Martin Taylor Interviews Don Peake

In this Guitar Conversations interview, Don Peake walks Martin Taylor through the early turns that shaped his playing. He remembers discovering the guitar as a teenager, learning enough chords to accompany a singer, and then being pushed into professional work before he felt fully ready. The story moves through his first club job, study at Los Angeles City College, the audition that sent him to England with the Everly Brothers, and the London circuit where the Everlys, Beatles, and Rolling Stones crossed paths. Peake then describes returning to Los Angeles, playing the Gold Star sessions, and auditioning for Ray Charles. The conversation ends with a difficult story from touring Alabama with Ray’s band, placing musicianship inside the real social conditions of the period. Throughout, Peake returns to preparation, reading, listening, and the responsibility of being ready when the music starts.

Summary and excerpts edited from the source video captions. Wording is lightly cleaned for readability; follow timestamps for the original recording.