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Peter Blecha

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Peter Blecha
Born
Seattle, Washington, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Alma materUniversity of Washington
Occupation(s)Historian, curator, essayist, author, musician

Peter Charles Blecha is an American historian, curator, essayist, author, musician, and director of the Seattle-based Northwest Music Archives. He is primarily known for research related to aspects of Pacific Northwest musical history. In addition to his books, essays, and album liner notes, Blecha has also served in multiple consulting and curatorial positions.

Early life

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Blecha was raised in the Beacon Hill area of Seattle. His family moved to Olympia in 1962, and at an early age he took piano and drum lessons. After graduating from Winlock Miller High School, he returned to Seattle in 1974 to enroll at the University of Washington, studying art history under Constantine Chrisfofides, art under Jacob Lawrence, and Northwest Coast art under Bill Holm.[1][2]

Career

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In the early 1970s, Blecha was active in the Olympia rock scene as a member of GodMother, Warbucks, and Valhalla, and later in Seattle with the Debbies, the Musical Chairs, conCordia disCors, and the Chains of Hell Orchestra.[3]

In 1983, he formed the Northwest Music Archives to document record labels from the Pacific Northwest and began 17 years of writing the "Northwest Music Archives" column in Seattle's music magazine The Rocket.[4][5]

The following year his exhibit, "The History of Northwest Recording", was mounted at the Seattle Public Library's main branch utilizing his own collection and items from recording engineer Kearney Barton. In 1987, he wrote and co-produced (with Mike Webb) a 10-hour special, "The History of Northwest Rock", for KVI radio, and in 1988 returned to the University of Washington to study museology. In 1990, Blecha began hosting the area's first all-Northwest oldies radio specialty show – "Tall Cool Ones" – on KCMU,[6] and also served on the Northwest Area Music Association's Hall of Fame Committee.[7]

In 1992, Blecha was hired as an archival consultant by Microsoft founder Paul Allen for a specific project: the Jimi Hendrix Museum,[2][8] and served on the project's Planning and Design, Exhibit Development, and Concept Development teams. Over the following several years, the project's mission was expanded to include the Northwest's regional music history. Leading the curatorial department’s artifact acquisition effort, Blecha secured thousands of historic items while also conducting interviews with scores of rock stars and other music industry figures, earning a reputation as the "Indiana Jones of rock 'n' roll"[9] and the "archaeologist of Northwest rock"[10] for his work in locating important musical artifacts related to major rock artists and performances.[11] The museum opened in June 2000 as the Experience Music Project (EMP), now the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP), with Blecha as a Senior Curator with three major inaugural exhibits: the "Jimi Hendrix Exhibit"; the "Northwest Passage Gallery" (about the history of Northwest music); and "Quest for Volume: A History of the Electric Guitar".[12]

In the following years, Blecha served in volunteer positions with the Stone Age Institute Advisory Board, the Association for Recorded Sound Collections Excellence in Publication Committee, the Northwest African American Museum Advisory Committee, and the Joint Artists and Music Promotions Action Committee (JAMPAC). He was also named as an Ambassador for the Seattle Center Foundation's Next 50 history committee.[13]

In 2001, Blecha began working for Walt Crowley's HistoryLink, an online encyclopedia of Washington State history.[2] As of 2024, he continues to serve there as a Staff Historian and Contributing Editor, writing hundreds of essays about regional topics. He has published ten books and written feature essays for The Seattle Times, Seattle Business, Seattle Weekly, Seattle Metropolitan, Seattle Magazine , Life, No Depression, DISCoveries, and others.[13]

Blecha researched historic brands of guitars manufactured in the Pacific Northwest from the 1930s through the 1950s including Audiovox, Bud-Electro, Hanburt, and Coppock, with many documented in essays in Vintage Guitar magazine.[14] He also researched pioneering Northwest-based record companies from the 1940s (Linden, Morrison), 1950s (Dolton), and 1960s (Jerden, Etiquette, Camelot). In 2013, he launched the Northwest Music Archives website to document all known Pacific Northwest-based record labels and musical artists.[15]

