, gospel and rock and roll. He plays guitar and keyboards.
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[edit] Biography
Peterson's father, bluesman James Peterson, owned a nightclub in Buffalo, called The Governor's Inn. The club was a regular stop for fellow bluesmen such as Willie Dixon. Dixon saw a five-year-old Lucky Peterson performing at the club and, in Peterson's words, "Took me under his wing." Months later, Peterson performed on The Tonight Show, The Ed Sullivan Show and What's My Line?. Millions of people watched Peterson sing "1-2-3-4," a cover version of a James Brown song. At the time, Peterson said "his father wrote it".
As a teen, Peterson studied at the Buffalo Academy of Performing Arts. There, he played the French horn with the school symphony. Soon, he was playing backup guitar and keyboards for Etta James, Bobby "Blue" Bland, and Little Milton.
The 1990s were a prolific period for Peterson. Two solo Bob Greenlee produced albums for the Chicago based Alligator Records (1989's Lucky Strikes! and the following year's Triple Play) remain his finest recorded offerings.[2] He then released four more for the French record label, Verve Records (I'm Ready, Beyond Cool, Lifetime and Move). While with Verve, Peterson collaborated with Mavis Staples on a tribute to gospel singer Mahalia Jackson, called Spirituals & Gospel. Peterson played electric organ behind Staples' singing.
More albums from Peterson came after 2000. He recorded two for Blue Thumb Records (Lucky Peterson and Double Dealin'), and one for Dreyfus (Black Midnight Sun). In 2007, he will release a new album on JSP records, called Tete a Tete.
Today, Peterson lives in Dallas, Texas. He still tours, but says he spends an increasing amount of time playing music for his church. He has four children.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Solo albums
- 1969 Our Future: 5 Year Old Lucky Peterson Today Records
- 1984 Ridin' Evidence Records
- 1989 Lucky Strikes! Alligator Records
- 1990 Triple Play Alligator Records
- 1992 I'm Ready Verve Records
- 1993 Beyond Cool Verve Records
- 1995 Lifetime Verve Records
- 1998 Move Verve Records
- 1999 Lucky Peterson Blue Thumb Records
- 2001 Double Dealin' Blue Thumb Records - Grammy Award nominee, produced by John Porter
- 2003 Black Midnight Sun Dreyfus Records
