He grew up in his father’s nightclub in Buffalo, New York, and at age six he was performing on the Ed Sullivan show. Lucky Peterson, now 46, along with Tamara Peterson, will bring a combo of blues, Delta, roots, and soul music to the Black History Month concert on Friday, February 25, at 7:30 p.m.

The concert will be held at the Princeton Regional Schools Performing Arts Center at Princeton High School, at the corner of Walnut Lane and Franklin Avenue. The Princeton High School Studio Band will open the program. For $10 tickets ($5 for students and seniors) call Mr Highland at 609.806.4280.

Discovered by blues legend Willie Dixon at the age of three, Lucky released
his first record at five and has played behind Little Milton, Bobby “Blue”
Bland and Kenny Neal. He plays everything from the organ and a duolian resonator to the piano and acoustic or electric guitars.

Among his critically acclaimed albums are Black Midnight Sun (2003) and You Can Always Turn Around (2010), billed as “an uplifting portrait of the struggles and salvation of a man with faith.”

In interviews, I always ask, “What did your parents do?” Sometimes the answer is significant, sometimes not. Peterson would have answered, “My father ran a nightclub, the Governor’s Inn. Willy Dixon saw me perform there when I was five and took me under his wing.” As in the business world, it’s often who you know that counts.

A version of this post is also at Not In Our Town Princeton.