Gordon Waller
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Gordon Trueman Riviere Waller (June 4, 1945 in Braemar, Scotland - July 17, 2009 in Connecticut) was a singer/songwriter/Guitarist, best known as "Gordon" of 1960s duo Peter and Gordon, whose biggest hit was "A World Without Love".
While attending Westminster School, he first met fellow student Peter Asher, and they began playing together as a duo — Peter & Gordon.
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, 1964's decidedly Beatlesque "A World Without Love".
Peter & Gordon disbanded in 1968. Afterwards, Waller attempted a solo career with little success, releasing one record, and Gordon. On this album Gordon used 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, a performance that he reprised on the LP. In 2007 Gordon released a solo album Plays the Beatles, featuring a new recording of "Woman", which was written by Lennon & McCartney in the mid-1960s and made a hit by Peter & Gordon. In 2008 he followed up with his release of Rebel Rider.On July 19, 2008 Peter & Gordon performed together at The Cannery Casino in North Las Vegas, Nevada. Also, on the bill that night were Chad & Jeremy with whom both duos sang the final concert song (BYE BYE LOVE) together for only the second time ever. On August 21, 2008, they performed a free concert on the pier in Santa Monica, California, briefly accompanied by Joan Baez.
Gordon Waller went into cardiac arrest on the evening of July 16, 2009 and died early in the morning of July 17, 2009 at a hospital near his home in Connecticut.
Discography
- In Touch With... (by Peter & Gordon) (1964)
- Peter and Gordon (by Peter & Gordon) (1964)
- World Without Love Peter and Gordon (by Peter & Gordon) (1964)
- Hurtin' 'n' Lovin' (by Peter & Gordon) (1965)
- I Don't Want to See You Again (by Peter & Gordon) (1965)
- I Go to Pieces (by Peter & Gordon) (1965)
- True Love Ways (by Peter & Gordon) (1965)
- Best of Peter and Gordon (by Peter & Gordon) (1966)
- Peter and Gordon Sing & Play the Hits of Nashville (1966)
- Somewhere (by Peter & Gordon) (1966)
- Woman (by Peter & Gordon) (1966)
- In London for Tea (by Peter & Gordon) (1967)
- Knight in Rusty Armour (by Peter & Gordon) (1967)
- Lady Godiva (by Peter & Gordon) (1967)
- Hot Cold & Custard (by Peter & Gordon) (1968)
- and Gordon (solo) (1972)
- Best of Peter and Gordon (by Peter & Gordon) (1983)
- Hits of Peter and Gordon (by Peter & Gordon) (1983)
- Best of Peter and Gordon (by Peter & Gordon) (1991)
- Ultimate Peter and Gordon (by Peter & Gordon) (2001)
- Definitive Collection: Knights in Rusty Armour (by Peter & Gordon) (2003)
- Plays the Beatles (by Gordon Waller) (2007)
- Rebel Rider (by Gordon Waller) (2008)
