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Since 1964, when Pete Sears began his career as a professional musician, he has played keyboards or bass guitar with a large variety of artists on many records. His credits include the classic early Rod Stewart albums, Gasoline Alleyand Smiler, featuring Ron Wood and Martin Quittington on guitars, Micky Waller on drums, Pete on piano and some bass, and Ian Mclagan on organ.

	"The Long Haul"                                             (AMD107)                                             Pete Sears

"The Long Haul" By Pete Sears and Special Guest: John Lee Hooker, Maria Muldaur, Levon Helm, Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady, Peter Rowan, David Grisman, Michael Falzarano, Steve Kimock, Charlie Musselwhite, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Willard Dixon and more.........

Pete was bassist and keyboardist with Jefferson Starship from 1974 to 1978 (which featured Grace Slick on vocals, and Papa John Creach on violin), and from 1979 to 1987, he was with Starship, playing on over ten albums with the two bands. He contributed several songs to each album, including Sandalphon, the only instrumental tune on their biggest selling record, Red Octopus. Pete collaborated on many songs with Grace Slick as lyricist, including Hyperdrive and Play On Love. In 1978, after Grace left the band for one album, Freedom at Point Zero, he began working with wife and lyricist, Jeannette Sears, and over the years they wrote many of Jefferson Starship’s songs, including Stranger, Awakening, and Winds of Change. Several of these songs were made into music videos and were put into heavy rotation on MTV. , Save Your Love

From 1992 to 2001, Pete played keyboards with Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady, Michael Falzarano and Harvey Sorgen in the Jefferson Airplane off-shoot, Hot Tuna. He also played in the Jorma Kaukonen Trio with Jorma and Michael, often touring Italy. Pete has taught piano at Jorma's "Fur Peace Ranch Guitar Camp" in S.E. Ohio, and performed as a solo artist on the Live From Fur Peace Station radio show.

In 1998, Pete performed at the ‘Rock n Roll Hall of Fame Tribute’ to John Lee Hooker at Stanford University as one of John’s guests, along with Charlie Musselwhite, Rich Kirch, Johnny Johnson, and Elvin Bishop. Footage, including an interview with Pete, was shot at the show for an acclaimed documentary film about John Lee's life titled, That’s My Story. Pete also played keyboards for John Lee in Oroville, California on May 25th 2001, the third to last show before John's death. John Lee was also a guest on Pete’s album, The Long Haul. Pete’s other release, Watchfire, in 1988, included Jerry Garcia, Mickey Hart, David Grisman, and Mimi Farina.

Over the years, Pete has worked on many benefits with Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead including an early version of Ratdog, and in 2001 he formed his own band Dawn Patrol.In 1999, Pete and Jorma Kaukonen performed with Phil Lesh in a Phil and Friends show along with Steve Kimock at the Warfield Theater in San Francisco.

He is currently a full-time member of Moonalice, featuring Roger & Ann McNamee, GE Smith, Barry Sless, Jimmy Sanchez, & occasionally, Jack Casady. He also flies around the country playing one-off gigs with artists like David Nelson & Friends, Steve Kimock, Harvey Mandel, Nick Gravenitas, Eric McFadden, and Rich Kirch, and is collaborating on an audio/visual project with renowned visual artist, Andreas Nottebohm.

Career overview.

In 1964 and 1965, Pete toured Britain with the Sons of Fred, recording five singles at E.M.I.’s Abbey Road Studios in London. Next, after a brief stint on keyboards playing Motown songs with Fleur De Lys, he formed the underground psychedelic band Sam Gopal Dream along with renowned guitarist, Mick Hutchinson and Tabla player Sam Gopal. In 1967, Jimi Hendrix joined the band onstage for a night of very intense jamming. Pete then recorded keyboards with bluesman Freddy King’s European backing band, Steamhammer. In 1969, Pete worked as a session musician in London, including playing bass on Marion Segals, folk rock Jade album with Terry Cox from Pentangle. He then flew to the USA to form Silver Meter with Leigh Stevens and Micky Waller, and later the original Stoneground, who toured Europe and the US. Both bands were managed by Tom Donahue, pioneer of the FM music radio format.Pete recorded piano and bass on Rod Stewart’s Gasoline Alley in 1970.

