Peter Asher CBE
Asher in 2012
Background information
Born	(1944-06-22)22 June 1944 (age 81) Willesden,Middlesex, England[1]
Genres	Traditional pop,pop
Occupations	Musician, record producer, actor
Instruments	Vocals, guitar
Years active	1952–present
Labels	Capitol,Apple,Warner Bros.,Columbia
Formerly of	Peter and Gordon

Peter AsherCBE^[2] (born 22 June 1944) is an English guitarist, singer, manager and record producer. He came to prominence in the 1960s as a member of the pop music vocal duoPeter and Gordon before going on to a successful career as amanager and record producer, helping to foster the recording careers ofJames Taylor andLinda Ronstadt among others.

As of 2018, he tours alongsideJeremy Clyde ofChad and Jeremy in a new duo, Peter and Jeremy, who perform hits from both of their respective catalogues.^[3][4] In 2019, Asher published a bookThe Beatles from A to Zed about his personal reminiscences aboutthe band.^[5]

Asher was born at theCentral Middlesex Hospital toRichard andMargaret Asher,née Eliot. His father was a consultant in blood and mental diseases at the Central Middlesex Hospital, as well as being a broadcaster and the author ofnotable medical articles. Asher's mother was a professor at theGuildhall School of Music and Drama. One of her pupils there wasGeorge Martin.^[6] Asher is the brother of Clare Asher, a radio actress and school inspector, andJane Asher an English actress and author.^[7]

When he was eight years old, he began working as a child actor, and appeared in the filmThe Planter's Wife, and the stage playIsn't Life Wonderful. At the age of nine, Asher played the central juvenile part in the 1953 film version ofIsn't Life Wonderful!, alongside starsCecil Parker andDonald Wolfit. In 1955 he played the youngest brother, "Johnny", inEscapade, based on Roger MacDougall's play. The film starred John Mills and Alastair Sim. He also appeared in theITV seriesThe Adventures of Robin Hood, and in one episode with his sister, actorJane Asher.

In 1956, Asher appeared as a 12-year-old inThe Talking Head, one of the short films in the series ofColonel March of Scotland Yard, starringBoris Karloff.

While attending the independentWestminster School as a day boy, he first met fellow pupilGordon Waller (1945–2009), and they began playing and singing together as a duo in cafes.

In 1962, Asher and Waller began working formally asPeter and Gordon. Their first (and biggest) hit was the 1964Lennon/McCartney song "A World Without Love". Asher's sister Jane was, in the mid-1960s, the girlfriend ofPaul McCartney. Through this connection, Asher and Waller were given three unrecorded Lennon/McCartney songs to perform.^[8]

Asher later read philosophy atKing's College London.^[9] In 1965, he wasbest man when singerMarianne Faithfull marriedJohn Dunbar inCambridge.^[6]

After Peter and Gordon disbanded in 1968, Asher took charge of theA&R department at the Beatles'Apple Records label, where he signed a then-unknownJames Taylor and agreed to produce the singer-songwriter's debut solo album.^[10] 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. Asher producedPaul Jones' rendition of theBee Gees' "And the Sun Will Shine" which was released as a single (only in the UK).^[11] He also produced a number of Taylor's recordings from 1970 to 1985, includingSweet Baby James,Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon,JT andFlag.

In the early 1970s, Asher also managed the country rock band, Country, which recorded forAtlantic Records through its subsidiary Clean Records, featuring Michael Fondiler andTom Snow, who has since become a songwriter. For a time, Asher also managed James Taylor's sisterKate Taylor. When she decided to leave the business, she recommended him toLinda Ronstadt at which point Asher became Ronstadt's manager.^[12] Asher achieved his greatest success producing a long string of multi-platinum albums for James Taylor, includingSweet Baby James,JT andFlag, and for Linda Ronstadt, includingHeart Like a Wheel;Simple Dreams;Living in the USA;What's New;Canciones De Mi Padre; andCry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind.

By producing records for Ronstadt,JD Souther,Andrew Gold andBonnie Raitt, Peter Asher played a significant role in shaping theCalifornian rock sound during the 1970s. He was also one of the original partners in theRoxy Theatre inWest Hollywood, which he opened on 23 September 1973 withElmer Valentine,Lou Adler, and original partnersDavid Geffen andElliot Roberts.

