Raised in Lewiston, Maine, Peter moved to Boston and played guitar with blues artists such as Jimmy Rogers, Otis Rush, Buddy Guy and Junior Wells. He toured with the Legendary Blues Band whose bandmates had backed the great Muddy Waters and included pianist Pinetop Perkins. Peter was married to the late WGBH radio host Mai Cramer and each year organizes a blues concert fundraiser in her honor at the Regent Theatre in Arlington.