In the 1940's and early '50's with his own band, Peter played for dances throughout Southern B.C. and broadcast regular radio shows on CKOV in Kelowna, CJIB in Vernon and CKOK in Penticton. In the early 1950's, he joined a travelling country group making several cross Canada tours.

In the mid 1950's, Peter moved to Toronto and played the night-club circuit plus several TV shows out of Toronto and Hamilton. He appeared several times on the Mainstreet Jamboree out of CHML in Hamilton. Peter was also one of the musicians in the Toronto studio that recorded the original "The French Song" by the famous Canadian, Lucille Starr.

He then joined the Wheeling Jamboree at Radio Station WWVA in Wheeling, West Virginia as their Staff Fiddler. He travelled the United States and Canada extensively working with many country and bluegrass bands. During this period, he also appeared as back-up musician on the famous Grand Ole Opry in Nashville Tennessee.

In the early 1960's, Peter returned home to Canada. He then established a music business while continuing composing and recording fiddle music.

Peter has recorded a number of albums, going as far back as 1958, several of which are still available. The latest is "Re-Pete Performance" CD, 2004. Others still available include: "For Pete's Sake' CD and cassette, 2001;"Owl in the Henhouse", CD and cassette, 1999; "Star of Calabogie", CD and cassette, 1998; "Peter Dawson Live", cassette; "From the mountains to the sea" (bluegrass) cassette; "Fiddling for Folk", cassette; "The best darn fiddling in the world", cassette; and "Home sweet home", cassette.

Peter is the owner and operator of "Peter Dawson Violins Inc."

Peter was inducted into the North American Fiddlers Hall of Fame, Osceola, New York, as of  July 2005.