It’s been such a wonderful few months for Holger Petersen who celebrated 50 years on our airwaves this past fall.The celebrations have continued into 2020 for the host of CKUA’s Natch’l Blues, Canada’s longest-running blues program. This January, at a ceremony in New Orleans, Folk Alliance International inducted Petersen into the Folk DJ Hall of Fame. It’s one thing to be notified that you’re to receive such an honour but quite another to actually be on stage before your peers, in Louisiana no less, to accept it.
Being in New Orleans to be inducted was especially meaningful,” Petersen recalls. “It’s one of the two places where blues has its roots in America—Congo Square in New Orleans and the Mississippi Delta. I acknowledged that and how grateful I am for my 50 year relationship with CKUA. It was especially humbling receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award that night along with Preservation Hall, Mahalia Jackson and BeauSoleil.
Petersen’s music knowledge, on-air warmth, and enthusiasm have been no secret to his listeners but, given the length of his career, he also possesses a rather unique perspective on our current cultural landscape. We have so many media platforms now days and Petersen has witnessed such things come and go over the past five decades.
A key to his success appears to be adaptation.
It all comes down to honouring the music and the musicians no matter what the platform,” Petersen explains. “It’s what keeps me going and continues to inspire me. I love going to used vinyl stores in my travels, going online, or listening to my fellow announcers to discover new and old music.
Alberta is fortunate to have Petersen in our midst, as a broadcast leader and beloved part of our community. One of the reasons he belongs in any hall of fame is because he helps those following in his path with sage advice and an instructive bent to his practice.
Feed your enthusiasm for the music,” he says, when asked for any tips he might have for a younger generation of announcers. “Respect music history and be grateful for what you do.
He also hosts Saturday Night Blues, now in its 33rd year, across Canada on CBC Radio One and Two, and across North America on SiriusXM 169. He has been interviewing blues and roots music artists since the late ’60s.
In 1975 he co-founded Canada’s Stony Plain Records. The label has won 15 (Canadian) Juno Awards and has been nominated for six international Grammy Awards.
He is also a founder and past artistic director of the Edmonton Folk Music Festival, named to the Order of Canada in 2003 and is a recipient of two honorary ‘Doctor of Letters Degrees’ presented by the University of Alberta (2012) and Athabasca University (2004) in recognition of his contributions to Canadian culture and public broadcasting.
He has published two books on blues and roots music and has received a Keeping The Blues Alive Award from the Blues Foundation in Memphis.
As a record producer, he has worked with dozens of artists including Jeff Healey, Long John Baldry, Ian Tyson, Maria Muldaur, Ronnie Earl, Rory Block, Jay McShann and Eric Bibb.
Listen to Holger Petersen host Natch’l Blues on CKUA every Saturday from 3:00 to 5:00 PM MT and Saturday Night Blues in the evening or on demand at: http://bit.ly/2H6awSf