John Petersen (musician)

John Louis Petersen (January 8, 1942– November 11, 2007) was an American drummer, most notably for rock bands The Beau Brummels and Harpers Bizarre.

John Petersen
Background information
Birth name	John Louis Petersen
Born	January 8th, 1945 (birth certificate says 1942) Rudyard, Michigan, US
Died	November 11, 2007 Sierra Madre, California, US (Aged 62)
Genres	Pop rock, baroque pop, folk rock, garage rock
Occupation(s)	Musician, Drummer, Percussionist
Instruments	Drums, percussion, vocals
Years active	1964-2002
Labels	Warner Bros. Records, Autumn Records
Associated acts	The Beau Brummels, Harpers Bizarre

Early Life

John was born to Louis Sylvester Petersen and Mila Marie Williams in Rudyard, Michigain on January 8th, 1942, and moved to San Francisco at the age of five years old. Petersen attended Longfellow Elementary School in Long Beach as a child.

Career

In 1964 Petersen joined the Beau Brummels, whose first two singles, "Laugh, Laugh" and "Just a Little", reached the U.S. top 20. He appeared with the band in the 1965 science-fiction/comedy movie Village of the Giants, which was featured in a 1994 episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000.[1] Petersen also appeared with the band as The Beau Brummelstones on The Flintstones television animated sitcom in the season six episode "Shinrock A Go-Go," which originally aired on December 3, 1965.[2]

Petersen left the group after their third album, Beau Brummels '66, to join Harpers Bizarre.[3] Formerly known as the Tikis, Harpers Bizarre had a top 20 hit with a remake of Simon & Garfunkel's "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)" in 1967. The group broke up in 1970, but Petersen returned for a reunion album in 1976. Petersen also occasionally reunited with the Beau Brummels. In 1975, he played with and recorded on the band's self-titled album.[4]

Personal life

Petersen married Roberta Templeman, sister of Harpers Bizarre's Ted Templeman, in 1969. Roberta Templeman became a vice president at Warner Bros. Records in the 1980s.[4] Petersen died from a heart attack on November 11, 2007 at the age of 62.[5] Roberta died on August 15, 2019 after battling dementia, at age 74.[6]

This was Petersen's house from 1964 to 1966, when he was a member of The Beau Brummels

References

1. Renzi, Thomas C. (2004). H.G. Wells: Six Scientific Romances Adapted for Film (2nd ed.). Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press. p. 173. ISBN 978-0-8108-4989-1.
2. Childs, T. Mike (2004). The Rocklopedia Fakebandica. New York: St. Martin's Press. p. 14. ISBN 978-0-312-32944-0. The Rocklopedia Fakebandica.
3. "Rolling Stone – The Beau Brummels – Biography". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 23, 2009.
4. "John Petersen – Biography". Allmusic (Rovi Corporation). Retrieved August 23, 2009.
5. "John L. Petersen". legacy.com. November 17, 2007. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
6. "Roberta Petersen, Longtime Warner Bros. A&R Exec and Key Backer of Flaming Lips & Dire Straits, Dies at 74". Billboard. August 22, 2019. Retrieved July 27, 2020.