Peter Dougherty RIP

Peter Dougherty RIP. I took this pic a few years back at an event in NYC (L-R: Peter, Don Letts, Bob Gruen).

Peter constantly surprised me with the depth & range of musical tastes. Although I didn't know him until the last 10 years or so, he always treated me like an old friend. He was one of the few (the only?) Americans who I could discuss the career of Davey Henderson in depth with. And he was friends with the Pop Group! Every once in a while I'd get an email from him with a download of a live Orange Juice recording, or something just as interesting.

He was a big part of getting Yo! MTV Raps on the air, as well as launching MTV Europe. He directed videos for the Pogues and others. He & his brother Paul are well known in the downtown NYC crowd for their archives of countless live recordings & ephemera - much of which is now housed in the Downtown Collection at NYU's Fales Library.

I'm glad I got to spend a day with him just a few months back. He showed me around his house proudly showing off what hung in the walls - an amazing array of posters & artwork of a life well lived and passion pursued. You'll be missed Peter.

Here is his Pogues video: