Peter Lawrence Buck was born December 6, 1956 near Oakland, California.  When he was younger he received a transistor radio as  a gift.  A major contributor to him being a musician today.

It was listening under the covers after he was supposed to be asleep that first began the music addiction that he still has today. Later, he began experimenting with guitar playing -"just banging out a few chords" - and began pouring over the reviews and writings of not just mere rock critics, but writers that would analyze the music from every direction.

It's been said that he cleaned toilets for three years, it's been said that he's hitched across the country, and it's been said that he washed dishes for a year and shared a house with four or five Grateful Dead fans. But really, he left home at nineteen, not to wander, but to attend Emory University, which he withdrew from in 1978 to move to Athens. During this time, he grew tired of the Grateful Dead and various others and picked up a Sex Pistols single, "Anarchy in the UK", which musically moved him in a new direction - one that would eventually lead him to Michael Stipe.

What really made his and Stipe's paths first cross was his Buck's first job at the Wuxtry, a record store located in Athens.  Michael was a frequent customer who bought up everything that Peter was saving for himself.  This love of the same music is what eventually led them to be friends and later, roommates and bandmates.

When I hear the name Peter Buck, I think of the mandolin.  Losing My Religion is what stands out most in my mind.  Right after that, Letter Never Sent is one of my favorites, no mandolin but it's still great.