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2017 EVERGREEN 115<br />
Peter Asher embarked on a highly<br />
successful career as a recording<br />
executive, manager and producer,<br />
first with The Beatles’ Apple label,<br />
where he signed American singersongwriter,<br />
James Taylor, before<br />
becoming Taylor’s manager in the<br />
United States and producing records<br />
for, among others, Linda Ronstadt,<br />
Andrew Gold, Neil Diamond, Diana<br />
Ross, Bonnie Raitt and Cher.<br />
In August 2005 Peter and Gordon<br />
reunited for the first time as part of<br />
a tribute concert in New York to a<br />
member of the Dave Clark Five. Over<br />
the next couple of years several other<br />
performances followed (when they<br />
received a message of congratulations<br />
from Paul McCartney) in Florida,<br />
San Diego, Santa Monica, Chicago<br />
and Las Vegas. Sadly, it was only<br />
a couple of weeks after one such<br />
concert, on 17th July 2009, that<br />
Gordon Waller suffered a heart attack<br />
and died. He was just 64.<br />
Peter was shocked by his long-time<br />
partner’s sudden death, and paid a<br />
lavish tribute: “Gordon remains one<br />
of my very favourite singers of all<br />
time, and I am still so proud of the<br />
work that we did together. I am just<br />
a harmony guy, and Gordon was the<br />
heart and soul of our duo.”<br />
He was survived by his second<br />
wife, Jen, two daughters from<br />
his previous marriage, and a<br />
granddaughter.<br />
Peter, who in 1983 married his<br />
second wife Wendy Worth (their<br />
daughter Victoria is a musician with<br />
Peter in recent years, an award-winning<br />
producer who continues to perform.<br />
punk band Cobra Starship) has won<br />
numerous Grammy awards and in<br />
the 2015 New Year’s Honours List<br />
was awarded a CBE. He continues<br />
to produce and perform, and recent<br />
projects have included a successful<br />
one-man show, “A Musical Memoir<br />
of the 60s and Beyond”, two albums<br />
with Steve Martin and Edie Brickell<br />
which led to a stage musical, Bright<br />
Star, for which Peter was music<br />
supervisor, and an extensive acoustic<br />
tour of the United States with fellow<br />
music legend Albert Lee.<br />
“Please lock me away…” Half a<br />
century after the duo made their<br />
heartfelt plea at the beginning of<br />
their chart-topping hit, there seems<br />
to be little chance of Peter Asher<br />
allowing anyone to do that!<br />
Further Information<br />
peterashermusic.com<br />
BILL BAXTER
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