More Info on Dan PeekSimilar Undetermined MusicSearch Artistopia
Biography
refimprove|date=July 2011Infobox musical artist| name = Daniel Milton Peek| image = AmericaHomecoming.jpg| alt =| caption = "America" album cover - Dan Peek is on the left| image_size =| landscape = | background = solo_singer| birth_name =| alias =| birth_date = birth date|1950|11|1| birth_place = Panama City, Florida | origin =| death_date = death date and age|2011|7|24|1950|11|1| death_place = Farmington, Missouri | genre = Folk rock , soft rock , country rock , contemporary Christian music|contemporary Christian | occupation =| instrument = Vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards, harmonica| years_active = | label = Warner Bros. Records|Warner Bros. (as part of America), Lamb & Lion Records|Lamb & Lion | associated_acts = America (band)|America | website = URL|danpeek.com/ Daniel Milton "Dan" Peek (November 1, 1950 – July 24, 2011)cite news |last=Lewis |first=Randy |title=Dan Peek dies at 60; founding member of the band America|url= http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-dan-peek-20110727,0,1714260.story|accessdate=27 July 2011|newspaper=LA Times|date=27 July 2011 was a musician best known as a member of the rock band America (band)|America from 1970 to 1977, together with Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell . He was also a "pioneer in contemporary Christian music ."cite news| title= America singer Dan Peek dies aged 60| url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-14306120 | publisher= BBC News | date=July 27, 2011| accessdate=2011-07-27
America
Peek contributed lead and backing vocalist|backing vocal s, guitar s, bass guitar|bass , keyboard instrument|keyboards , and harmonica to their America discography|recordings during his tenure in the band. As a member of America, Peek wrote or co-wrote four Top 100 singles: " Don't Cross The River " (#35), " Lonely People " (#5), "Woman Tonight" (#44), and " Today's the Day (America song)|Today's the Day " (#23), all of which he also sang lead on. "Lonely People" and "Today's the Day" also hit number 1 on the Billboard AC charts.cite news|url= http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/27/arts/music/dan-peek-of-the-rock-band-america-dies-at-60.html? ref=deathsobituaries|title=Dan Peek, of the Rock Band America, Dies at 60|author=Margalit Fox|work= The New York Times |date=July 26, 2011
During this period Peek was "a spectrum drug abuser, alcoholic, you name it". In 2004 Peek released an autobiography about this era entitled An American Band: The America Story which was very difficult for him to write because of the bad memories it brought up.
Contemporary Christian music
Peek left the band shortly after the February 1977 release of the Harbor (album)|Harbor album. Years of life on the road had taken a Social effects of rock and roll#Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll|toll on him . He renewed his Christian faith and had begun to seek a different artistic direction than Beckley or Bunnell. He went on to sign with Pat Boone 's Lamb & Lion Records cite news|url= http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/8666525/Dan-Peek.html |title=Dan Peek |publisher=Telegraph |date= July 27, 2011|accessdate=2011-07-28 |location=London and found modest success as a pioneering artist in the emerging Christian pop music genre.
Peek's debut solo (music)|solo album, All Things Are Possible was released in 1979. Chris Christian co-wrote, produced, and contributed acoustic guitar and backing vocals on the album. The title track reached the Billboard charts, making the Top 10 in the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks|A/C Billboard chart and number 1 in the Christian charts, becoming one of the earliest contemporary Christian music crossover hits. Another song on the album, "Love Was Just Another Word", was recorded in LA and written by Chris Christian and Steve Kipner. Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell contributed the background vocals. This was the last time the three original members of America recorded together.Citation needed|date=July 2011 (According to Peek and Bunnell, Peek joined the group to perform a few songs during a concert at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles, in 1983. However, this has not been substantiated by published sources, and those audience members who have posted online about the show say they don't remember seeing Peek there.) At the 22nd Grammy Awards , the album was nominated, losing in the Grammy Award for Best Gospel Performance, Contemporary|Contemporary Gospel category to The Imperials discography|The Imperials album Heed the Call . Peek followed "All Things Are Possible" with "Doer of the Word", which hit number 2 in the Christian charts. Gerry Beckley contributed background vocals, which were recorded at Chris Christian's studio in Los Angeles while Peek was there. http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=Rpv_ukm7WdA Dan Peek recording "Doer of the Word" with Gerry Beckley and Chris Christian in LA, YouTube.
Peek waited five years before releasing a second solo album, 1984's Doer of the Word . 1986 saw the release of his Electrovoice album, again to the CCM market, which included a remake of "Lonely People", featuring a very similar lead vocal treatment and overall arrangement to the original America version. He changed some of the song's lyrics to reflect his Christian faith,Citation needed|date=July 2011 for example the lines "And ride that highway in the sky" and "You never know until you try" became "And give your heart to Jesus Christ."
Peek spent much of the 1990s in semi-retirement, occasionally recording music at his home in Bodden Town , Grand Cayman Island. He released several solo projects and collaborated with Ken Marvin and Brian Gentry as "Peace" on three albums. In the years before his death, Peek released music via his website. His last musical collaboration was performing lead vocal on a track on the 2011 album Steps On The Water by Etcetera.
Personal life
Peek was born in Panama City, Florida . Beginning in 1963, Peek was educated at London Central Elementary High School at Bushey Hall in North London. In 1973 he married Catherine Maberry, with whom he would write a number of songs, including " Lonely People ". http://www.ascap.com/ace/search.cfm? requesttimeout=300& mode=results& searchstr=420182869& search_in=i& search_type=exact& search_det=tswpbv& results_pp=30& start=1 "Lonely People" compositional info, ASCAP. Retrieved August 31, 2011. He published an autobiography entitled An American Band , based on America's most successful period, and his own spiritual journey.
Peek died in his sleep on July 24, 2011 at age 60 at his home in Farmington, Missouri . His interment was in Farmington's Zolman Cemetery.
http://www.venturahighway.com/ Official America Homepage
http://www.accessbackstage.com/america/ Official America fans page
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/8666525/Dan-Peek.html Obituary of Dan Peek, The Daily Telegraph, 27 July, 2011
http://www.parklandnews.com/news-july-2011-dan-peek-autopsy.html Dan Peek Autopsy Report, ParklandNews.com
America (band) Persondata | NAME = Peek, Dan | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = | DATE OF BIRTH = November 1, 1950 | PLACE OF BIRTH = Panama City, Florida | DATE OF DEATH = July 24, 2011 | PLACE OF DEATH = Farmington, Missouri DEFAULTSORT:Peek, Dan Category:people from Panama City, Florida Category:American rock musicians Category:American Christians Category:American performers of Christian music Category:American soft rock musicians Category:1950 births Category:2011 deaths Category:American expatriates in the United Kingdom Category:Military brats Category:America (band) members
