In 1972 Pete was invited to perform at a huge Rock’n’Roll Revival Show in England, on the same bill as Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Bill Haley and other greats that performed on the main stage of the Show. Naturally, Soviet authorities didn’t allow Pete to go to London. Till now he treasures a ticket and a festival poster that his friends from England sent him much later. KGB also didn’t allow him to go even to Bulgaria to work at the Golden Sands’ resort night clubs. Later, Pete was invited to the KGB headquarters in Riga, but this time the threats were really serious. He was warned that if he’d keep playing this music, that could lead to physical disappearance of his new-born daughter Joanna. It was the biggest emigration wave all over the USSR and lots of intelligent people who didn’t give up, who couldn’t cope with regime and who were strong enough not drink themselves off, escaped from it leaving the country. Lots of talented rock musicians also somehow managed to get out. There was absolutely no choice left, so Pete also decided to emigrate. For five times he applied for a visa to get out of the country and all five times he was refused to exit. No doubt, this was some kind of cruel „revenge” from their side. For almost ten long years Pete lived in total depression, despair and oblivion thinking that he's destroyed as a musician and a human being and he will never be able to get out of this gigantic "prison camp" called Soviet Union.
Pages:
1
|
|
Photos from tours, with fans, friends, musicians etc.
CD's recorded, mp3 samples
|