Pete Sutherland
Pete Sutherland | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Birth name | Peter Jeffrey Sutherland |
Born | Burlington, Vermont, U.S. | May 13, 1951
Died | November 30, 2022 Montpelier, Vermont, U.S. | (aged 71)
Genres | Folk |
Member of |
|
Spouse(s) |
Karen Billings (divorced)1 child |
Peter Jeffrey Sutherland (May 13, 1951 – November 30, 2022) was an American
Early life and education
Sutherland was born on May 13, 1951, in Burlington, Vermont.[6][7] His mother, Mary Lou, was a classical pianist and homemaker.[7] His father, Bob, worked at General Electric.[7] He grew up in a small house on a dirt road in Shelburne, Vermont, the oldest of four brothers.[7]
Sutherland showed an early interest in music. His mother said that he "could hum a recognizable tune before he could talk."[8] He also took piano lessons.[7] As a teenager, he gathered with peers at a neighbor's kitchen table, where he played guitar to accompany their singing.[7]
After graduating from
Career
In the 1970s, Sutherland spent time in North Carolina learning bluegrass traditions.[9][8] He held various jobs, including apple picking, to support himself.[8]
In the 1980s, Sutherland moved to Bloomington, Indiana.[7] He toured with a band called Metamora, visiting every state except Hawaii.[7]
By 1990, he moved back to Vermont.[7] He played with various musical groups, including the Clayfoot Strutters and Pete's Posse, where he was the bandleader.[7][9] He was also an artist leader for Young Tradition Vermont, a youth music and dance program he helped establish.[7][10]
Sutherland mentored many young musicians, including Oliver Scanlon,[11][12] who joined his contra dance band as a fourth grader and later joined Pete's Posse.[7] The band gained prominence during a 2002 cross-country tour.[7]
Sutherland performed regularly for the Vermont seasonal production "Winter Tales".[7][9] He was also the music producer for the Old Meeting House summer concert in East Montpelier, Vermont.[10]
He hosted concerts at his house for approximately $10, discounted by a dollar for anyone who brought their own chair.[8]
Personal life
Sutherland met his spouse, Karen (née Billings), while playing hammered dulcimer at UVM's student center in 1972.[7][13] They had a son, Calem, c. 1990,[8] and divorced c. 2016.[7]
Sutherland lived in a converted former general store in Monkton, Vermont.[8][7] He maintained a large garden and foraged for food.[7] He took an interest in his son's hobbies, including at various points baseball, American history and filmmaking.[7]
Later life, death, and legacy
A few years before his death, Sutherland sold his Monkton house and began living with friends in Chittenden County and central Vermont.[7] He dealt with prostate cancer for more than a decade.[9][12] He moved into a hospice in Montpelier c. October 2022, but remained mentally acute, and received visits from many musicians who played at his bedside.[12] He ended his life on November 30, 2022, using Vermont's medical aid in dying law.[7]
Sutherland received many tributes after his death praising his contributions, mentoring, and humbleness.[10] The Barre Montpelier Times Argus described him as "arguably the dean of Vermont traditional music" in its obituary.[10]
References
- ^ "Highlights: Pete Sutherland brings his zeal for teaching to the Valley". Valley News. Archived from the original on December 5, 2022. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
- ^ "Pete Sutherland Bio". Vermont Stage. Archived from the original on December 5, 2022. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
- ^ "Episode 17: The Audio Diary of Pete Sutherland". Vermont Folklife. Archived from the original on December 5, 2022. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
- ^ Moe, Todd (April 2, 2014). "Listen: Vermont's Pete Sutherland makes rural music, with kids". Canton, New York: North Country Public Radio. Archived from the original on February 25, 2023. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
- ^ Fran Stoddard; Pete Sutherland (March 24, 2006). "Pete Sutherland". Profile (Television production). Season 5. Episode 23. KBDI-TV. Archived from the original on December 5, 2022. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
- ^ "Vermont Folk Musician Pete Sutherland Dies at 71". Seven Days. December 2, 2023. Archived from the original on December 5, 2022. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w Pollak, Sally (December 14, 2022). "Life Stories: Musician Pete Sutherland Was a 'Unifying Force'". Seven Days. Archived from the original on February 25, 2023. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
- ^ Newspapers.com.
- ^ Burlington Free Press. Archivedfrom the original on March 23, 2023. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
- ^ Times Argus. Archivedfrom the original on February 25, 2023. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
- Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c Schulman-Hall, Juliet (December 2, 2022). "Folk musician Pete Sutherland dies at 71". VTDigger. Archived from the original on December 5, 2022. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
- ^ Levine, Michael (June 26, 1982). "Two Musicians Have Three Careers: Hers, His and Theirs". The Burlington Free Press. pp. 5, 10. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
External links
- Pete Sutherland discography at Discogs