COME Monday — National Heroes Day — renowned musician, composer and arranger Peter Ashbourne will receive an Order of Distinction for his 'dedicated and outstanding service to the development of many genres of music in Jamaica'.

Ashbourne says he will humbly accept the honour. His work spans the gamut of classical to popular music in Jamaica.

"Very few people know that I played piano on Eric Donaldson's popular festival song Cherry Oh Baby," says Ashbourne.

"I can still remember the night down at Dynamic Sounds when Tommy Cowan rushed out of the studios. 'Come Peter you can play piano, we need a piano player' and that was it," he recalls.