Local author Jonathan Wright has spent several years uncovering forgotten stories when it comes to Peoria’s musical history.
From iconic bands like the Doors, the Who to homegrown ones like REO Speedwagon to the R&B/soul/jazz scene, Peoria has had a connection to them all.
Wright’s first book, Punks In Peoria: Making a Scene in the American Heartland, won the Book of the Year Award from the Illinois Historical Society in 2022 for taking “readers off the beaten track to reveal the punk rock life as lived in Anytown, U.S.A.”
His new book in progress is River City Soul: Uncovering the Hidden Musical History of Peoria, Illinois, scheduled for publication in 2027. It’s led him to interview Miles Davis’ nephew, connect with the Louis Armstrong House Museum and discover Peoria’s connections to Parliament-Funkadelic, among other fascinating stories.
Both of his works fit so well with our Peoria Reads book for 2025, Holding the Note: Profiles in Popular Music by David Remnick, which is about some of the most influential musicians, songwriters and performers of the past 50 years.
Did any of them ‘play in Peoria?’
You’ll have to come to find out.
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