Authority control databases
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Academics | |
Peter Blecha | |
|---|---|
| Born | Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | University 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.
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]
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 2023, 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]
Selected works from books, magazines and websites:
Selected liner notes and booklets from major LP and CD releases:[18][19]
Blecha's recordings include singles, EPs, and albums with multiple artists as a drummer, guitarist, and songwriter:[19]
Selected lectures and topics:
Blecha resides in the Seattle area with his wife, Kate Race, an artist, musician, and graphic designer.[20]
