Brit Pop Idol Dead at 64, Known for Beatles Connection

ABOVE: Peter & Gordon’s 1964 hit, “World Without Love,” was written by a more famous member of the British Invasion. Do you know who?

Over the weekend, the music world bid farewell to 64-year-old Gordon Waller, an often overlooked figure in British pop/folk music history.

In 1964, the virtually unknown British singing duo Peter & Gordon (Peter Asher and Gordon Waller) hit the top of the charts with their its first single, “World Without Love.” It is worth noting that the pair didn’t actually write the melancholy hit song that would become its trademark, it was written by the young musician Asher’s sister Jane was dating at the time: superstar Paul McCartney.

Peter & Gordon’s soft vocal harmonies and airy arrangements placed them on the lighter, folk-inspired side of the British music scene of the ’60s. The pair reportedly scored nine top 20 hits during its brief, four-year career, including a cover of Buddy Holly’s “True Love Ways” and other McCartney songs, including “I Don’t Want to Know” and “I Don’t Want to See You Again.”

The musicians toured with the Beatles briefly, and later continued to play occasional reunion shows throughout the years following their 1968 split. In recent years, McCartney continued to support to folk-pop duo’s efforts, even issuing a statement encouraging fans to attend their reunion tour.

AP reports that the singer passed in Connecticut after suffering cardiac arrest on July 16.

Peter & Gordon-“I Go To Pieces”
Peter & Gordon-“Lady Godiva”
Peter & Gordon-“True Love Ways”