I didn't choose the nylon string guitar - it chose me! Soon after I started playing with Al Stewart (I was 20), he put a Spanish guitar in my hand and told me to play on a song called "On the Border" which we later recorded on the "Year of the Cat" album (1976).

Up till that moment I had played very little nylon string guitar - mostly steel string acoustic or electric guitar. We went on tour after the album came out and for most of the show I would stay behind the keyboards (I was hired as a keyboard player) until that song (On The Border) and then I would set up my little bar-stool at the front of the stage and play my heart out on the nylon string (it was an Ovation - they had just come out with a model that could be plugged in like an electric guitar - great timing!).

PW WITH AL STEWART PERFORMING "ON THE BORDER" IN BELGIUM

So it came to pass that this brief moment of glory was the only thing that anyone ever remembered about me in the show. Thus I became associated with the nylon string guitar, and I found that indeed I had a certain voice on the instrument that was very personal. So I didn't fight it. I eventually went with it and left behind all my dreams of being a multi-instrumentalist ivory tickling electric guitar wailing long haired leather pants wearing rock star. Glad I did, really!  I do feel that the nylon string guitar has more of a dynamic and tonal range than a steel string guitar. It is more akin to a human voice, especially when played in octaves. Over the years I have continually struggled to refine my technique as I never had a lesson on guitar and only ever learned by watching other players (I started out like many others in the 60s, playing 3 chord / 2 finger blues!).

My influences are many, including (in chronological order):

	Hank Marvin (guitarist with The Shadows, an instrumental group from England. They were big in the early 60's), The Beatles (of course!), Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton (I always list those three together. Same time period for me), and Steve Howe of Yes (now we're starting to get Jazzy!). This leads me to George Benson, Django Reinhardt and Joe Pass (I discovered them at the same time). But I still couldn't shake my rock 'n' roll roots so I listened to Angus Young (AC/DC), Eddie Van Halen and Eric Johnson (amazing!). Later, a detour back to Jazz with Pat Metheny, (favourite CD - Secret Stories) and Earl Klugh (favourite CD - Heartstrings).
HANK MARVIN
	Oh, I must mention Tim Renwick. He played guitar on many Al Stewart albums, and when I played with Al, I learnt many of his melody lines. He is to me the greatest underrated talent of the guitar. Best work - On the CD Modern Times by Al Stewart. Also Albert Lee, who I originally saw with the group Head, Hands and Feet. 20 years later I saw him at the Palomino Club in North Hollywood CA trading licks with Steve Morse. A very memorable evening.
TIM RENWICK
I think that covers everything. Wait! It was nice to see Peter Green onstage with Fleetwood Mac being inducted into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame. He started the band and was responsible for many of the earlier hits - Albatross, Man of the World, Oh Well, Green Manalishi, and my favourite, Jigsaw Puzzle Blues. I always loved his playing. Well, there you have it. No flamenco - never liked it. Enough said.

Since March 1999 I have used a 'Super Ace' nylon string acoustic/electric guitar designed and built by Paul McGill in Nashville TN.

Check out Paul's site at www.mcgillguitars.com.

When is your next album coming out?

 Keep checking back to the news page

It is an Asturias guitar handmade in Japan which I purchased at a guitar shop in Sherman Oaks, CA around 1999 that has since closed down.This particular model features a cutaway and a built-in pickup (which I never have used). On the inside it says model PUF or PUE and serial# 23011. I used this guitar on all of the Glow CD except for "Bueno Funk" which was recorded on an Ibanez Classical model with a pickup which we did use (no mic. sound, just pick-up). So yes, I like this guitar but I have no idea how I would find another like it!

Webmaster's note: Basia has just completed a new CD with Peter's brother Danny. Both are former members of Matt Bianco, a British-based band who had a string of UK hits in the Eighties and reformed in 2004 for a CD, "Matt's Mood", to which Peter contributed heavily. More details at www.basiaweb.com

Peter says, "Matt Bianco was a band that Danny formed in London in the early 80s and that's where he met Basia. www.allmusic.com is a great guide for more info on Matt Bianco, Basia, me or any other musical artist. I refer to it all the time!"

Although my own music takes up most of my time, I do play the occasional show with Al - It's fun to play those old songs!

I was born in Luton but grew up in Letchworth, both of which are in England, just north of London (more details on the biography page)

I have always liked cats and in my house we have had many over the years. They come from the Cat Connection, an organisation that finds homes for abandoned cats. My wife and I regularly take in foster kitties that stay for a while to get used to being around people and other cats. The Cat Connection is located in Sherman Oaks, CA on Ventura Boulevard, just East of Beverly Glen Boulevard.

Please visit the Peter White artist page on Facebook!

Not at the moment, but I hope to have this available in the future, so keep checking back.

Refer to the concert hotline (818) 973 3171, Musi-Cal, PollStar and this website for up-to-date tour information and dates.