In 1971, he played bass on the first Papa John Creach solo album in San Francisco.

After recording on Rod’s Every Picture Tells a Story in 1971, Pete joined The Long John Baldry Blues Band for their first tour of the United States. He was later a founding member of the San Francisco based band, Copperhead, which featured guitarist and close friend, John Cipollina. He left the band just before their first album to fly back to England and record with Rod Stewart again, returning to the U.S. immediately to play bass with renowned keyboardist, Nicky Hopkins. Pete played piano with bluesman Nick Gravenitas on the notorious Mill Valley Bunch album during this period, as well as co-producing and arranging the music for the Kathi McDonald album Insane Asylum. He also formed a band, Sears, Schon, Errico with Greg Errico, and Neil Schon. Pete did quite a bit of session work as well, including working on the album, Betty Davis which many consider to be one of the seminal funk albums of the time.

In 1975, Pete (on piano) and Jerry Garcia played on Robert Hunter’s album, Tiger Rose. In 1988, Jerry Garcia was a guest on Pete’s album, Watchfire, along with David Grisman, Mickey Hart, and several other friends. The album dealt with environmental and human rights issues, with the lyrics written by writer, Jeannette Sears.

He released an avant garde solo piano album, Millennium, in 2000, and introduced the work with an improvisational solo piano concert in Tokyo, Japan.

Pete released his third solo CD, The Long Haul, in 2001, featuring many guests including Charlie Musselwhite, John Lee Hooker and Steve Kimock.

Pete and Jeannette worked in environmental and human rights issues for many years, mostly concentrating their efforts in Central America.

Pete has written and recorded the original scores for many documentary films, including
the award winning Fight in the Fields on Cesar Chavez and the Farm Workers Union.

List of artists Pete has played with:

For many years Pete has traveled back and forth between the US and England...touring, recording, and doing session work on over one hundred albums. He has played with many artists, including John Lee Hooker, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Warren Haynes, Steve Kimock, Ron Wood, Jerry Garcia, Steamhammer, Long John Baldry, Rod Stewart, Silver Metre, Peter Rowan, Los Lobos, Government Mule, Levon Helm, Tracy Nelson, Rich Kirch, Dave Sharp, Zakiya Hooker, G.E. Smith, Taylor Barton, Harvey Mandel, Nick Gravenites, Taj Mahal, Mickey Hart, Hans Olsen, Mark Naftalin, Bob Weir, Nicky Hopkins, Leftover Salmon, Bobby Vega, Don Johnson, Mark Unobsky, Eric McFadden, Wally Ingram, Smokey Smothers, Lester (Mad Dog) Davenport, Mark Benno, John Popper, Amos Garrett, Craig Horton & The Scratchin Dogs, Rusted Root, Norton Buffalo, Zero, Sons of Fred, the original Stoneground, the original Sam Gopals Dream with Mick Hutchinson, Fleur de Lys, British beat poet Mike Hart with fellow poet and Cream lyricist Pete Brown, Leigh Stephens, Jackie McCauley and Judy Dyble, Betty Davis, Copperhead with John Cipollina, Chris Jagger, Roy Harper, Steve Gillete, Robert Hunter (album produced by Jerry Garcia), Ike and Tina Turner (recorded at Bolic Sound for two weeks), Papa John Creach, Steve Cropper, Neil Schon, Derek Trucks, David Lindley, Buddy Cage and Zen Tricksters, Tim Rose, Brewer & Shipley, Merrell Fankhauser, Maria Muldaur, Alex Harvey, Wavy Gravy, Kim Fowley, Freddy Roulette, Kathi McDonald, Sly Stone, Chet Nichols, The Pointer Sisters, Madeline Bell, Nils Lofgren, Big Brother, Shana Morrison, Floyd "Red Crow" Westerman, Dennis Banks, Charlie Hill, Mick Gillette, Larry Graham, Wayne Jackson & the Memphis Horns, Mal Sharpe, Terry Haggerty, Zydeco Flames, Julie Larson, Ultra Violet, Mark Karen, David Hayes, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Flying Other Brothers, Freddie Hughes, Henry Kaiser, Billy Kruetzam, Donna Jean Godchaux, and David Nelson. He has also sat in or jammed with such people as, Jimi Hendrix, Carlos Santana, Little Feat, The Allman Brothers, Graham Bond, Sam Bush, T-Bone Burnett, Country Joe McDonald, Hubert Sumlin, Zigaboo Modeliste, Sugar Blue, Vasser Clements, Elvis Costello, James Burton, David Crosby, Johnny Johnson, Paul Butterfield, Mike Bloomfield, Boz Scaggs, Merl Saunders, Chris Whitley, Shannon McNally, Frank Marino, Trey Anastasio, Holy Modal Rounders, John Sebastian, Higher Ground, Pinetop Perkins, Ken Kesey, Blues Traveler, Hot Buttered Rum, Ron Thompson & the Resistors, Grateful Dead, Eric Burdon, Laurie Lewis and many more.

