Peter Lewis (musician)
Encyclopedia
Peter Lewis is one of the founding members of the band Moby Grape
. Three of his better known songs with Moby Grape are "Fall On You" and "Sitting By The Window" from the self-titled first Moby Grape album
and "If You Can't Learn From My Mistakes", from Moby Grape '69
.
(d. 2000) and writer-producer Tom Lewis
(d. 1988), and accordingly spent much of his childhood in Hollywood. His older brother, Christopher Lewis
(b. 1944), is a writer and producer of films primarily for television. The Lewis brothers are nephews of actresses Polly Ann Young
and Sally Blane
, sisters of their mother. They are also half-brothers of Judy Lewis
(b. 1935), daughter of Loretta Young and Clark Gable
. Musician David Lindley
is their cousin.
As a youth, Lewis attended military school and later, after a stint in the Air Force, became a commercial pilot, initially working for Shell Oil. As for his musical career, Lewis cites Tim Hardin
and Fred Neil
as important influences, and credits Linda McCartney
, (nee Eastman) with introducing him to their music.
His first band was The Cornells
.
Lewis now lives in the Santa Ynez Valley
, north of Santa Barbara, California
, with his wife and two children.
and Skip Spence
(d. 1999) in battling the challenges of schizophrenia
. Lewis has a personal sensitivity to psychiatric challenges. At age 11, while his parents were embroiled in an acrimonious divorce and custody dispute, he suffered a nervous breakdown in New York City and was involuntarily hospitalized for a period. As of 1969, he recalls, "I was under the care of a psychiatrist, taking all this Librium so I could stay with the band."
Mosley credits Lewis with helping him end approximately five years of homelessness in the 1990s. Mosley describes the circumstances as follows: "In 1996, Peter Lewis picked me up along the side of a San Diego freeway where I was living, to tell me a ruling by San Francisco Judge Garcia gave Moby Grape their name back. I was ready to go to work again."
With respect to Spence, Lewis was skeptical about him being labeled a schizophrenic because recognized treatments were not resulting in any noticeable improvements. As a result, Lewis sought out and participated in alternative healing therapies with Spence involving metaphysics. "Through my dad, who'd become a born-again Christian, I'd met these monks in Lucia
above Big Sur
, who were really serious about rational metaphysics. Their faith beyond reason overwhelms you every time. Since the doctors couldn't help Skippy - they kept objectifying his problem: 'He's a paranoid schizophrenic' and were never going to heal him. All they were interested in was keeping him out of McDonald's with a machine gun, so it (the monastery) was the only place I could think of to take him."
ist with the reformed Electric Prunes (2000–2003), contributing to their Artifact album. He has also developed a career as a solo artist. He has released two albums on the Taxim label: Peter Lewis and Live in Bremen. Peter Lewis occasionally performs as a duo with David West, his collaborator on Live in Bremen.
In 2010, Lewis appeared with Stu Cook
at the SXSW festival, performing with The Explosives.
As of 2011, Lewis has been writing songs and performing with poet M.L. Lieber.
Moby Grape
Moby Grape is an American rock group from the 1960s, known for having all five members contribute to singing and songwriting and that collectively merged elements of folk music, blues, country, and jazz together with rock and psychedelic music...
. Three of his better known songs with Moby Grape are "Fall On You" and "Sitting By The Window" from the self-titled first Moby Grape album
Moby Grape (album)
Moby Grape is the rock band Moby Grape's eponymous 1967 debut album. Coming from the San Francisco scene, their reputation quickly grew to immense proportions, leading to a bidding war and a contract with Columbia Records...
and "If You Can't Learn From My Mistakes", from Moby Grape '69
Moby Grape '69
Moby Grape '69 is third album by the psychedelic rock band Moby Grape.It is the first album after the departure of co-founder Skip Spence. Spence nonetheless is heard on one song, "Seeing", presumably from the Wow/Grape Jam sessions, and positioned as the final song on Moby Grape '69...
.
Background
He is the youngest of two sons by actress Loretta YoungLoretta Young
Loretta Young was an American actress. Starting as a child actress, she had a long and varied career in film from 1917 to 1953...
(d. 2000) and writer-producer Tom Lewis
Loretta Young
Loretta Young was an American actress. Starting as a child actress, she had a long and varied career in film from 1917 to 1953...
(d. 1988), and accordingly spent much of his childhood in Hollywood. His older brother, Christopher Lewis
Christopher Lewis
Christopher Lewis is a writer and film producer, primarily for television.-Family:Christopher Lewis is one of two sons of Hollywood actress Loretta Young...
(b. 1944), is a writer and producer of films primarily for television. The Lewis brothers are nephews of actresses Polly Ann Young
Polly Ann Young
Polly Ann Young was an American film actress.Actresses Loretta Young and Sally Blane were her sisters, and, of the three, Polly Ann was the least successful. Between 1917 and 1941 she featured in 34 movies, some of them minor uncredited roles. Among her most notable movie roles, was as John...
and Sally Blane
Sally Blane
Sally Blane was an American actress. Blane was the sister of actresses Polly Ann and Loretta Young, and half-sister to actress Georgiana Young, the wife of actor Ricardo Montalban...
, sisters of their mother. They are also half-brothers of Judy Lewis
Judy Lewis
Judy Lewis was an American actress, writer, producer, and therapist, and the secret biological daughter of actor Clark Gable and actress Loretta Young.-History:...
