Guitarist, songwriter, and bandleader Pete Krebs is one of the reasons why Portland's music scene has remained so vivid and vital through the years. From his punk rock glory days in the '90s with Thrillhammer and Hazel (see video below), through his country explorations with Golden Delicious and numerous solo albums to his current standing as one of the best and busiest guitarists in town with outfits like Stolen Sweets and his own Pete Krebs Trio, Pete is the very definition of a working musician, plying his trade nightly at bars, swanky parties, and impromptu jam sessions. 

Pete survived a brush with Hodgkin's Lymphoma in his 20s, but he has recently been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called Desmoplastic Melanoma. He just had a biopsy to find out how far the disease has spread in his system, and if it's gone beyond a certain point, there is no treatment. I think I speak for everyone when I say that we're hoping for some good news on this front. 

Even the most in-demand musician has to juggle a lot of balls to pay the bills, however, and Pete is no exception. Needless to say his medical expenses are going to be massive, so I'm directing folks to his payitsquare.com page. If you can kick down a contribution, you'll be glad in knowing that you're helping out a great artist—and a real sweet dude—who's brought much happiness and many fond memories to a whole lot of Portlanders, myself included.