More in depth bio:

Pete began his musical career in London in the mid-sixties. Born in Bromley, Kent, England, he grew up playing piano and listening, through his older brother John, to Blues, Jazz and R&B artists like Champion Jack Dupree, Memphis Slim, Dave Brubeck, Oscar Peterson, Jimmy Reed, Big Bill Broonzy and Robert Johnson. At age thirteen, he started playing guitar, and at sixteen, abandoned dreams of going to art college and began playing in clubs, recording at EMI studios on Abbey road, and touring Britain and Europe playing bass guitar with the Sons of Fred. The Sons of Fred recorded five singles and performed on several popular British television shows, including Thank Your Lucky Stars and Ready Steady Goes Live. He later joined Fleur de Lys on piano and recorded several songs with them, including the Gospel tune Amen, with Jimi Hendrix sitting in on guitar.

After leaving Fleur de Lys, Pete teamed up with Sons of Fred bandmate, guitarist Mick Hutchinson and joined Tabla player Sam Gopal in the underground band Sam Gopal’s Dream. The band played legendary 60’s London venues like the UFO Club, The Electric Garden in Covent Garden (later to become Middle Earth), Alexander Palace, The Roundhouse, and Happening 44. They later played the famous Christmas on Earth Show at Olympia in London on the same bill with Traffic, Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd. They later recorded some tracks with the legendary engineer, producer, Gus Dudgeon. While playing with Sam and Mick at the Middle Earth, Pete became friends with Graham Bond. After the audience had left, Graham, Pete and Mick would spend all night in the club jamming where Pete picked up a lot about playing the Hammond B3.

Graham later asked Mick and him to join his band (Pete would have played bass).Jimi Hendrix

Pete later started touring and doing sessions for Folk and Blues artists such as Marion Segal and Jade, Steamhammer, and the Long John Baldry Blues Band.

Pete formed his own band called Giant, playing lead guitar and performing several shows including one at the Roundhouse, in Chalk Farm, London. The following day, the show was given a favorable mention on a radio show by the popular Rock and Roll D.J. John Peel. Pete spent some time with his friend, Beat Poet, Pete Brown, who introduced him to people like sax player, Dick Heckstal Smith and Arthur Brown. Pete Brown

Around 1969, Mitch Mitchell talked to Pete about playing bass in a band he was thinking of starting, but the group never materialized. Meanwhile, Pete hung out with John Mark from the John Mayal band for a while, and rehearsed with John Hiseman’s Coliseum. Pete then started a band with Judy Dyble (original Fairport Convention singer) and Jackie McCauley (Van Morrison’s original band, Them) called Trader Horn. He left before recording their first album and flew to Los Angeles to form the band, Silver Metre, with Leigh Stephens and Micky Waller. Tom Donahue, the founder of the alternative FM radio format in the USA, became the group’s manager. Tom later managed another band Pete was in called Stoneground, who traveled through Europe with Wavy Gravy and the Hog Farm. For many years Pete traveled back and forth between the U.S. and England...touring, recording, and doing session work with many bands, including Rod Stewart, Long John Baldry, Copperhead with John Cipollina, and a power trio band he formed with Neil Schon and Greg Errico called, Sears-Schon-Errico. Pete also played blues piano with Nick Gravenitas’s band on the classic, Mill Valley Bunch, Casting Pearls album, which also featured guitarist Michael Bloomfield. In the United States, Pete arranged, co-produced, and played on Kathi McDonald’s critically acclaimed album, Insane Asylum, using artists like the Pointer Sisters, Sly Stone, John Cipollina, Aynsley Dunbar, Nils Lofgren and Neil Schon. During those sessions, David Frieburg introduced Pete to Grace Slick and Paul Kantner of the Jefferson Airplane. They were in another studio recording solo projects, and Pete ended up playing bass and piano on both albums, including Grace’s Manhole record; he also collaborated with her on the song, Better Lying Down.

