HEAVY METAL FOREFATHER, BLUE CHEER FRONTMAN DICKIE PETERSON DIES

Dickie Peterson, the bassist and vocalist for heavy-metal godfathers Blue Cheer, died of an undisclosed cause in Germany at 5 A.M. today. He was 63. The bass-heavy riffs, unruly lead guitars, and thundering drums of his band's debut album, Vincebus Eruptum—which came out in January 1968—helped define what metal would sound like in the decades to come. Peterson described his music simply as "ultra-blues." He had been reportedly battling cancer for several months. Rest in peace.