About this episode
It has been a long road for Peter One from his humble beginnings in Ivory Coast, where he grew up not far from the administrative capital, Abidjan, all the way to Nashville and the stage of the Grand Ole Opry and The Ryman. Having picked up a guitar at 17, then joining up with a schoolmate and fellow musician, Jess Sah Bi, Peter released his first album in 1985, Our Garden Needs Its Flowers, and shortly thereafter became a national sensation in his home country, playing for the President of Ivory Coast and regaling massive stadium crowds with his brand of Afro-pop and Americana-influenced folk. Packing up that success in a suitcase full of dreams, Peter left for America, landing in New York City in the mid-90s where he began a new life there working as a nurse and eventually moved to Nashville, all the while quietly making plans to rebuild his music career -- and that he did! With the re-release of "Garden" in 2018 thanks to the small indie label Awesome Tapes from Africa, and thanks to glowing reviews from both Pitchfork and Rolling Stone, Peter began to regain a level of popularity and begin his Second Act. Now, almost 40 years after his debut effort, Peter's sophomore album, Come Back to Me, has just been released on Verve Records. Triumphantly, but not unexpectedly, Peter eventually found himself playing big stages in the U.S. and even opening at The Ryman for Jason Isbell, who explained, "he's a natural performer; you feel like you're seeing someone who is a legendary singer." This is an amazing comeback story, and one of patience, perseverance and determination; one that is loaded with Peter's lowkey and confident vibe, all the while infused with his firm belief in himself and what he knew to be true about the power of his own creative expression and what he has to offer the world. Join us on Roadcase while Peter talks about the long road from Ivory Coast to Nashville on this week's episode. It's a great one!! For more info about Peter One: https://www.peteronemusic.com/ For more information on Roadcase: https://linktr.ee/roadcasepod and https://www.roadcasepod.com Contact: info@roadcasepod.com Roadcase theme music: "Eugene (Instrumental)" by Waltzer