(b. 1935), daughter of Loretta Young and Clark Gable
Clark Gable
William Clark Gable , known as Clark Gable, was an American film actor most famous for his role as Rhett Butler in the 1939 Civil War epic film Gone with the Wind, in which he starred with Vivien Leigh...
. Musician David Lindley
David Lindley (musician)
David Perry Lindley is an American musician who is notable for his work with Jackson Browne, Warren Zevon, and other rock musicians. He has worked extensively in other genres as well, performing with artists as varied as Curtis Mayfield and Dolly Parton...
is their cousin.
As a youth, Lewis attended military school and later, after a stint in the Air Force, became a commercial pilot, initially working for Shell Oil. As for his musical career, Lewis cites Tim Hardin
Tim Hardin
James Timothy "Tim" Hardin was an American folk musician and composer. He wrote the Top 40 hits "If I Were a Carpenter", covered by, among others, Joan Baez, Bobby Darin, Johnny Cash, Ramblin' Jack Elliot, and Robert Plant, and "Reason to Believe", covered by many, including Rod Stewart, as well...
and Fred Neil
Fred Neil
Fred Neil was an American folk singer-songwriter in the 1960s and early 1970s. He did not achieve commercial success as a performer, and is mainly known through other people's recordings of his material – particularly "Everybody's Talkin'", which became a hit for Harry Nilsson after being...
as important influences, and credits Linda McCartney
Linda McCartney
Linda Louise McCartney, Lady McCartney was an American photographer, musician and animal rights activist. Her father and mother were Lee Eastman and Louise Sara Lindner Eastman....
, (nee Eastman) with introducing him to their music.
His first band was The Cornells
The Cornells
The Cornells were a 1960s Los Angeles band that played mostly surf music. Four of the five members had a parent that was a well known celebrity....
.
Lewis now lives in the Santa Ynez Valley
Santa Ynez Valley
The Santa Ynez Valley is located in Santa Barbara County, California, between the Santa Ynez Mountains to the south and the San Rafael Mountains to the north. The Santa Ynez River flows through the valley from east to west. The Santa Ynez Valley is separated from the Los Alamos Valley, to the...
, north of Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
, with his wife and two children.
Moby Grape: Lewis Sensitivity to Mosley and Spence Challenges
Beyond his work as a musician, Lewis has been noted for his efforts in assisting fellow Moby Grape bandmates Bob MosleyBob Mosley
Bob Mosley is principally known as the bass player and one of the songwriters and vocalists for the band Moby Grape. He has also developed a career as a solo artist. Three of his best known songs with Moby Grape are "Mr...
and Skip Spence
Skip Spence
Alexander Lee "Skip" Spence was a Canadian-born musician and singer-songwriter. He was co-founder of Moby Grape, and played guitar with them until 1969. He released one solo album, 1969's Oar, and then largely withdrew from the music industry...
(d. 1999) in battling the challenges of schizophrenia
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
. Lewis has a personal sensitivity to psychiatric challenges. At age 11, while his parents were embroiled in an acrimonious divorce and custody dispute, he suffered a nervous breakdown in New York City and was involuntarily hospitalized for a period. As of 1969, he recalls, "I was under the care of a psychiatrist, taking all this Librium so I could stay with the band."
Mosley credits Lewis with helping him end approximately five years of homelessness in the 1990s. Mosley describes the circumstances as follows: "In 1996, Peter Lewis picked me up along the side of a San Diego freeway where I was living, to tell me a ruling by San Francisco Judge Garcia gave Moby Grape their name back. I was ready to go to work again."
With respect to Spence, Lewis was skeptical about him being labeled a schizophrenic because recognized treatments were not resulting in any noticeable improvements. As a result, Lewis sought out and participated in alternative healing therapies with Spence involving metaphysics. "Through my dad, who'd become a born-again Christian, I'd met these monks in Lucia
Lucia, California
Lucia is an unincorporated community in Monterey County, California. It is located east of Lopez Point, at an elevation of 354 feet . Lucia is one of the three small settlements of restaurants, and motels located along State Route 1 on the Big Sur coast...
above Big Sur
Big Sur
Big Sur is a sparsely populated region of the Central Coast of California where the Santa Lucia Mountains rise abruptly from the Pacific Ocean. The name "Big Sur" is derived from the original Spanish-language "el sur grande", meaning "the big south", or from "el país grande del sur", "the big...
, who were really serious about rational metaphysics. Their faith beyond reason overwhelms you every time. Since the doctors couldn't help Skippy - they kept objectifying his problem: 'He's a paranoid schizophrenic' and were never going to heal him. All they were interested in was keeping him out of McDonald's with a machine gun, so it (the monastery) was the only place I could think of to take him."
Recent career
In recent years, in addition to performing occasionally with Moby Grape, Lewis was a guitarGuitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
ist with the reformed Electric Prunes (2000–2003), contributing to their Artifact album. He has also developed a career as a solo artist. He has released two albums on the Taxim label: Peter Lewis and Live in Bremen. Peter Lewis occasionally performs as a duo with David West, his collaborator on Live in Bremen.
In 2010, Lewis appeared with Stu Cook
Stu Cook
Stuart Alden Cook is an American bass guitarist, best known for his work in the rock band, Creedence Clearwater Revival....
at the SXSW festival, performing with The Explosives.
As of 2011, Lewis has been writing songs and performing with poet M.L. Lieber.
Solo discography
- Peter Lewis (1995)
- Live in Bremen (2003, with David West)
External links
- Peter Lewis unofficial MySpace page
- Artifact Electric Prunes, 2001; review by Keith Hannaleck, 2002.