[1] Peterson played football at both Winona High School and Mississippi State in the position of halfback and left-footed punter, graduating from the university in 1958 as a physical education major.
[2][3] During college vacations, Peterson sang in night clubs in the south, and had a screen test in his senior year.
[5] Peterson moved to Los Angeles, and worked in the physical education department of the school system while pursuing a performing career.
[4] Turner Classic Movies notes that The Cool Ones was not favorably reviewed on its release, but quotes a modern reviewer: "Some bad movies are more entertaining than their much better cousins, and The Cool Ones falls squarely into that category.
[10] Peterson established JaXon Productions, a film corporation in Mississippi, in 1969, intending to change his career from acting and singing to producing.