Petey USA was born a 14-year-old boy in the crowd at a Chicago Blackhawks game at the United Center. Now a world-renowned singer, songwriter, actor, and petro-scientist, many aren’t aware of Petey’s humble beginnings.
“My first memory is rubbing my eyes and seeing my pops,” Petey said of a Guatemalan man selling wasabi peas to audience members. “He’s been with me all my life.”
It wasn’t the first time Petey locked in on someone or something.
“Oh yeah, he imprinted on that arena employee similar to the way a baby bird would,” Petey’s manager said. “He does that a lot. One time we couldn’t get Petey to go on stage for hours because he thought there was a feud going on between him and a vending machine.”
But Chicago didn’t just give Petey a father figure. The city as a whole – with its inspired skyline and vibrant, culturally diverse streets – molded his young musical mind like a piece of clay. His first job? A busboy in a smoky jazz club. His first kiss? Backstage at one of the speakeasies that once lined the streets of the city. His first birthday? His 15th birthday party.
Petey’s childhood saw him rub elbows with musicians, gamblers, and working girls, together all of them innovating and pushing a culture of openness his father didn’t approve of.
“I wanted Peter to follow in the family business,” he said. “Music is sinful. Wasabi peas is honest work. We are a strong catholic family.”
Ultimately Petey’s musical journey would take him all over the world. He would turn entire industries on their heads. But he would never forget how his sound, philosophy, and spirit was formed by the bustling streets, echoing L trains, and the rhythmic pulse of life in Chicago with his Wasabi Father.
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