In 1976, Asher and Waller performed for the annual New York "Beatlefest" and played a few other dates.^[13] In the 1980s, Asher also worked on hit albums for artists as diverse asCher and10,000 Maniacs.

In February 1995, Asher was named Senior Vice-President ofSony Music Entertainment. At the beginning of 2002, Asher left Sony and returned full-time to the management of artists' careers as co-President of Sanctuary Artist Management. In January 2005 he was named President, the position he held until September 2006, when he resigned. In 2007 Asher joined forces with his friendSimon Renshaw (who manages theDixie Chicks) at the company Simon founded, Strategic Artist Management. Strategic has grown into a dominant force in the entertainment industry, now managing artists in many fields of endeavour beyond just music – one of Asher's clients isPamela Anderson. Asher also reunited with James Taylor as the producer of theLive at the Troubadour reunion album recorded in 2007, withCarole King and Taylor's original band.

During 2005 and 2006, Peter and Gordon reformed for occasional concerts. However, Waller died in 2009 and in its obituary,The Times observed that "Waller was thought more handsome than the slightly nerdish looking Asher".^[14]

Asher was quoted as saying actorMike Myers patterned hisAustin Powers character after Asher's appearance,^[13] althoughElizabeth Hurley, who co-starred inAustin Powers, said the original model included broadcasterSimon Dee.^[15]

In 2011, Asher was the executive producer of theListen to Me: Buddy Holly compilation album and also music supervisor, producer, and co-host of theBuddy Holly: Listen to Me; The Ultimate Buddy Party PBS Pledge Special. Performed and filmed in front of a live audience theBuddy Holly tribute concert aired asPBS Pledge Special in December 2011 and May and June 2012. The Special received the highest 2012 Silver Telly Award in the Category of TV Programs, Segments, or Promotional Pieces.^[16]

Asher was appointedCommander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2015 New Year Honours for services to the British music industry.^[17][18]

In May 2017, Asher debuted a weekly, hour-long series on theSirius XM Radio station for The Beatles called "From Me To You". He also announced with commentary the Top 100 Beatles countdown "All Together Now" on The Beatles Channel that first aired on Sirius XM Radio on the Labor Day Weekend in 2017, and is frequently replayed.^{[citation needed]}

Since 2016, Peter Asher has been playing shows, including one at theEdmonton Folk Music Festival, as part of a duo withAlbert Lee that showcases songs from both their careers.^[19] He currently resides in Venice, California.^{[citation needed]}

In 2018, Asher began performing withJeremy Clyde ofChad & Jeremy fame.^[20]

Asher's actress sister,Jane, had a five-year relationship with musicianPaul McCartney; in 1963, McCartney had offered his unrecorded song,A World Without Love to thePeter and Gordon duo.

Asher had a short-lived relationship with singerMillie Small, which she later described asplatonic. Also known as Millie, she was best known for her hit single, "My Boy Lollipop" issued by record label,Island Records. She died in London in 2020.^[6][21]

Asher and his wife of forty-years^[22] Wendy Worth, are parents to their daughter, musician, director, and producerVictoria Asher.^[23]

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

• 2015 - appointedCommander of the British Empire

All releases by Peter and Gordon unless noted.

• Official Website
• Once Life Matters: A New Beginning – authorMarty Angelo. Reference: Apple Records 1969 recording contract offer toRaven, pp. 62–65.
• Peter Asher atIMDb
• Peter Asher discography atDiscogs
• An Off-road Retreat for a 60's Pop Star
• Peter Asher Interview atNAMM Oral History Collection (2016)

• 1944 births
• Living people
• People educated at Westminster School, London
• People educated at The Hall School, Hampstead
• Alumni of King's College London
• Apple Records
• English record producers
• English male guitarists
• English male singers
• Actors from the London Borough of Brent
• English male film actors
• English male television actors
• Grammy Award winners
• English male child actors
• Mensans
• Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
• Traditional pop music singers
• People from Willesden

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