Dan Peek

Daniel Milton Peek was an American musician, singer, and songwriter, best known as the co-founder of the band America, and later a "pioneer" in contemporary Christian music.

Early life Peek was born in Panama City, Florida, on November 1, 1950, while his father was in the U.S. Air Force.

When Peek was young he suffered from rheumatoid arthritis and had to be hospitalized away from the family home; his parents could visit only occasionally. Peek remembered this experience when, about a year before he died, he decided to dispose of five of his vintage guitars. Because the Ronald McDonald Houses exist to provide housing for families of hospitalized children close to hospitals around the United States and the world, Peek donated these five guitars to the San Diego house, where they were subsequently sold to a collector, resulting in a $50,000 donation .

Career America

After a brief stint at Old Dominion University in Virginia during 1969,

Peek abused alcohol and other drugs during his time touring with the band and elected to leave shortly after America's February 1977 release of the Harbor album, disenchanted with the travel, recreational drug use, and female groupies. In 2004, he released an autobiography about that era entitled An American Band: The America Story which was "very difficult" for him to write because of the bad memories it brought up.

Peek's debut 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 on the 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 Los Angeles 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. At the 22nd Grammy Awards, the album was nominated, losing in the Contemporary Gospel category to The Imperials album Heed the Call. 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; 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 was interred in Farmington's Zolman Cemetery. Gravestone of Dan and Catherine Peek in Zolman Cemetery in Farmington, Missouri, U.S.

Discography See also America discography

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