“I almost fell off my chair when he pointed to me,” reminisces Paul Peterson, the youngest member of a very musical family.
The “he” in this scenario is none other than Prince himself, who has helped Peterson and many other musicians find their paths in the performing world. In 1984, lead singer Morris Day was leaving a band called The Time to pursue a solo career, leaving the future uncertain for the remaining members.
“Prince called a meeting and those of us who were left attended. He put us in a circle and said he was forming a new band and I was going to be the lead singer. I guess he heard me singing during the filming of Purple Rain, as our dressing rooms at First Avenue were separated only by a bed sheet,” Peterson, then just 21 years old, humbly recalls.
As astonished as Peterson was in that moment, Prince knew what he was doing. To complete The Family, which at that point included Peterson (bass), Jesse Johnson (guitar) and Jerome Benton (percussion), he looked to his own musical family. He brought in his guitar player’s twin sister Susannah Melvoin to play keyboards and backup vocals, and his road manager’s brother Eric Leeds to contribute on saxophone and flute.
“Those years are incredibly important to me as an artist and as a bandleader,” says Peterson. “Prince worked us hard, but only to make us better. I learned so much about music, how to put a show together, and the business from him and my bandmates. That was my college!”
Although the band was only officially together for two years before taking an amicable break, they remained in close contact as they pursued solo ventures and contributed individually to other stars’ success (think Janet Jackson, George Michael and Stevie Wonder).
Peterson’s career was determined from a young age, as he played and recorded with his brothers and sisters throughout high school in Richfield. “I grew up in a musical family, as did my partner Susannah Melvoin. There was always a rehearsal going on in my house,” he says. “My love for music comes from my family. We still play together to this day.”
At age 15, his mother encouraged him to join the Musicians’ Union and he worked professionally with her. “My biggest inspiration is my 90-year-old mom, Jeanne Arland Peterson. She is and always will be my inspiration. After losing her husband when I was four, she raised us and continued to earn her living through music. She is a beautiful person.”
Growing up in Richfield, Peterson was part of the deep rivalry between the cities. “I honestly never saw myself moving here, but I am so glad I did,” Peterson says smiling. The 16-year Edina resident credits the community for luring him in and keeping him here. “Edina has everything for me. It’s a beautiful place to raise my children with an incredible school system. When I’m not on tour, I also work as an educator at the Minneapolis Media Institute on 76th and France.”
The Family reunited several times for fundraiser concerts organized by their friends in the industry, but the timing for an official reunion wasn’t right until 2007. Peterson, Melvoin, Leeds and Johnson are the old Family members who took on the new name fDeluxe. Released in September, their album Gaslight is infused with dance, romance and plenty of funk.
The love, wisdom, talent and humility the members of fDeluxe share couldn’t be more apparent. “We just hope people like the record, and hear the emotion and care that we put into creating it,” Peterson reflects. “It was a labor of love, and by taking our time and doing it ‘for musics’ sake’ we feel that this record is really a statement.”
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To read more about fDeluxe and listen to Gaslight, check out the fDeluxe website.
