Dickie Peterson

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Dickie Peterson
Peterson photographed in Sacramento in 1974, by Ken Magri
Background information
Birth Name	Richard Allen Peterson
Alias	Dickie
Born	September 12, 1946, Grand Forks, North Dakota
Died	October 12, 2009, Erkelenz, Germany
Occupation	Musician
Genres	Blues, Proto-Punk, Proto-Metal, Psychedelic Rock, Hard Rock
Instrument(s)	Vocals, Bass, Guitar
Years active	1966 - 2009
Labels	MCA, Rainman
Associated acts	Group B, Blue Cheer, Peterbuildt, Thrasher, Hank Davison Band, Mother Ocean
Website	bluecheerarchive.com

Dickie Peterson (September 12, 1946 - October 12, 2009) was a musician best known as being the bassist and vocalist for proto-metal band Blue Cheer.

Born in North Dakota, Peterson, a former Davis, California resident, was bassist and singer for the famous power trio, which first hit the charts in 1968, covering “Summertime Blues” on their album Vincebus Eruptum. A favorite of bikers and 1 percenters everywhere, Blue Cheer took their name from a local brand of LSD. The group’s earth-shaking blues sound, featuring Peterson’s booming voice and vibrating bass licks, punctuated the psychedelic era of Bay Area acid rock and created a template that later influenced an entire generation of heavy-metal bands.

Peterson moved to Sacramento in 1974, forming Peterbildt with his brother Jerre Peterson, and playing numerous West Coast venues. In 1988, he reincarnated Blue Cheer again, with guitarist Andrew “Duck” MacDonald and original drummer Paul Whaley, and toured regularly throughout Europe, where he lived. The group’s live DVD, Blue Cheer Rocks Europe, came out in 2009.

“Dickie waits for the rest of us,” MacDonald told the Sacramento News and Review newspaper, “And then he will turn and face God and say, ‘We’re Blue Cheer, and this is what we do,’ and launch into ‘Babylon.’