Biography

Led by key members Paul Humphrey (lead vocals) and Chris Wardman (guitar), and augmented by Jason Sniderman (keyboards) and the rhythm section Rick Joudrey on bass and Owen Tennyson on drums, Blue Peter were one of the most innovative and influential acts to emerge from the Toronto underground environment, and their brand of cutting edge pop, rhythm, and dance stands the test of time today. The Blue Peter story started in the mid to late 70's when Chris Wardman and Paul Humphrey, who became the nucleus of the band, began practising and writing material. As the band developed, and began to secure gigs, Humphrey remembers that the era was one in which many new bands faced certain challenges that made the going difficult. "In those early days, there were no places for a band who did original material to play. Times did change, however, and the live venue scene in Toronto started to open up, providing more opportunities for young, up-and-coming bands to get a shot at playing gigs. "It was an exciting time," recalls Humphrey. "Clubs like The Edge and Larry's Hideaway opened up and a lot of good bands with original music got a chance. There's a certain musical historical element to those days, and we were part of it." As Blue Peter released singles, albums and EP's on Ready Records, and toured Canada regularly, the bands' popularity grew dramatically. The video for “Don’t Walk Past” received airplay at MuchMusic and various U.S. outlets including MTV.