TIMELINE
1954
- Born September 20, 1954 in Luton, a town a few miles north of London, England
- Father – Kenneth White. Mother – Gilberte (French). Peter already has an older brother John (1953)
- Peter and his family move soon after his birth to nearby Letchworth Garden City
- Sister Michele is born
- Younger brother Danny is born
- Peter's father teaches him to play the recorder and piano and also teaches him to read music
- Hears the Beatles for the first time
- Gets his first guitar, a steel string acoustic, and starts teaching himself to play (*he has still never had a lesson in his entire life)
- Learns to play the clarinet, cornet and trombone (coached by his father) and joins the Letchworth Town Brass Band
- Attends Hitchen Boys School and meets David Visick, who sells Peter his very first LP – The Beatles' "Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band"
- Starts taking private harmonica lessons
- Has violin lessons at school (the only instrument Peter learns in school)
- Gives up playing the clarinet and brass instruments
- Hears Jimi Hendrix's "Purple Haze" and Eric Clapton's guitar playing on "Sunshine of Your Love"
- Gives up piano lessons and asks parents for an electric guitar
- Acquires his first electric guitar and amplifier, which is soon burnt in a fire set by his younger brother Danny
- Goes back to his acoustic guitar and starts to learn to play fingerstyle after hearing Mason Williams' "Classical Gas" on the radio
- Gives up the harmonica and violin and all music education at school to concentrate on Science and Maths and continues to teach himself guitar and piano.
- Hears Led Zeppelin for the first time and is inspired to get another electric guitar
- Listens to Emerson Lake and Palmer's first LP at friend David Visick's house and starts to take up piano lessons again after a 3-year break
- Hears Joni Mitchell "Blue" LP and is taken with her melodies and lyrics and for the first time starts listening to song lyrics.
- Now interested in playing both acoustic and electric guitar and piano
- Finishes secondary school (high school) and works for a few months in a soup canning factory
- Gets his first professional engagement playing electric guitar in a dance band in Cornwall, in the South West of England
- Later auditions for and joins the band Principal Edwards
- Gets a call to join Al Stewart's band on keyboards, touring England and America
- Al invites Peter to Abbey Road Studios to play keyboards and acoustic guitar on his upcoming "Year of the Cat" album, produced by Alan Parsons
- "Year of the Cat" is released.
- Al, Peter and the band go on a world tour to promote it. Al relocates to Los Angeles, CA
- Writes his first song with Al, "Time Passages" and records again at Abbey Road Studios, where Peter meets Paul McCartney who is recording the London Town albumv
- Moves to Los Angeles to help Al finish the album "Time Passages"
- "Time Passages" is released and goes on tour to promote it
- Decides to live full time in the USA
- Al Stewart and Peter tour Japan for the first time
- Forms a band called Shot in the Dark, who also backs up Al Stewart
- Al releases his "24 Carrots" LP featuring Peter on acoustic guitar and keyboards
- Shot in the Dark release their self-titled and only LP
- Al releases a live album "Indian Summer" featuring Peter on acoustic guitar
- Brother Danny forms the group Matt Bianco, featuring Basia on vocals and Danny on keyboards, and asks Peter to record some guitar on their first album "Whose Side Are You On"
- Al Stewart releases "Russians and Americans" LP and Al and Peter tour Europe as a duo
- Danny and Basia leave Matt Bianco and record Basia's first solo album "Time and Tide", featuring Peter on acoustic and electric guitar
- Hears Acoustic Alchemy on the radio and starts to make plans for a solo album
- Al releases "Last Days of the Century", title track written by Al and Peter
- Releases his 1st solo album "Reveillez-Vous"
- Goes on a world tour with Danny and Basia
- Steve Chapman becomes Peter's manager
- Al Stewart and Peter tour USA and Japan as a duo and record the shows for a live album
- Performs his first full-length concert as a solo artist at the JazzTrax Catalina Island Jazz Festival in October
- 2nd solo album "Excusez-Moi"
- Al releases "Rhymes in Rooms", a duo album recorded live with Peter on acoustic guitar, accordion and piano
- 3rd solo album "Promenade"
- 4th solo album "Reflections"
- Plays his last tour with Al in the UK and then goes on a world tour with Danny and Basia
- Signs with Columbia/Sony
- Peter is a part of the first "Guitars and Saxes" Tour (with Richard Elliot, Warren Hill and Craig Chaquico)
- JazzTrax Christmas Tour with Rick Braun, Daniel Ho and Gregg Vail
- 5th solo album "Caravan of Dreams"
- "Guitars and Saxes" Tour (with Kirk Whalum, Marc Antoine and Rick Braun)
- JazzTrax Christmas Tour (with Slim Man, Freddie Ravel and Paul Taylor)
- "Guitars and Saxes" Tour (with Craig Chaquico, Richard Elliot and Rick Braun)
- 6th solo album "Songs of the Season" and goes on promotional tour to promote it in December
- 7th solo album "Perfect Moment"
- "Smooth Jazz Christmas" Tour (Dave Koz, Peter White, David Benoit and Brenda Russell)
- "Guitars and Saxes" Tour (with Kirk Whalum, Marc Antoine and Everette Harp)
- "Smooth Jazz Christmas" Tour (Dave Koz, Peter White, David Benoit, Brenda Russell and Rick Braun)
- 1st Oasis Smooth Jazz Awards
- - Best Guitarist
- - CD of the Year "Perfect Moment"
- - Song of the Year "Midnight in Manhattan"
- "Smooth Jazz Christmas" Tour (Dave Koz, Peter White, David Benoit, Brenda Russell and Rick Braun)
- Best Collaboration "Peter White and Grover Washington, Jr."
- 8th solo album "Glow"
- 2nd The National Smooth Jazz Awards
- Best Guitarist
- 3rd The National Smooth Jazz Awards
- Best Guitarist
- 4th The National Smooth Jazz Awards
- Best Guitarist
- "Guitars and Saxes" Tour (with Jeff Golub, Richard Elliot and Steve Cole)
- 1st Peter White Christmas Tour (featuring Mindi Abair)
- 9th solo album "Confidential"
- 2nd Peter White Christmas Tour (featuring Mindi Abair and Rick Braun)
- The Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards/ nomination for "International Artist of the Year"
- "Jazz Attack" Tour (with Rick Braun, Richard Elliot and Jonathan Butler)
- 3rd Peter White Christmas Tour (featuring Mindi Abair and Rick Braun)
- 10th solo album "Playin' Favorites"
- "Guitars and Saxes" Tour (with Jeff Golub, Gerald Albright and Richard Elliot)
- 4th Peter White Christmas Tour (featuring Mindi Abair and Rick Braun)
- "Jazz Attack" Tour (with Rick Braun, Richard Elliot and Jonathan Butler)
- Tours Japan for the first time as a solo artist- with Mindi Abair
- 11th solo album "Peter White Christmas with Mindi Abair and Rick Braun"
- 5th Peter White Christmas Tour (featuring Mindi Abair and Rick Braun)
- Signs with Peak Records/Concord
- "Guitars and Saxes" Tour (with Jeff Golub, Gerald Albright and Jeff Lorber)
- The Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards
- International Instrumentalist of the Year
- 6th Peter White Christmas Tour (featuring Mindi Abair and Rick Braun)
- 12th solo album "Good Day"
- "Dave Koz and Friends Christmas" reunion tour (Dave Koz, Peter White, Rick Braun, David Benoit and Brenda Russell)
- "Guitars and Saxes" Tour (with Jeff Golub, Gerald Albright and Kirk Whalum)
- American Smooth Jazz Awards
- - Guitarist of the Year
- - Album of the Year "Good Day"
- 7th Peter White Christmas Tour (featuring Mindi Abair and Rick Braun)
- Song of the Year "Bright"
- "Jazz Attack" Tour (with Rick Braun and Gerald Albright)
- Oasis Contemporary Jazz Awards (presented at Seabreeze Jazz Festival)
- Guitarist of the Year
- 8th Peter White Christmas Tour (featuring Mindi Abair and Kirk Whalum)
- 13th solo album "Here We Go"
- "White Hot Summer Groove" Tour (with Euge Groove)
- Soul Train Awards/ nomination for "Best Contemporary Jazz Artist/Group"
- 9th Peter White Christmas Tour (featuring Mindi Abair and Rick Braun)
- Billboard #1 Smooth Jazz Song of the Year "Here We Go"
- Groove Jazz Music #1 Song of the Year "Here We Go"
- Mid-summer collaboration shows with David Benoit featuring David Pack
- 10th Peter White Christmas Tour (featuring Mindi Abair and Rick Braun)
- 14th solo album "Smile"
- "Jazz Attack" Tour (with Rick Braun and Euge Groove)
- 11th Peter White Christmas Tour (featuring Mindi Abair and Rick Braun)
- "Jazz Attack" Tour (with Richard Elliot and Euge Groove)
- 12th Peter White Christmas Tour (featuring Mindi Abair and Rick Braun)
- 15th solo album "Peter White Christmas Live featuring Mindi Abair and Rick Braun"
- 15th solo album "Groovin'"
- "Peter, Paul and Euge" Tour (Peter White, Paul Taylor and Euge Groove)
- 13th Peter White Christmas Tour (featuring Rick Braun and Euge Groove)
- "EPK" Tour (Euge Groove, Peter White and Keiko Matsui)
- "Guitar Tango" Tour (Peter White and Marc Antoine)
- 20th Anniversary Dave Koz Christmas Tour featuring David Benoit, Rick Braun and Peter White (reunion tour)
- 14th Peter White Christmas Tour (featuring Rick Braun and Euge Groove)
- 16th solo album "Music for Starlux Airlines"
- "West Coast Jam" Tour (Richard Elliot, Peter White and DW3)
- 15th Peter White Christmas Tour (with Euge Groove, Vincent Ingala and Lindsey Webster)
- 16th Peter White Christmas Virtual Show (with Mindi Abair and Vincent Ingala)
- 17th Peter White Christmas Tour (with Mindi Abair and Vincent Ingala)