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Hard rock band Blue Cheer was formed in San Francisco, California in 1966. Founded by bassist Dickie Peterson – the group’s only constant member – Blue Cheer have often been credited for inventing the heavy metal genre. The original line-up of the group also featured Leigh Stephens (guitar) and Eric Albronda (drums), although Albronda would be replaced by Paul Whaley by the time Blue Cheer released their debut album, Vincebus Eruptum, in early 1968. Blending blues and hard rock, the album laid the groundwork for the genre that was later known as heavy metal. Vincebus Eruptum reached number 11 on the Billboard 200 thanks to the success of the single “Summertime Blues,” which was Top 20 in the US and number 3 in Canada. The group’s history of constant line-up changes began after the release of the debut with Leigh Stephens leaving in 1968, replaced by guitarist Randy Holden. While the band continued to release albums – Outsideinside (1968), New! Improved! (1969), Blue Cheer (1969), and The Original Human Being (1970) – and remained a popular live act, their albums were not big sellers like their debut. The group continued for several years without a record deal but broke up in 1975. Dickie Peterson put yet another version of Blue Cheer together in 1978, but they split up the following year. Another five years would pass before Peterson brought a few former members of the band together – Tony Rainier (guitar) and Paul Whaley (drums) – for another reunion in 1984 and released the album The Beast Is Back. Peterson kept the band going until 1994, but they split again and didn’t return until 1999. Intent to keep the Blue Cheer legacy alive, there were many live albums and compilations released over the next decade. Dickie Peterson died from liver cancer on October 12, 2009, at the age of 63. His death brought Blue Cheer to an end, although their musical legacy continued to thrive thanks to reissues and recordings from the vaults. In 2025, seven previously unreleased cover versions – including the last-ever live version of “Summertime Blues” - were released on a Blue Cheer album called Junk.
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