Peter Green
I awoke this morning to discover that Peter Green, the great English guitarist and founder of the original Fleetwood Mac had passed away at 73. That’s really sad. It was many years ago that as a teenager I purchased John Mayall’s “Hard Road” album and heard his playing for the first time. It was through the English blues enthusiasts that I first discovered blues music and then took several more years to start listening to the originators from America. Most of us needed a conduit to get to the source and people like Peter Green were responsible for opening our hearts and ears to this wonderful musical expression called “The Blues”.
Another thing that I noticed is that when a significant musician dies it has a much more profound effect on me than a politician, sportsman even an actor. In some ways musicians define the road map of my life more than any other people and are possibly more important and have had more influence on my life and development than any other group.
Back in the late 60s I played in a blues band called “Adderley Smith Blues Band”. I was 17 years old at the time which would have meant that Peter Green was just 22. Listening to some of the early John Mayall and Fleetwood Mac stuff this morning reminded me of how much influence these English guys had on me and my musical tastes.
Vale Peter Green and if there is such a thing as “re-incarnation” may you discover guitar at a very young age.