In 1974, Grace Slick and Paul Kantner phoned Pete, who was back in England, urging him to return to the States and join a new band they were forming called the Jefferson Starship. Pete played bass and keyboards with the Jefferson Starship and much later, Starship for thirteen years, releasing over ten albums between the two bands. During this time, Pete also recorded with various other people including Robert Hunter, Jerry Garcia, and Nick Gravenites.From 1992 to 2001 Pete played keyboards with Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady, Michael Falzarano and Harvey Sorgen in the Jefferson Airplane off-shoot, Hot Tuna. He also played in the Jorma Kaukonen Trio with Jorma and Michael. Pete often teaches piano at Jorma Kaukonen's Fur Peace Ranch Guitar Camp in S.E. Ohio, and once performed as a solo artist on the Live From Fur Peace Station radio show.

Pete played on many other artists CD’s during this period, including Harvey Mandel, Eric McFadden, Zero, Rich Kirch, and Alvin Youngblood Hart.

During the 1990’s Pete toured the country with many bands, including Leftover Salmon, Zero, and the Steve Kimock Band. Pete and Steve have also played several shows together as a duo. He also played a benefit in Eureka for the Save the Headwaters Forest action group with an early version of Bob Weir’s Ratdog.  

In 1998, Pete teamed up with Rich Kirch of John Lee Hooker’s, Coast to Coast Blues Band for a week’s run at the House of Blues in Chicago. They were joined by the legendary Chicago bluesmen, Little Smokey Smothers, and Lester "Mad Dog" Davenport.

As a member of The Flying Other Brothers, Pete toured the U.S. extensively from 2002 to 2006, often playing one of the band’s favorite states, Alaska. The Flying sometimes joined Bob Weir and Mickey Hart to play benefits for a variety of causes, including several Washington D.C. events honoring Senator Patrick Leahy. Other Brothers

Pete also enjoys playing with David Nelson & Friends in various configurations..

His currently plays with Roger McNamee, Ann McNamee, Barry Sless, Jim Sanchez, Jack Casady and GE Smith in a new band, Moonalice.Long an environmentalist and peace activist, Pete was at odds with what the mid-eighties version of the "Starship" had become, and left the band in 1987 to record a concept album. This acoustic electric, live in the studio album called Watchfire originally released by Redwood Records in 1988, and re-released in 1993 at Jerry Garcia's urging on Grateful Dead Records, featured Pete on vocals, keyboards and slide guitar. He was joined by Jerry Garcia, Mimi Farina, David Grisman, Mickey Hart, Babatunde Olatunji, Holly Near, and many others. Jeannette Sears wrote the majority of the lyrics, while Pete composed and arranged the music. Pete co-produced the album with engineer and long-time partner, Paul Stubblebine. They recorded it at Bayview Studios in Richmond, California, run by their close friend Steve Suda. ,

In 2000, Pete recorded an avant garde improvisational solo piano album called Millennium for release in Asia. He introduced the work at a solo piano concert in Tokyo. It was never released in the United States.

In 2001, Pete recorded The Long Haul, with many special guests including Charlie Musselwhite, Levon Helm, Maria Muldaur, Shanna Morrison, Davy Pattison, Wavy Gravy, Rich Kirch, and John Lee Hooker who co-wrote and performed a song with Pete which was recorded live in the studio with no overdubs. The Long Haul was originally released on the Tower Records’ label 33rd Street Records. 

