Peter Asher

Peter Asher (born 22 June 1944, Willesden, London; then part of Middlesex, England) is an English guitarist, singer, manager and record producer.

Early life

He was a child actor and appeared in the film, The Planter's Wife, and the stage play. Isn't Life Wonderful, when he was eight years old and also in the ITV series, The Adventures of Robin Hood. While attending the independent Westminster School as a day boy, he first met fellow student Gordon Waller (1945-2009), and they began playing and singing together as a duo in coffee bars and in 1962 formed the duo, Peter and Gordon.^[2] Asher later read philosophy at King's College London.^[3]

Asher is the son of Dr Richard and Margaret Asher, and the older brother of actress and businesswoman, Jane Asher, and radio actress, Clare Asher. Jane Asher was, in the mid 1960s, the girlfriend of The Beatles' Paul McCartney. Through this connection, Asher and Waller were often given unrecorded Lennon-McCartney songs to perform.

1960s

Asher became known as the 'Peter' part of the 1960s duo Peter and Gordon, whose biggest hit was the 1964 Paul McCartney penned, "A World Without Love".

In 1965, he was best man when singer Marianne Faithfull married John Dunbar in Cambridge.^[2]

After Peter & Gordon disbanded in 1968, Asher took charge of the A&R department at The Beatles' Apple Records label, where he signed a then-unknown James Taylor and agreed to produce the singer-songwriter's debut solo album. The album was not a success, but Asher was so convinced that Taylor held great potential that he resigned his post at Apple to move to the United States and work as Taylor's manager. He also produced Taylor's recording over several decades.

In 1969, Asher was asked by Beatle George Harrison to look up an American band called Raven while he was in New York City (The Longest Cocktail Party, pg. 119). He offered Raven an Apple Records recording contract in the kitchen of Steve Paul's Scene but the group turned it down and instead signed with Columbia Records.^[4]

1970s and beyond

In the early 1970s Asher also managed the country rock band, 'Country', which recorded for Atlantic Records through its subsidiary Clean Records, featuring Michael Fondiler and Tom Snow, who has since become a songwriter. Asher achieved his greatest success producing a long string of albums for Linda Ronstadt, including Heart Like A Wheel, Simple Dreams, What's New, Canciones De Mi Padre and Cry Like A Rainstorm, Howl Like The Wind.

Asher also played a role in shaping the California rock sound prominent during the 1970s, producing records for Ronstadt, J.D. Souther, Andrew Gold and Bonnie Raitt. In 1976, Asher and Waller reformed for the annual New York 'Beatlefest' and played a few other dates.^[5] In the 1980s, Asher also worked on hit albums for artists as diverse as Cher and 10,000 Maniacs.

Asher had been quoted as saying that actor Mike Myers has said he had patterned his Austin Powers character after Asher's appearance,^[6] although Elizabeth Hurley, who co-starred in Austin Powers, claimed that the original model was broadcaster Simon Dee,^[7] (who, in appearance, looked much less like Powers than Asher). When Waller died in 2009, The Times, observed in its obituary that "Waller was thought more handsome than the slightly nerdish looking Asher".^[8]

Peter and Gordon reformed for concerts in 2005.^[8]

Personal life

He had a short-lived relationship with Millie Small, known as Millie, who sang "My Boy Lollipop".^[2]

His daughter Victoria Asher is the keytarist in the American pop punk band, Cobra Starship.

Awards and recognition

Grammy awards

• 1977 — Producer of The Year, Non-Classical
• 1989 — Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical (Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind)
• 2002 — Best Spoken Comedy Album (Live 2002 (Robin Williams))

Discography

This section requires expansion.

As performer

All releases by Peter and Gordon unless noted.

As producer

As executive producer

References

External links

• Once Life Matters: A New Beginning - author Marty Angelo. Reference: Apple Records 1969 recording contract offer to Raven. Pages 62–65.
• Peter Asher at the Internet Movie Database