Blue Cheer began in 1966 as a six piece group, but by 1967, they had become a trio; Leigh Stephens on guitar, Dickie Peterson on bass and vocals, and Paul Whaley on drums   Around August 1968 Leigh Stephens' place was taken by Randy Holden, formerly the leader of The Other Half. Although Holden toured extensively with Blue Cheer, his only recorded work with the band is contained on side two of their third album, “New! Improved!”.  After Holden left, he was replaced by Bruce Stephens and Ralph Kellogg, and side one of “New! Improved!” marked a definite change in style to a lighter, less combative style.   “New! Improved!” was Paul Whaley’s last album (for awhile). He was replaced by Norman Mayell, previously with San Francisco band Sopwith Camel. A fourth album, “Blue Cheer”, was stylistically similar, with Gary Yoder contributing guitar, vocals and songwriting. At this point, Bruce Stephens left, and was replaced by Gary Yoder. 1970's "The Original Human Being" and 1971’s “Oh! Pleasant Hope” were the last two albums from the first incarnation of Blue Cheer.

      In the early days, the Cheer regularly played shows with their San Francisco peers including such era luminaries as The Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Big Brother & the Holding company and Cream.

  The second incarnation really began in 1984, following a reunion between Dickie and Paul Whaley. They recorded “The Beast Is Back”, with Tony Ranier, on Megaforce records. Blue Cheer’s style at this time begins to blend their seminal style with current guitar influences, a perfect fit for the times. Throughout the eighties and nineties, Blue Cheer recorded and toured sporadically, and eventually claimed Andrew “Duck” MacDonald as the “new” guitar player, now on his third decade in the band.

  After a stunning live album recorded in Japan in 1999, then re-released on Track Records, Blue Cheer has finally made it all the way back with “What Doesn’t Kill You”. Released in 2007

  The band’s last US tour (members Peterson, founding drummer Paul Whaley, and guitarist Andrew “Duck” MacDonald) was in support of their 2007 release What Doesn’t Kill You


  Blue Cheer bassist and lead singer Richard Allan “Dickie” Peterson (b. September 12, 1946), after a long fight against cancer.  Peterson, age 63, died in Erkelenz, Germany, where he lived, on the morning of October 12, 2009.
  He was a founding member and leader of the San Francisco band Blue Cheer; a band known to heavy metal fans for being louder and heavier than any band before them and for laying the blueprint for much of what would come after.

  Plans were underway for the band to tour in support of the 2009 Rainman Records DVD release of Blue Cheer Rocks Europe when Dickie’s cancer was found.  Tour plans were put on hold, but the first full length concert DVD in the band’s more than forty year history was released without delay.  The DVD includes not only the concert footage with 5.1 audio, but also included a Peterson voiceover commentary and a complete interview with the late leader of the band.

  Dickie and Blue Cheer cherished their fans, the 1%ers as they were called, and considered them the fourth member of their band.  “Without you, what we do is completely pointless” Peterson said to an audience in 2006, continuing “you’ve got to take care of each other, you’re all you’ve got.”  MacDonald says that Dickie believed in the best of people “the people loved him and he loved them right back. It was the best relationship he had in his life.”