While shopping for records as a teen, Peter discovered Muddy Waters and was hooked. Muddy Waters became a major influence and inspiration for Peter, and he saw him play a few times before meeting him. During one show, when Peter and his friend tried to inspect harmonica player James Cotton’s equipment to see what his secret was, he caught them in the act and told them to leave.

Peter got to know Muddy and his band when they were playing a show and Peter offered to buy alcohol for James Cotton and Otis Spann. This won them over, and he found the confidence to invite them over to listen to some of his rare Muddy Waters records. Before long, Muddy and his bandmates regularly visited Peter’s apartment before and after shows. James Cotton stayed at Peter’s apartment for a time, and Muddy often stopped by for meals and to tell stories of his life.

During one of Muddy’s shows in Boston, which was on his birthday, Martin Luther King Jr. was killed. Peter told Muddy, who ended his show and expressed his wish for everyone to get home safely. At the hotel, a small celebration was held for Muddy, but the mood was somber. Peter later tried to make it up to Muddy by getting him on stage with Cream, but the band was using so many drugs they barely knew who Muddy was (as Eric Clapton admitted to Peter years later). The last time Peter saw Muddy, he went with him to the airport. Muddy thanked him as though he knew they wouldn’t see each other again.

Peter moved into an apartment near Harvard, where he met Ed Hood, an actor and literary enthusiast who was gay. A confident and outspoken man, he barged in on Peter and the girl he was with, Andrea, while they were in their apartment. Ed introduced himself and invited Peter over to his place, where he encouraged Peter to read more classic novels and poetry. He took Peter under his wing and kept introducing him to the great works of literature, and Peter absorbed it all.

Through Ed, Peter met Andy Warhol and became involved in the underground art scene. Ed’s father and grandfather both ended their own lives, and when Ed’s mother died, he fell into a depression. Eventually, he joined AA, gave up drinking, and sought therapy. Unfortunately, Ed was encouraged to undergo conversion therapy, which involved torturous electroshocks. He died of a seizure, and few people attended his funeral. Peter ran into Andy Warhol on the street one day, and Andy asked about Ed’s death. Peter told Andy not only that Ed died of a seizure but also that this happened while he was in the middle of a brief conflict with another man. The man thought he somehow killed Ed and died by suicide due to the guilt.

Peter and his bandmate Paul (of the band The Hallucination) went to see a John Lee Hooker show and were surprised by how few people were in attendance despite John Lee’s influence in the music world. After the show, they approached him in his dressing room and offered to help him expand his audience by playing a show with him. John Lee tentatively agreed, making Peter and Paul promise not to play too loudly. The next day, Peter went to the loft of another bandmate, Doug, for rehearsal, which was rudely interrupted by police who were looking for a drug dealer. They had the wrong apartment number and destroyed much of Doug’s apartment during their search.

After that strange experience, the band opened for John Lee Hooker to a packed venue. They played several more shows with John Lee over the years, and Peter always admired his ability to stay cool under stress and his genuine friendly nature. Peter was also friends with Van Morrison during this time, and Van was a big fan of John Lee. Peter introduced them and sat back as Van Morrison absorbed the wisdom of his hero.

Peter had a long and vibrant friendship with Van Morrison, which began, as did many of Peter’s friendships, by chance. Peter worked as a late-night radio disc jockey (DJ) for a while in Boston and often played obscure records. At the time, “obscure” included Van Morrison, and Peter often received postcards from a woman requesting that he play more of Van. One day while Peter’s band was rehearsing at the Boston Tea Party venue, Van walked in and said he was looking for gigs. He brought up Peter’s radio show, and Peter replied that he was the host. When Van introduced himself, Peter was stunned, and he and Van became fast friends.

During the 1960s, Van was trying to get out of a constricting record contract and was often tense or agitated. He had a clear vision for his music but often needed cheering up or coaxing to go on stage. Peter was especially skilled at doing this. Once Van was on stage, however, he always played his heart out. Though Van and Peter had a falling out, Peter never stopped going to Van’s shows. During one show, Van noticed Peter in the audience and used his phone number code to call out to him. They talked after the show, and all was instantly forgiven.

Peter recalls a time in 1998 when Van and Bob Dylan played “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” together. George Harrison watched the show from behind the stage, and Peter asked why he wasn’t on stage with them. George had been diagnosed with cancer at that point and was more in the mood to sit back and appreciate his friend Dylan. One of Peter’s fondest memories of Van is of a time they walked into a restaurant and were refused service because they were two minutes past lunch time. They walked out, and the bartender noticed too late that he had just denied service to Van Morrison. He tried to call him back, but Peter told him where to put his pint, and he and Van walked off together, laughing.

The J. Geils Band had released two albums with little success and needed help getting their name out to the public. They sought out a manager, and were referred to Dee Anthony, an intense man who had a passion for entertainment and a short temper. Peter met with Dee and immediately noted how abrasive and entitled he was, but Peter could also tell that Dee knew what he was doing. Dee took on the J. Geils Band and booked them for a music festival alongside bands like Humble Pie and Three Dog Night. On the day of the festival, the weather turned stormy, and one of the bands, The Faces, showed up hours late, which enraged Dee, so he told the J. Geils crew to remove The Faces’ equipment and set up their own. When The Faces did arrive, an argument broke out and Dee punched the manager. After the J. Geils Band performed, they went back to the hotel and learned later that total chaos broke out in their absence. Instruments were broken, and major brawls ensued. The J. Geils Band eventually parted ways with Dee because he soon took on too many bands and had little time for them.