Soundtrack Credits

Emmy Nomination Documentary film on Cesar Chavez and the Farm Worker’s Union. The Fight in the, was aired on National PBS on April 16, 1997, and was the recipient of the Cine award, 1st place National Education Film Festival, 1st place San Antonio Festival, Chicago Film Festival Award, amongst many others including a National.

Soundtrack Credits for Original Scores and Recordings:

-Documentary film on Cesar Chavez and the Farm Worker’s Union. The Fight in theFields, was aired on National PBS on April 16, 1997, and was the recipient of the Cine award, 1st place National Education Film Festival, 1st place San Antonio Festival, Chicago Film Festival Award, amongst many others including a National Emmy Nomination .
-Documentary on religious oppression in Tibet called, Tibet’s Stolen Child, with Star Trek’s Patrick Stewart narrating.
-Documentary film Store Wars, which won best documentary at the San Francisco.
International Film Festival
-Discovery International film The Eye On The Universe, a documentary about the largest telescope in the world being built in northen Chili. The film won the prestigious New York Film Festival Gold Medal award .
-MSNBC  film on Troubled Girls in prison and another MSNBC documentary called Critical Choices .
-Documentary film, Route 66
-Short documentary on eBay’s contribution to the Hurricane Katrina disaster relief effort. The film was shown to an audience of ten thousand people in Las Vegas.
-A Test Of Courage, a National P.B.S. special on the Oakland Fire Department.

—The Red Hat Society documentary. film on Troubled Girls in prison and another MSNBC documentary called film The Eye On The Universe, a documentary about the largestDocumentary on religious oppression in Tibet called, Tibet’s Stolen Child, with Star narrating.ocumentary film on Cesar Chavez and the Farm Worker’s Union. The Fight in the, was aired on National PBS on April 16, 1997, and was the recipient of the Cine award, 1st place National Education Film Festival, 1st place San Antonio Festival, Chicago Film Festival Award, amongst many others including a National.
Critical Choices .
—Documentary film, Route 66
—Short documentary on eBay’s contribution to the Hurricane Katrina disaster relief effort.The film was shown to an audience of ten thousand people in Las Vegas.
—A Test Of Courage, a National P.B.S. special on the Oakland Fire Department.
—The Red Hat Society documentary.

Awards:

Pete was featured in Film and Tape World and has been interviewed for Keyboard, and Guitar Player magazines.

He was given a Bay Area Music Award in the Bassist category, and was also nominated the same year in the Keyboard category; the only musician ever to be nominated in both categories for a Bammy at the same time.

He was also a recipient of the Golden Reel Award, and was nominated for a Grammy with the Starship.

In 1988, Pete and Jeannette received awards from the California Institute of Integral Studies for ongoing humanitarian contributions to the Bay Area community. Pete has also received awards from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Very Special Arts for the Handicapped, and from Bread and Roses. 

Benefit work:

Jefferson Starship played many benefits during the 70s & early 80s, including shows for the Vietnam Veterans, and Cambodia at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, during which he jammed with the Grateful Dead in the finale, and several Save the San Francisco Cable Cars fund raisers.

Pete and Jeannette organized a radio drive on six major San Francisco Bay Area stations to collect food and clothing for war refugees from Guatemala and El Salvador who were living in the Bay Area.

In 1989, Pete, Jeannette, and director-producer Ray Telles, along with several other prominent Bay Area film people, formed a non-profit video company, Watchfire Productions. Working as a project of Earth Island Institute, Watchfire produced a music video on human rights abuses in Guatemala, a country Pete and Jeannette have visited many times since their first trip there in 1979. Watchfire Productions sent out thousands of free copies of the video to organizations and individuals working for human rights in Central America and around the world. The music video featured Pete on piano and vocals, David Grisman on Mandolin, and Enrique Cruz on Kena (Andean Flute) and Siqus (Andean Pan Pipes). Jerry Garcia and the Rex Foundation, Tides, and several other prominent foundations funded the video. Pete served on the Board of N.A.S.A.F.O.N.A., a joint Hopi Indian and University of Arizona based organization, which worked to restore ancient garden terracing on the Hopi reservation in Arizona.

He also served on the board of The Endangered Peoples Project, an organization headed by ethnobotonist and explorer, Dr. Wade Davis, author of Serpent and the Rainbow, Penan, One River, Shadows in the Sun, and many other books.

