Gordon Trueman Riviere Waller (4 June 1945 – 17 July
2009) was a British singer–songwriter–guitarist, best known as Gordon of the
1960s pop music duo Peter and Gordon, whose biggest hit was the No. 1
million-selling classic "A World Without Love".
Waller was born in Braemar, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, the
son of a prominent surgeon. The family later moved to Middlesex, when Waller
was a child, where Waller gained entrance to Westminster School. While attending
Westminster School, he met fellow student Peter Asher, also the son of a
doctor, and they began playing together as a duo – Peter and Gordon. Asher
mentioned in a 2006 interview that "Our voices are quite different,
Gordon's and mine, but we tried singing together experimentally and we found
that we could achieve this very nice harmony."
Asher is the older brother of actress and businesswoman
Jane Asher, who in the mid-1960s was girlfriend of The Beatles' Paul McCartney.
Through this connection he and Waller were often given unrecorded
Lennon–McCartney songs to perform, most notably their first and biggest hit,
"A World Without Love" (1964).
Their other two 1964 hits were, "Nobody I Know" and "I Don't Want to See You Again." They did continue to hit the charts for a couple of years, with updates of the oldies "True Love Ways" (Buddy Holly) and "To Know You Is to Love You" (a variation of the Teddy Bears' "To Know Her Is to Love Her").
There was also a Top Ten cover of Del Shannon's "I Go to Pieces," and the brassy, McCartney-penned "Woman." The overtly cute British novelty "Lady Godiva," though, became their last big hit in late 1966.
Peter and Gordon disbanded in 1968. Afterward, Waller attempted
a solo career with little success, releasing one record.”…And Gordon.” On this
album Waller used a New York-based group White Cloud, featuring Teddy Wender on
keyboards. He also appeared in a production of Joseph and the Amazing
Technicolor Dreamcoat as Pharaoh in 1971, a performance that he reprised on the
LP. Waller first performed
"Joseph" at the Edinburgh Festival, later reprising the role at the Albery Theatre in London's West End. Moving out of the record business, he became a landscape gardener.
In 1995, he moved to Los Angeles, California, and started a publishing company, Steel Wallet International. Ltd with his long-time friend and girlfriend, Georgiana Steele. After his divorce from Gay Robbins was final, he and Georgiana married on 15 August 1998, although they divorced in 2007.
In 2007, Waller released a solo album Plays the Beatles, featuring a new recording of "Woman", which Paul McCartney wrote under the pseudonym of Bernard Webb, and which had been a Peter and Gordon hit in the mid-1960s. In 2008, he followed up with the release of Rebel Rider.
On 19 July 2008, Peter and Gordon performed together at The Cannery Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Also on the bill were Chad & Jeremy. Both duos sang the final concert song ("Bye Bye Love") together for only the second time. On 21 August 2008, they performed a free concert on the pier in Santa Monica, California, briefly accompanied by Joan Baez. On 2 February 2009 Gordon performed with Asher at the Surf Ballroom as part of a tribute concert marking the 50th anniversary of "The Day The Music Died.
"Joseph" at the Edinburgh Festival, later reprising the role at the Albery Theatre in London's West End. Moving out of the record business, he became a landscape gardener.
In 1995, he moved to Los Angeles, California, and started a publishing company, Steel Wallet International. Ltd with his long-time friend and girlfriend, Georgiana Steele. After his divorce from Gay Robbins was final, he and Georgiana married on 15 August 1998, although they divorced in 2007.
In 2007, Waller released a solo album Plays the Beatles, featuring a new recording of "Woman", which Paul McCartney wrote under the pseudonym of Bernard Webb, and which had been a Peter and Gordon hit in the mid-1960s. In 2008, he followed up with the release of Rebel Rider.
On 19 July 2008, Peter and Gordon performed together at The Cannery Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Also on the bill were Chad & Jeremy. Both duos sang the final concert song ("Bye Bye Love") together for only the second time. On 21 August 2008, they performed a free concert on the pier in Santa Monica, California, briefly accompanied by Joan Baez. On 2 February 2009 Gordon performed with Asher at the Surf Ballroom as part of a tribute concert marking the 50th anniversary of "The Day The Music Died.
Festival for Beatles Fans convention in Las Vegas, 1 and 2 July 2009,
where, according to a report by journalist Peter Palmiere for Beatlefan
magazine, the pair were the performing highlight of the convention.
Gordon went into cardiac arrest on the evening of 16 July
2009, and died aged 64 of a heart attack early in the morning of 17 July 2009
at Backus Hospital in Norwich, Connecticut. His cause of death was listed as
cardiovascular disease.
Waller married three times. The first two ended in
divorce. His first wife was Gay Robbins; his second marriage was to Georgiana
Steele. His third marriage, to Josenia (Jen) Couldrey, lasted from March 2008
until his death.
On May 29, 2010, a sold-out tribute performance for
Gordon Waller was held at the Cannery Casino and Hotel, which was Waller's
favourite Las Vegas venue. Performers included Peter Asher, Chad and Jeremy,
Denny Laine, Terry Sylvester of The Hollies, Ian Whitcomb, John Walker of the
Walker Brothers and DJ Fontana, Elvis Presley's drummer. (Edited mainly from Wikipedia)
3 comments:
For “A World Without Love & I Don’t Want To See You Again – Peter & Gordon” go here:
https://www59.zippyshare.com/v/ta0wCqJq/file.html
01 Lucille
02 500 Miles
03 If I Were You
04 Pretty Mary
05 Trouble In Mind
06 A World Without Love
07 Tell Me How
08 You Don't Have To Tell Me
09 Leave My Woman Alone
10 All My Trials
11 Last Night
12 I Don't Want To See You Again
13 Nobody I Know
14 My Babe
15 Willow Garden
16 Two Little Love Birds
17 Land Of Oden
18 Freight Train
19 Love Me, Baby
20 Soft As The Dawn
21 Leave Me Alone
22 Lonely Avenue
23 To Show I Love You
A big thank you to Jake & Jukebox City for active link.
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