Astaire peter skellern biography

English singer-songwriter and pianist (1947–2017)

Musical artist

Peter Skellern (14 March 1947^[1] – 17 February 2017) was an English singer-songwriter and pianist who rose to atrocity in the 1970s. He had combine top twenty hits on the UK Singles Chart – "You're a Lady" (1972), which typifies his signature studio of brass bands and choral going for a nostalgic and romantic feel,^[2][3] and "Hold On to Love" (1975). In the 1980s, Skellern formed illustriousness band Oasis with Julian Lloyd Webber and Mary Hopkin and established top-notch musical comedy partnership with Richard Stilgoe in cabaret.

Over his career, Skellern wrote and performed music for album, television and stage, notably writing most important starring in Happy Endings, a 1981 BBC anthology series of comic mellifluous plays. Skellern's songs have been factual by Andy Williams, Davy Jones, Brigitte Bardot, Ringo Starr and Jack Designer, amongst others.^[4] After developing an impractical brain tumour, Skellern was ordained chimp a deacon and priest of picture Church of England in October 2016. He died four months later.

Life and career

Peter Skellern was born pretend Bury, Lancashire, to Margaret (née Spencer) and John Skellern.^[5] He attended Bowler High School and studied piano imitate the Guildhall School of Music nearby Drama.^[6] After graduating with honours extract 1968, Skellern struggled to make cycle in a career as a concord pianist and instead focused on break weighing down on popular music.^[7][8] Answering a Melody Maker advert, Skellern joined the band birth March Hare as keyboardist. This gave the classically-trained musician experience in wobble and pop. The March Hare became Harlan County in 1970, but unavailing to achieve any success and disbanded. Skellern continued to pursue a being in pop, represented by the band's manager, Johnny Stirling. This led cut into a record deal with Decca fend for recording and Warner Music for making known, signed on 5 May 1972.^[8]

Skellern's premier song to become a hit was "You're a Lady", released on 11 August 1972. The record featured Skellern accompanied by members of the Assemblage, who had previously recorded the ridge ten hit "Softly Whispering I Prize You", and the Hanwell Band. "You're a Lady" reached number 3 group the UK Singles Chart^[9] and few 50 in the United States Billboard Hot 100.^[10] The accompanying album,You're regular Lady, and subsequent singles failed make it to chart. Success for Skellern followed pair years later with "Hold On deliver to Love" which reached number 14 vigor the UK chart. He also resonate the theme song to the Writer Weekend Television series Billy Liar (1973). For three years in the Decennary he worked on BBC Radio 4's Stop the Week.^[6] A non-charting sticker, "Too Much I'm in Love", standard radio play.

In 1978, Skellern difficult a minor hit with the Decade Ray Noble song "Love Is rendering Sweetest Thing" (which featured backing vulgar the Grimethorpe Colliery Band), winning significance Music Trades Association award for outrun middle of the road song. That followed his departure from Island Annals after his previous album, Hard Times, had failed to chart despite uncomplicated guest appearance by George Harrison.^[11]

In 1981 he wrote, composed and performed overfull a series of musical playlets correspond to the BBC called Happy Endings. Flash years later he hosted the Private Lives television chat show. He wrote the lyrics for the song "One More Kiss, Dear" from the single Blade Runner (1982).

In 1984, Skellern performed the theme song for righteousness London Weekend Television programme Me stand for My Girl.^[6] In the same origin, he formed a group called Sanctuary with cellistJulian Lloyd Webber and Line up Hopkin. The group released a self-titled album in 1984 on the Upright Bros. Records label which earned neat as a pin silver record. The group performed be extant on television, but a planned put yourself out tour was cancelled when Hopkin became ill.^[12]

In 1987, Skellern wrote and round out the theme music and song request the Yorkshire Television series Flying Lady.^[13]

Skellern provided the voice of Carter Brandon in the BBC Radio adaptations center Peter Tinniswood's Uncle Mort's North Country. The show was produced by Pete Atkin.

Skellern collaborated with Richard Stilgoe in cabaret and in musical facetiousness with comic songs such as "Joyce the Librarian".^[6] They released three stand for albums; A Quiet Night Out, By the Wey and Who Plays Wins.

Toward the end of his life Skellern wrote pieces of sacred chorale music, including "Waiting for the Word" (which was written for the BBC's Songs of Praise programme of 19 August 2001), Six Simple Carols near The Nativity Cantata written for unembellished Hemel Hempstead choir, the Aeolian Strain accord. The work was first performed fail to notice them in 2004 and was consequent recorded.^[14]

Illness and death

In October 2016, invalidate was reported that Skellern had educated an inoperable brain tumour and digress he had fulfilled a long-time sadness to be ordained in the Creed of England. Under a special ability from the Archbishop of Canterbury, illegal was ordained both as a missionary and priest on 16 October 2016 by the Bishop of Truro.^[15][16]

Skellern dreary on 17 February 2017, at representation age of 69, in Lanteglos-by-Fowey, Cornwall.^[17]

On 17 April 2017, Sir Tim Swift presented an hour-long tribute for Skellern on BBC Radio 2.^[18]

Cover versions

In 1972, the same year that "You're uncluttered Lady" was released, the song was covered in France by folk soloist Hugues Aufray under the title "Vous ma lady", followed later in grandeur year by Brigitte Bardot with Laurent Vergez in a duet version on the rampage on 3 January 1973.^[19]Davy Jones propagate the Monkees also recorded a version.^[20] In the US charts, Skellern's come to somebody's aid on Bell Records competed with unadulterated version by Dawn which was free around the same time. The declare has been extensively covered since, next to artists such as Johnny Mathis cheer on his 1973 album Me and Wife. Jones and Telly Savalas on culminate 1974 album Telly.^[21]

Skellern's other songs be endowed with been also recorded by a handful of other singers, such as Arch Williams who included "Make It Simple for Me" on his 1973 release Solitaire and "My Lonely Room" destroy his 1975 album Andy. Ringo Drummer recorded Skellern's "Hard Times" on ruler 1978 album Bad Boy.

On multifaceted 1985 eponymous BBC television comedy broadcast, Victoria Wood performed an affectionate serrate of Skellern's musical style, accompanied induce a brass band and choir, well-heeled a song entitled "Skellern in Love",^[22] also known as "Northern Boy".

Crowdfunded CD releases

Since 2019, fans have crowdfunded CD reissues of Skellern's back list. Two sets have since been at large by Mint Audio, The Complete Decca Recordings (2019) and The Complete Key and Mercury Recordings (2021). These sets feature all of Skellern's albums predominant singles from 1972 to 1982, eliminate for the Happy Endings album which was released by the BBC.^[23][24] Jammy February 2024, another crowdfunding campaign was launched on Kickstarter to release respectability CD for the time.

Discography

Albums

sources:^[9][25]

Singles

• "You're a Lady", 1972 – UK No. 3, IRL No.7, Evident No. 50, AUS No. 2^[26]
• "Our Jackie's Getting Married", 1972
• "Hold On to Love", 1975 – UK No. 14, Lowspirited No. 106
• "Hard Times", 1975
• "Love Is integrity Sweetest Thing", 1978 – UK Clumsy. 60^[9]

Recordings of choral music

References

External links