Blue Cheer Founder Dickie Peterson Dies at 61
October 13th 2009 10:00AM
Dickie Peterson, bassist and frontman for legendary heavy metal pioneers Blue Cheer, died Monday, Oct. 12, at the age of 61. Peterson, who founded the proto-metal outfit in 1967 in the Bay Area, passed away in Germany after battling liver cancer, according to Blabbermouth.
Influenced by the era's heavy blues innovators Cream and Jimi Hendrix, Blue Cheer made its first impact in early 1968 when it released its debut album 'Vincebus Eruptum.' A roaring opposite to Haight Ashbury's flower power, Peterson stood in stark contrast to San Francisco based bands like the Grateful Dead.
Named for a potent strain of acid, Blue Cheer's proto metal actually produced a chart hit when its rendition of Eddie Cochran's 'Summertime Blues' made it all the way to No. 11 on the Billboard charts. Jim Morrison once called the power trio "The single most powerful band I've ever seen." Live, they were the first band ever listed in the 'Guinness Book of World Records' as "Loudest Band in the World," establishing a precedent which was eventually eclipsed by Ritchie Blackmore and Deep Purple.
Despite the fact that Blue Cheer, which also initially included drummer Paul Whaley and guitarist Lee Stephens, was the first American band to use Marshall amplifiers, their impact was endured even if the band didn't last. The band called it a day in 1972, however Peterson resuscitated the group 1984 for a 10-year run and reignited it in 1999 for regular touring. In 2007, Blue Cheer recorded its first new studio release in 15 years, 2007's 'What Doesn't Kill You ...,' and continued to tour the globe.
