We first came to know him through the global smash “World Without Love” as one half of the British Invasion duo Peter & Gordon. He returns in “Peter Asher: A Musical Memoir of the 60s and Beyond” which brings a multimedia experience to the stage, hosted by the two-time Grammy winner for Producer of the Year. Peter Asher moved effortlessly from his role with Peter & Gordon to Music Executive with the Beatles’ Apple Records, then famously – (as in cover of Rolling Stone magazine level famous) – to Producer and Manager, handling the careers of James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt, and a host of others. Books abound, documentaries with half truths (and worse) are all too common, but, now, finally, Mr. Asher tells first hand his tales from the eye of the cultural hurricane in this intimate evening.
“Memoir” includes film footage and photos from Peter’s considerable personal archive, brought to life with a storyteller’s gift, transporting audiences back to the heart of ‘60s popular culture. Icons such as Mick Jagger, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Marianne Faithful, Yoko Ono, Carole King, James Taylor, and Linda Ronstadt are among the cast of characters in this narrative – along (of course) with the greatly missed Gordon Waller. The evening is filled with the music of Peter & Gordon, including “I Go to Pieces”, “True Love Ways”, and “Lady Godiva”. The songs given to Peter & Gordon by Paul McCartney are also front and center: “Woman”, “I Don’t Want to See You Again”, Nobody I Know”, and “World Without Love”, all of which were US Top 40 hits. Peter – backed by a four piece band-presents these timeless classics along with other old favorites from that golden era.
The show brings the audience through Peter’s journey all the way to the present day, and projects such as the PBS special “Buddy Holly: Listen to Me -The Ultimate Buddy Party” and its sister CD, Listen to Me: Buddy Holly. His current work on soundtracks, alongside the legendary Hans Zimmer, is touched on as well-the most recent being the filmMadagascar 3. In fact, Peter sang and produced the only original song in Madagascar 3, which Peter co-wrote with his friend Dave Stewart. “Memoir” includes a live performance of the song, the love theme “Love Always Comes As a Surprise”.
“As Mr. Asher regaled a delighted audience with stories…he conjured history in the making, before it was set in stone”. -The New York Times
“…the exuberant Mr. Asher knew anyone who rocked and everyone who mattered.” - Wall Street Journal
“Asher sprinkled magical mystery dust over a full house of mesmerized baby boomers.” -Minneapolis Star Tribune
