Peter Dankelson

Peter Dankelson (born 2000) is a guitar player, motivational speaker and author from Libertyville, Illinois. He was born with Goldenhar syndrome which comprises a number of birth defects including a severe facial deformity. He is co-owner of Pete's Diary LLC, which publishes, distributes, and manages his books and music. Pete's Diary is also the name of his band. MusicRadar named him one of "The 13 best online guitar personalities of 2020".

Early life Dankelson was born in Michigan in the year 2000. He was born with numerous birth defects such as microtia and atresia due to Goldenhar syndrome, and has had 36 surgeries to correct his facial, airway and other deformities. He was born without a left ear or left ear canal. At birth, he needed tracheostomy surgery. He attended Libertyville High School.

He is a member of the Children's Craniofacial Association.

Career He is a musician and a motivational speaker. He operates a motivational website called Pete's Diary. In December 2022 MusicRadar published an article titled "The 13 best online guitar personalities of 2020, as voted by you". They named Peter Dankelson (Pete's Diary) 3rd on their list.

Dankelson is the subject of two books. He co-wrote "How I Learned To Rock My Life: The Peter Dankelson Story". His mother and business partner Dede Dankelson wrote the book "Peter's Rockin' Ear: A Story of Self-Acceptance"