Books

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Author

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  • Blecha, Peter (1997). Wired Wood: The Origins of the Electric Guitar. Seattle: Experience Music Project.
  • —————— (2004). Taboo Tunes: A History of Banned Bands & Censored Songs. Milwaukee: Backbeat. ISBN 978-0879307929.
  • —————— (2005). The Taboo Tunes Songbook. Milwaukee: Hal Leonard. ISBN 978-0634089244.
  • —————— (2005). Rock & Roll Archaeologist: How I Chased Down Kurt's Stratocaster, the 'Layla' Guitar, and Janis's Boa. Seattle: Sasquatch Books. ISBN 978-1570614439.
  • —————— (2007). Music in Washington: Seattle & Beyond. Charleston: Arcadia. ISBN 978-1531629670.
  • —————— (2009). SONIC BOOM! The History of Northwest Rock: From Louie Louie to Smells Like Teen Spirit. Milwaukee: Backbeat. ISBN 978-0879309466.[16]
  • —————— (2011). Jimi Hendrix, Guitar Hero (ebook). Seattle: Amazon.
  • —————— (2017). Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery: The First 50 Years (1967-2017). Seattle: HistoryLink Documentary Media. ISBN 978-1933245478.
  • —————— (2023). Stomp and Shout: R&B and the Origins of Northwest Rock and Roll. Seattle: University of Washington Press. ISBN 978-0295751252.

Co-author

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  • Blecha, Peter; Oldham, Kit (2011). High Tides & Tailwinds: The History of the Port of Seattle. Seattle: University of Washington Press. ISBN 978-0295991313.[17]
  • Blecha, Peter; Holden, Brad (2022). Lost Roadhouses of Seattle. Charleston: The History Press. ISBN 978-1467150736.

Other works

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Articles and essays

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Selected works from books, magazines and websites:

Documentaries

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  • Interview: Jimi Hendrix: By Those Who Knew Him Best (Chrome Dreams Productions, 2004)
  • Interview: The Banned History of Rock & Roll (BBC Radio Scotland, 2006)
  • Co-producer, writer: Music on East Madison Street: The Sound of Seattle (Ray-Blecha Productions, 2015)
  • Interview: Bezango, WA (Austin Amandes Productions, 2015)

Liner notes

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Selected liner notes and booklets from major LP and CD releases:[18][19]

  • The Daily Flash: I Flash Daily (Psycho Records, 1985)
  • Various: Nuggets Volume 8: The Northwest (Rhino Records, 1988)
  • The Kingsmen: The Best of The Kingsmen (Rhino Records, 1989)
  • The Sonics: Here Are The Ultimate Sonics (Etiquette Records, 1990)
  • The Sonics: Maintaining My Cool (Jerden Records, 1991)
  • The Sonics: Psycho-Sonics (Big Beat Records, 1993)
  • Various: The History of Northwest Rock Vol. 1: The Original Northwest Sound, 1950s-1960s (Jerden Records, 1994)
  • The Squirrels: Scrapin’ For Hits (Pop Lust Audio, 1996)
  • Various: The History of Northwest Rock Vol. 2: The Garage Years (Jerden Records, 1999)
  • Various: The History of Northwest Rock Vol. 3: Psychedelic Seattle (Jerden Records, 2000)
  • Various: Battle of the Bands: Vol. 1, 1960s (Big Beat Records, 2001)
  • Dave Lewis: The Godfather of Northwest Rock (Jerden Records, 2006)
  • The Sonics: Busybody!!!: Live in Tacoma 1964 (Norton Records, 2007)
  • Various: Rock ‘N Soul: Seattle Sounds of the 60s (Camelot Records, 2009)
  • The Bumps: "Please Come Down" / "Baby Blue" (Freakout Records/Hockeytalker Records, 2017)

Music

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Blecha's recordings include singles, EPs, and albums with multiple artists as a drummer, guitarist, and songwriter:[19]

