Pete Receives His OBE At Special Palace Ceremony!

Wednesday, 23rd of February saw Pete put on his best suit and receive his OBE from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. As we revealed on January 1st, it was announced on New Year's Eve that Pete was to receive an OBE in recognition for his services to music.

King George V first created these honours in 1917 to reward services to the war effort, today the orders are now awarded mainly to civilians and service personnel for public service.

Upon hearing the news, Pete said he was "shocked, staggered and speechless" to be named in the Honours list and was thrilled to have been chosen.

"To think I began working in this industry 35 years ago with the hope of earning more than fifteen quid I week, I think that I have done alright!"

After the February 23rd ceremony, Pete revealed that the Queen appeared to be a lover of pop music; "Her Majesty asked me about the songs - I was quite shocked she knew them!" he said.

Pete returned to the Palace on Tuesday March 1st at a special reception to celebrate British music. Other guests at the event included legendary guitarists Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page and Brian May. The evening reception marked the end of Music Day and was held to recognise the excellence of British Music and the contribution it makes to the culture and economy of the UK.

"It's hard to believe that things like this happen to me. My grandfather was so patriotic it was untrue. He would be so proud of me. As a kid growing up in Coventry I never thought that I'd even get to see the Queen, let alone meet her! I'm flattered that people have gone out of their way to recognise me and the industry I work in. For years now I have just done my job. If I was able to help people along the way; charity records, personal appearances etc, then I always tried to. I never thought that I'd be recognised for doing it; you just do your best, then move on to the next thing. Last week was terrific. At last the Coventry kid who left school unable to read or write has done good! And the medal? Well when I first saw it it just blew me away. It's fantastic!"

Quick Fact:

Did you know that along with his OBE, Pete is also the proud recipient of a Doctorate in Music? This great honour was bestowed upon him by University College Chester last year and was presented by Lord Owen, who is Chancellor of establishment.

Click Here! to read the BBC News coverage of this event.

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