Peter Skellern

Peter Skellern is an English singer-songwriter and pianist. Skellern was born on 14 March 1947 in Bury, Lancashire and attended the Derby Grammar School (now the Derby High School). He studied the piano at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He then joined pop groups called Harlem and March Hare. His first hit song was "You're a Lady" in 1972. The record reached number three in the UK Singles Chart and number 50 in the United States. He followed this three years later with "Hold On To Love" which reached number 14 in the UK Singles Chart. In 1978 Skellern also had a minor hit with "Love Is The Sweetest Thing" (which featured backing by the Grimethorpe Colliery Band), winning the Music Trades Association award for best Middle Of The Road Album of 1979. In 1981 he wrote, composed and performed in a series of musical playlets for the BBC called Happy Endings and two years later hosted the Private Lives TV chat show. He wrote the lyrics for the song "One More Kiss Dear" from the 1982 movie Blade Runner, and performed the theme song for the London Weekend Television programme, "Me And My Girl", which became a hit single in its own right. In 1984 he formed the first Oasis group with cellist Julian Lloyd Webber, singer Mary Hopkin and Bill Lovelady. The group released a self-titled album in 1984 on the Warner Brothers label earning a silver record. The group never performed live although they did assemble three times to record their music. They made many attempts to combine classical and popular music genres but their attempts failed to impress the public. Skellern also provided the voice of Carter Brandon in the BBC Radio adaptations of Peter Tinniswood's Uncle Mort's North Country and Uncle Mort's Celtic Fringe. These were produced by Pete Atkin. Skellern has collaborated with Richard Stilgoe in live cabaret and musical comedy, and two live recordings are available: "A Quiet Night Out", and "Who Plays Wins".