 Jeff Carson Michael Peterson was raised in ranching country along the Columbia River in eastern Washington state. His father, who was in the shipping business, deserted the family when he was a child. "I thought that one day we would get to know each other. The first time I met him, I was 12. My mom dropped the dishes when my brother picked up the phone and said, 'It's Bob.' Those dishes became a picture in my mind of what the next three years were like, a lot of brokenness. He came to town, and we met him. One of the first things he did was pull out a money clip and give us each a $100 bill. I called him on my 15th birthday and found out he'd been shot to death by his business partner in California two days before." The teenager coped with his emotional turbulence by immersing himself in music. He spent long hours at his grandmother's house, which is where his creativity blossomed. He'd learned guitar while working on an area ranch and she encouraged this. Together, they listened to her extensive record collection. He also excelled in football, becoming a high-school All-American. He went to Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma on both football and music scholarships. The school won its division's national championship with the 6-foot, 4-inch, 225-pound Peterson as its left defensive tackle. But Peterson dropped out before graduation and drifted to Seattle. That's where he met his wife Tacey, whom he married in 1983. Meanwhile, Pacific Lutheran quarterback Brad Westering got into the music business in Los Angeles. Borrowing money from Tacey's father, Peterson approached his old teammate about producing an album of the songs he'd been writing. Through Westering, Peterson wound up writing songs for R&B star Deniece Williams, as well as gospel headliners The Imperials. Michael Peterson, produced by Westering, appeared on Sparrow Records in 1986. It was a collection of contemporary Christian songs, very much in a pop mode. But the singer-songwriter soon underwent another sort of "conversion" -- he fell in love with country music. He made his living in 1986-95 as a motivational speaker for schools and youth groups. But from around 1990 onward, Music City was his goal. He became enthralled with the music of Keith Whitley, Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson and other country stars. Visits to The Bluebird Caf inspired him as a composer. Country songs began pouring out of him. Michael Peterson moved to Nashville in 1995. He signed with Warner Bros. Records a year later. In 1997, the light-hearted "Drink, Swear, Steal and Lie" became his first country smash. He followed it with the chart-topping wedding vow "From Here to Eternity." Travis Tritt sang a duet with him and recorded "No More Looking Over My Shoulder" as the title tune to a 1998 CD. Michael Peterson was named Top New Artist of 1997 by both Billboard and Radio & Records. "Too Good to Be True" became his third straight top-10 hit in early 1998. It was followed by the unforgettable portrait of alcoholism "When the Bartender Cries," then the top-20 success "By the Book." Michael Peterson, his debut country disc, became a Gold Record. He was Country Weekly's Male Newcomer and Gavin's Artist to Watch in 1998. Being Human, his second country album, contained the 1999 singles "Something 'Bout a Sunday" and "Sure Feels Real Good," as well as a sizzling duet with Bekka Bramlett called "Two of the Lucky Ones." He guest starred on an episode of Walker, Texas Ranger and was named 1999's Male Star of Tomorrow at the fan-voted TNN/Music City News Awards.
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