  • Chains of Hell Orchestra: Doctor's Daughter (1982 album), Cairo's Ride (1982 album), Chaque Fois (1984 album), One Bad Trip (1984 12" EP)
  • Shawn O'Neill and the Chains of Hell Orchestra: "Generations Past" on Sub Pop 7 (1982 VA album)
  • Steve Fisk: Kiss This Day Goodbye (1983 album)
  • ME: "Scorpio Moon" / "And Now You" (1985 7" single)

Lectures

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Selected lectures and topics:

  • "Seattle’s New Music Museum: The Experience Music Project", The Sheldon Concert Hall, St. Louis. MO, September 16, 1999
  • "Quest for Volume: A History of the Electric Guitar", Glenn A. Black Laboratory Lecture Hall, University of Indiana, September 18, 1999
  • "The Black Roots of the Original Northwest Rock Sound", University of Washington School of Music Conference: "Around the Sound: Popular Music in Performance, Education and Scholarship" (catalog, pp. 83–85), 2000
  • "The History of Country Music in Oregon", Bagdad Theatre, Portland, October 26, 2012
  • "The Lost Roadhouses of Seattle", Southwest Seattle Historical Society, February 9, 2023,
  • "Stomp & Shout! The Untold Saga of the Origins of Northwest Rock", Town Hall Seattle, April 19, 2023

Personal life

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Blecha resides in the Seattle area with his wife, Kate Race, an artist, musician, and graphic designer.[20]

References

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  1. ^ "Constantine Christofides". University of Washington. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c Hamlin, Andrew (November 21, 2022). "Give Up Your Vows, Save Our City: An Interview with Peter Blecha". The Seattle Star. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  3. ^ Jones, Jeanne Lang (April 27, 2007). "The Collector". Puget Sound Business Journal.
  4. ^ Flanary, Patrick (September 17, 2011). "The Hype Machine: Conversations with those who were listening to 'grunge' before the explosion – and making the most noise" (PDF). Billboard. p. 18. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  5. ^ "Collectors scramble for 10,000 rare, old albums". Tri-City Herald. Kennewick, WA. Associated Press. January 27, 1984 – via Newspspers.com.
  6. ^ Friedman, David (April 1990). "Tall Cool Ones". The Wire. p. 27.
  7. ^ Smith, Dorian (April 27, 1988). "Five Rock Acts Named to NW Hall of Fame". The News Tribune. p. B5 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ Iverson, Jon (May 3, 1998). ". . . While I Kiss the Sky. Rare Jimi Hendrix Audio Tapes Surface". Stereophile. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  9. ^ Eichhorn, Dennis P. (June 21, 2000). "Collection Agent: EMP's Very Own Indiana Jones". The Rocket. Seattle.
  10. ^ Guiden, Mary (April 17, 2009). ""Archaeologist" of NW rock chronicles fascination with local bands". The Seattle Times. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  11. ^ "Noteworthy collection". The Washington Times. September 27, 2005. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  12. ^ MacDonald, Patrick (June 20, 2000). "Mining rock's treasures in basements and bidding wars". The Seattle Times. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  13. ^ a b "Peter Blecha". Blackpast. 29 December 2015. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  14. ^ Estrada, George (September 13, 2005). "Guitar collector scores rare finds". Black Hills Pioneer.
  15. ^ "About Us: The Team Behind This Website". The Northwest Archives. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  16. ^ Winner of the Association of King County Historical Organizations' 2009 Virginia Marie Folkins Award. Also nominated by the Association for Recorded Sound Collections for a 2010 Award for Excellence in Historical Recorded Sound Research.
  17. ^ Winner of the American Association of Port Authorities’ Award of Merit and the National Association of Government Communicators’ Second Place Award.
  18. ^ Peter Blecha at AllMusic
  19. ^ a b Peter Blecha discography at Discogs
  20. ^ Payne, Patti (October 17, 2016). "Historian/author Peter Blecha is writing the storied history of Ste. Michelle for its official 50th anniversary". Puget Sound Business Journal. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
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