Pete has performed at, organized, and assembled the musicians for numerous benefits, including the 1988 Soviet American Peace Walk concert in San Francisco, which attracted twenty thousand people and featured Jerry Garcia, Grace Slick, Paul Kantner, Mickey Hart, John Cipollina, and many other notable musicians. The rest of the event was organized by Ron Frazier and Bill McCarthy.Pete also organized and played at a benefit for the Native American Inter Tribal Bison Co-op, featuring Bob Weir, Jorma Kaukonen, and Chris Whitley; Jerry Garcia was unable to perform due to illness. Pete regularly plays piano for Wavy Gravy’s SEVA benefits, including a 1994 concert in which Hot Tuna performed with Bob Weir and David Crosby. 

In 2004, he organized and performed at a benefit for Jefferson Airplane Drummer, Spencer Dryden featuring Bob Weir, Warren Haynes, Peter Rowan, David Nelson, Nick Gravenitas, Harvey Mandel, Terry Haggerty, Flying Other Brothers, and many others. The benefit was made possible thanks to Dawn Holiday and the staff at Slim’s in San Francisco.

In 2005, Pete performed at, and organized the music and artist line-up for Chet Fest; a benefit celebrating the life of San Francisco’s Chet Helms. Originally conceived as a benefit to help with Chet’s medical bills while he was still alive, the event sadly turned into a memorial concert with the proceeds going directly to pay off his bills and to his family.

The concert, which was held at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco, and featured Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, T-Bone Burnett, Big Brother & the Holding Company, Paul Kantner, David Frieburg, Country Joe McDonald, Leigh Stevens, Roger & Ann McNamee and the Flying Other Brothers, Joli Valenti, along with many other San Francisco artists who were friends of Chet’s. Several major Bay Area poster artists provided original artwork for the event.

Some of the Benefits Pete has organized or been a part of:

Benefit for the, Mental Health Association of MarinBenefit for, Marine World.

Benefit for, United Way’s "Runaway Program".

Benefit for Brian Wilson, who lost his legs protesting at Concord Weapons

Station.

Benefit at Concord Weapons Station.

Benefit for "Bread and Roses"

Worked with Mimi Farina for Bread and Roses at Fairfax, Ca. Mental Hospital.

Procured, organized the music and musicians for a "Soviet American Peace Walk," benefit at the band shell in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, Ca. 1988. ]

Performed for AIDS patients at Mother Teresa’s in San Francisco, Ca.

Benefit for El Salvadoran victims of war, Santa Rosa, Ca.

Organized a radio drive on six major San Francisco Bay Area stations to collect food and clothing for refugees of Guatemala and El Salvador living in the Bay Area.

 Benefit for Cambodia.

Benefit for Vietnam Veterans.

Benefit for "Indian Treaty Council," San Francisco, Ca.

Benefit for Volunteer Fireman’s Fund, Cassedero, Ca.

Benefits for "Watchfire Productions" work with Guatemala and El Salvador during the 1980’s.

Benefits for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, "Very Special Arts Program." 1980’s. Handicapped Special Olympics.

Benefit for joint University of Arizona and Hopi Indian Project, Flagstaff, AZ. N.A.S.A.F.O.N.A. (Pete was on the board of directors).

Benefit for Earth Train 1992.

Organized two benefits splitting the proceeds between the "Intertribal Bison Cooperative"and Arvol Lookinghorse of the Lakota Sioux.

Benefit with Dawn Patrol, Flying Other Brothers, and Bob Weir for Patch Adams & the Gesundheit! Institute

Many S.E.V.A. benefits for Wavy Gravy's Campwinnerrainbow Children's Camp

And India projects

David Obey Washington DC event with FOB’s and Mickey Hart

Bluewater Network fundraiser

International Public Health Hero Award celebration for Larry Brilliant

John Kerry and Theresa Heinz Kerry fundraisers

Organized and performed at a benefit for Jefferson Airplane Drummer, Spencer Dryden

SEVA benefit for Wavy Gravy. Sat in with Bob Weir & RatDog. Solo piano at after party.

Sacred Run Benefit, 2006 San Francisco.

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