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people f alumnus
”ThAT SmIlE IS GENUINE. hE’S ONE Of ThE NIcEST
ANd mOST GENEROUS hUmAN bEINGS yOU cOUld
EvER kNOw.” – PETER NORTH,
42 techlifemag.ca
CKUA RADIO HOST
and turned upstarts like Corb Lund into bona fide
international stars.
At a chance meeting during a social function, pop
performer Elvis Costello thanked Petersen for reissuing
one of his favourite releases by Jesse Winchester.
Radical folkie Steve Earle praised him for putting out
a version of the songs on his Train A Comin’ release in
a much more impressive order than on his stateside
equivalent. And label mogul Jerry Wexler, one of
Petersen’s industry heroes, provided the ultimate
accolade when he remarked, “Stony Plain, as an
independent company, is an endangered species in a
dangerous world and a source of wonderful music.”
Experience has taught Petersen well, especially
during Stony Plain’s embryonic years when he
experimented with releasing product by the likes
of Philadelphia alternative rockers The Reds and
the Models. Those attempts failed. And like the
unpredictable economy, Stony Plain occasionally
wavered on shaky turf, but Petersen has managed to
keep his enterprise stable.
“I did learn a few things about working effectively
and doing things according to what my level of interest
would be,” he says. “I’m a great believer that quality will
still win out in the end. And the market is a lot smaller
and dwindling all the time for physical sales, but when
you work with the calibre of artists who are the best at
what they do, there’s still a market for them.”
Colleagues like Peter North, host at CKUA, marvel
at how Petersen can stay down-to-earth in an industry
that tempts players to elevate their heads into the
stratosphere.
“That smile is genuine,” says North. “He’s one of
the nicest and most generous human beings you could
ever know. Once you become his friend, it’s not a fairweather
situation. He’s always reaching out and keeping
in touch. He’s a man of tradition in a lot of ways.”
“He’s very cautious, conservative and careful about
signing anybody,” adds Richard Flohil, one of Petersen’s
closest friends and Stony Plain’s publicist since 1980.
“He is modest and quiet. The foundation of the company
is the contacts he’s made with like-minded people and
companies all over the world. His reputation for total
transparency and honesty holds him in good stead."
Playing his cards close to his chest has also helped.
Petersen balked at the CD bandwagon during the
industry’s transition from vinyl in the 1980s, preferring
to wait for the technology to improve and the consumer
market to catch up before making his move. On the
other hand, he quickly saw potential in the digital
revolution, hooking up with The Orchard, a United
States-based digital music distributor, which handles
some of the company’s growing revenue stream of
Internet downloads.
Petersen remains concerned about the well-being
of the industry. In Stony Plain’s infancy, home taping
was a major culprit. Today, it’s the unauthorized use of
digital works. In 1999, his label settled out of court with
Fatboy Slim when Petersen discovered the British DJ
illegally sampled a Stony Plain-released work by Calgary
guitarist Ellen McIlwaine.
“He owned up to it and she got compensated for it,”
says Petersen. “But it’s an unfortunate situation and a
worldwide problem that could spell the end of the music
industry in a few years.”
It was a much more idyllic time in 1968 when
Petersen, a student in NAIT’s Radio and Television
Arts program, first stumbled onto the eclectic format
of CKUA. On a whim, he called evening DJ Tony Dillon
Davis, who invited the student to hang out at the station.
Meanwhile, Petersen was contributing music interviews
to the Nugget, NAIT’s student newspaper. Davis asked
Petersen to bring interview segments to the show,
which he did for $10 a shot. A year later, Petersen was
offered a hosting job, which launched Natch’l Blues.
In 1972, he branched out by making records for
visiting blues acts like Big Walter (Shakey) Horton,
Johnny Shines and Spiney Norman’s Whoopee Band –
even drumming for local act Hot Cottage before starting
Stony Plain.
For all the success and glory in his pursuits,
Petersen has no qualms about keeping one foot at
square one – the radio show that marked his start in the
business in a station loaded with musical culture.
“To me, it’s the joy of doing it. I enjoy the process and
listening to the music where one thing leads to another.
There’s always a sense of discovery, wonder and an
ongoing learning experience. It’s never-ending. That’s
something I still want to do.”