Peter Green, born Peter Allen Greenbaum on 29 October 1946 and died 25 July 2020. He was an English blues-rock singer-songwriter and guitarist. He was the founder of Fleetwood Mac and was inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1998). Green’s songs include “Albatross”, Black Magic Woman”, and “Oh Well”. Many of these songs have been covered by many musicians. Green was a key figure in the “second great period” of British blues. B.B. King said, “He has a sweet tone that I have ever heard. He was the only person who gave me cold sweats.” Eric Clapton was a fan of Clapton’s guitar playing. He was known for his vibrato, string bending and economy of style. Rolling Stone placed Green at number 58 on its “100 Greatest guitarists of All Time” list. Guitar Player rated his tone on “The Super-Natural”, an instrumental, as one of the fifty greatest. Green was named the third-best guitarist ever by Mojo magazine in June 1996. Peter Allen Greenbaum was the youngest child of Joe and Ann Greenbaum. He was born in Bethnal Green on 29 Oct 1946. Michael Greenbaum, his brother, taught him the first chords to guitar and Green was already learning by himself at eleven years old. While working at several East London shipping companies, he began to play professionally when he was fifteen. Bobby Dennis and the Dominoes was his first band, where he played bass guitar. They performed covers of pop charts and standards in rock ‘n roll, including Shadows covers. Later, he stated that Hank Marvin was his favorite guitarist and that he performed The Shadows’ song Midnight in 1996 on “Twang.” He joined the Muskrats, a rhythm and Blues band, in which he also played bass. Green began playing lead guitar with Peter Bardens’ “Peter B’s Looners” band by Christmas 1965. He met Mick Fleetwood, drummer. He recorded his debut single, “If You Wanna be Happy”, with Peter B’s Looners as a B side. He recorded “If You Wanta Be Happy” as an instrumental cover of Jimmy Soul’s song. Green was able to replace Eric Clapton in John Mayall’s October 1965 Bardens’ band before joining Bardens.
