Price quickly realized he didn’t have the personality to be a lead singer, and that’s when he decided he needed to learn to play an instrument. He picked up a guitar and began teaching himself.
It was 1966 and 12-year-old Price was inspired by artists such as Bob Dylan, James Taylor and Neil Young, and he began learning how to play their music. His older brother was a guitarist and helped him along the way.
“I’ve never been afraid to ask questions,” Price said. “I just kept getting better and better.”
While attending Colonel White High School, Price began playing for customers at a nearby neighborhood bar on Salem Avenue called “The Dugout”. He had plans to become a musician and go as far as he could. But his father had a different plan for his son.
“Dad convinced me it would be better to stay in school and maybe learn a trade,” Price said. “He was a huge influence in my life.”
Price moved to Denver, Colorado when he was 19, following his brother who had moved there six months earlier. He moves to the mountains, finds a place to live and work as a construction worker in an underground mine. He eventually learned carpentry while working on construction sites building houses.
“When I was 25, I started my own carpentry business,” Price said.
Music remained a passion and Price played in local clubs in Denver. He briefly lived in Fort Collins to attend Colorado State University, where he met his first wife.
“I loved the idea of creating a little utopia on a farm for my family,” Price said. “We decided it was time to move closer to home.”
The couple moved to Bowling Green, Kentucky, where their daughter Amanda was born. Price got a job as a cabinetmaker, but soon realized he wasn’t going to make enough to pay the bills. He moved his family back home to Dayton, where he was employed as a civil engineer working at the then-new Dayton Correctional Institution.
“There was something about being my own boss that I really enjoyed and missed,” Price said. “I started Stillwater Builders in 1987.”
Price’s first marriage ended in divorce in 1988. Single again, he joined the French Fries after another member left the band. The band changed their name to The Fries and eventually the Fries Band and began playing community gigs and local venues on the weekends.
In 1999, Price met his second wife, Laura, and the couple moved to Oakwood. By 2018, he sold his business and finally had the time to focus entirely on a music career
“My goal was to apply myself to the music I love,” Price said. “But then COVID hit and all our shows were canceled.”
During the lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic, Price focused on writing new original songs. One of these songs, “Before I Go”, was recorded by his friend James Mills in Nashville. Price fell in love with the process of writing and recording music. In September 2021, Price recorded six original songs by inviting talented musicians to come to Dayton and play with him. His friends and members of the Fries Band, Steve Phelps, Matt Scholp, Henry Mace and Gary Knight also played with him on two songs. His first album as a solo artist, Department of the Interior, was released in 2022.
“I decided I wanted to do that first class,” Price said. “I wouldn’t worry about the results or be disappointed if it never worked out. I just did it for himself.”
He is working on his second album of original songs and is excited to be back in the studio.
“I love the process and every morning I sit down with my guitar and play what comes to mind,” Price said. “People really like my music. I am amazed and very pleased.”
Learn more at petepricemusic.com.