Come On Baby ... Light My Fire

I don't know if it was wishful thinking on his sister Nancy's part, but she always remarked to Peter that he should play more ballads, because in her mind, he sounded like Jim Morrison. All of the sisters constantly remarked on how his voice was uncanny and that it had a deepness to it, that stayed with you. In fact, while I don't actually hear it the resemblance to Jim Morrison, I do remember Pete cringing and rolling his eyes back at the mention of it.

While I don't think Peter sounded like The Doors, whenever anyone played their music he'd tap out the drum or cackle along with the lyrics. For his voice, he was fond of the slower melodic parts of songs. One of my favorites in Peter's early singing days is Carnivore's  "Male Supremacy." Not very Morrison-like, but, catchy and melodic.

Pete With Sister Barbara

Cathy recalls a Summer evening where her friends got a glimpse into Pete's  early musical inspirations:

It was a lazy summer day in 1966 when the kids I grew up with on 18th street would hang out on the stoop and listen to Cousin Brucie, an AM DJ who'd start playing music at around 6 PM or so every night. Pete was only 4 going on 5 years old but he'd run with the "big" kids whenever he could and stay out till late at night hangin' out with me (12 years old), Dianne (very soft spoken and petit age 9) and her brother Tommy (age 11) both who lived 5 doors away from our house; Denise ( about 10 years old) from across the street whose last name was "Rega-something"  sounded like some italian macaroni;  and Neil  (age 11 too) who lived around the corner across from Midwood field. As long as I would keep an eye on Pete, he could hang out till late with us on our stoop listening to the radio station playing this new song called "Light My Fire" by the Doors, which we all quickly went crazy over. Well, Pete didn't wander at all once he heard the music. In fact, we all took turns trying to mimic Jim Morrison -- forming our own stoop band, we strummed our air guitars, pounded on garbage pail tops as drums, and screeched the notes of the keyboards.

Then, all of a sudden, Peter raced to the top of the stoop and sang out  ... " Set The Night On FIRE ! "

We all applauded him and ourselves and waited for Cousin Brucie to start up the next song ...

I can hear Peter asking in his best "Lenny and Squiggy" voice, "Do ya know what a STOOP is?"