Holger Petersen
| Holger Petersen | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Occupation | Businessman, record producer and radio broadcaster |
| Known for | Founder of the Edmonton Folk Music Festival and Canadian "Ambassador of the Blues" |
Holger Petersen, CM (born Pellworm Island, West Germany, 23 Nov 1949) is a Canadian businessman, record producer and radio broadcaster. He owns and operates the independent roots music label Stony Plain Records, and hosts the programs Saturday Night Blues on CBC Radio One and Natch'l Blues on the CKUA Radio Network.[1] Petersen was a founder of the Edmonton Folk Music Festival and served as the artistic director from 1986 to 1988.[2] He has also been a musician, and was a member of Spiny Norman's Whoopee Band alongside future Alberta New Democratic Party leader Ross Harvey.[3] Petersen is based in Edmonton, Alberta.
Radio
Known as Canada’s “Ambassador of the Blues”, Petersen is the host of the popular radio show “Natch’l Blues”, which is broadcast every Saturday afternoon from CKUA, a radio station based in Edmonton, Canada. Natch’l Blues has been broadcasting for over 40 years, Canada’s longest running blues program. Petersen has also hosted Saturday Night Blues on CBC Radio One since its founding year in 1986.[4]
Awards
Canada’s Maple Blues Awards voted Petersen “Media Person of the Year” in 1997. In 2004 Petersen was awarded an “Alumni Award of Distinction” from NAIT. Petersen also received recognition from “The Blues Foundation” in Memphis in 2008, earning the “Keeping Blues Alive Award” for public radio.[4]
In 2009, Petersen was voted Best Public Broadcaster by the Blues Foundation in Memphis, the first time the award was presented to someone outside the United States.[5]
He was named a Member of the Order of Canada in 2003. In 2012 he was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Letters degree by the University of Alberta.[5]
Music festivals
Petersen was the artistic director of the Edmonton folk Music Festival for three years.[4]
Recording Company
Holger Petersen founded the Stony Plain Recording Company in his kitchen in 1975 with partner Alvin Jahns. Today Stony Plain’s catalogue includes over 350 titles. The record company accepts orders from all over Canada and internationally.[4]
References
- ↑ LeBlanc, Larry (January 14, 1995). "Roots Music, Country Reign At Stony Plain". Billboard Magazine (Nielsen Business Media, Inc) 107 (2): 37. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved March 21, 2010.
- ↑ Walters, Marylu (2002). CKUA: Radio Worth Fighting For. Alberta: University of Alberta Press. p. 198. ISBN 0-88864-395-0. Retrieved March 21, 2010.
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/20061018071231/http://www.seemagazine.com/Issues/2003/0731/cover3.htm. Archived from the original on October 18, 2006. Retrieved April 12, 2011. Missing or empty
|title=(help) - 1 2 3 4 "Holger Petersen celebrates 40 years as host of Natch'l Blues". techlife. Retrieved 20 February 2014.
- 1 2 Roy-Brenneis, Derek (April 30, 2012). "UAlberta honorary degrees announced". University of Alberta.