Happy Father's Day

For 18 years now I haven't had anyone to call Dad. One of the most important words in the English language is not one that has ever really been in my vocabulary. My father was one of the most interesting, troubled, funny, weird characters I've ever heard of though. No father is perfect and mine was even further than most but I still feel unusually lucky. I'm not prepared to give a speech here or write a eulogy but my father was a musician - a brilliant drummer - and he looked the part to perfection. What I missed in time with him is continuously given back to me through music I know he loved and music I imagine he would've enjoyed. In my still 6 year old eyes, I see his curly blond hair and picture every blond musician as having a piece of my father's spirit. I see a man with big, broad shoulders with a little girl and see him and what I had at that age - for a little while at least. I remember his silver jewelry, skull collections, faded blue jeans, high top sneakers.. classic hair metal band style. I never used to miss him but I miss him everyday now. I don't have a single physical item of his but I have 50% of everything he was and that means a lot more. This blog wouldn't exist without him, my love of Led Zeppelin wouldn't exist without him, and my own face wouldn't exist without him so I owe him a lot. I feel a huge gaping hole inside when I think about it too much but I thought I'd take this second to pay a little homage to some music my father, the card carrying rock drummer, Chip "the Wolf" Pepe, loved.


Hanoi Rocks - Finnish rock band and a favorite of Guns 'N Roses.


Rose Tattoo - Wish I could remember the story about this but a few years ago I had my friend burn an entire cd of their music because I needed to know what they sounded like. They were one of his favorites.

And now a couple bands with frontmen who look like him:


Apparently he would sometimes get mistaken for Robert Plant. This is the most frequent story I hear when I ask about my dad. Now how many daughters can say that?


The brilliant and underrated Lee Michaels. I can't count the times my mom has told me the cover of his album "5th" looks like my dad. I got my own copy of the album last week.

When bands like The New York Dolls play at the venue I work at, he's always in the back of my head.. really he's always there.

Happy Father's Day.