Peter Narvaez, born Peter Reuben Aceves on March 16, 1942, in Brooklyn, New York, passed away on November 11, 2011. He spent his early years in Boonton, New Jersey, where he was influenced by his family's diverse heritage—his father, George Aceves, was a Mexican labor organizer in the furrier trade, and his mother, Borinquin Maria Narvaez, a Puerto Rican antique business owner. He had one older brother, George.

Narvaez's passion for music began at an early age; an uncle taught him guitar, and he formed his inaugural band, Pete & Jimmy With The Rhythm Knights, during high school. The band caught the attention of DJ Alan Freed, who produced their sole 45, "So Wild," released in 1959 on Castle Records. Among their performances was an opening slot for Tom and Jerry, an Everly Brothers cover band that would later gain fame as Simon & Garfunkel. Narvaez drew inspiration from legends like Chuck Berry and Bob Dylan.

In the early 1960s, he immersed himself in the vibrant nightclub scene of Greenwich Village, where he developed a deep appreciation for blues music, admiring its candid exploration of themes such as "drinking, sex, and gambling … crop failures, welfare lines, death, God," as he noted in a 1986 interview. He formed a jug band during this period. Narvaez obtained a history degree from Drew University in New Jersey in 1963, subsequently pursuing a Master’s degree in folklore at Indiana University, which he completed in 1967. While there, he met Neil Rosenberg, who would later become both a colleague and a fellow musician.

In 1968, Narvaez formed the band Homegas, which released one album in 1971 on the respected Takoma Label. Despite its underground popularity, the album did not achieve commercial success. Following this, he moved to Maine, where he taught at a free school for a year before taking a role at Bliss College in Lewiston. He quickly advanced from associate professor to dean of students, but the college faced severe financial issues and ultimately closed in 1972. Narvaez then worked as a musician before being encouraged by Rosenberg to apply for an archivist position with the Folklore and Language Archives at Memorial University in St. John's, Newfoundland, which he joined in 1974. There, he became a lecturer and later a professor, contributing significantly to research and engaging with a local music scene that resonated with his style. The impact of his earlier work was evidenced when Hynes played one of Narvaez's songs at the Continental Bar shortly after his arrival.

Narvaez's influence on the local music scene was substantial. In 1975, he provided a tape of fiddler Rufus Guinchard to a young musician named Kelly Russell, who was part of the emerging band Figgy Duff, helping to spur a folk music revival. Narvaez also contributed harmonica to the first album of The Wonderful Grand Band. He played a critical role in shaping the provincial blues scene alongside English musician Denis Parker and created a website dedicated to the genre, www.rowdyblues.com. His bands included Bopular Demand, Cookstown Jukes, Rowdy Blues, and Divin' Duck, with his final group being The Superpickers, featuring Sandy Morris and Glenn Collins, which released a recording in 2011.

Shortly after moving to Newfoundland, Narvaez changed his last name, citing personal disillusionment with his father and the practicality of a more pronounceable name. He experienced four marriages: first to Rinda Metz in his early 20s, with whom he had a daughter named Jamille; they divorced in the early 1970s. In St. John's, he married Ann Anderson, then Anne Budgell, and finally Holly Everett on November 7, 1998.