Crispian St. Peters
A 1960s British pop singer who scored transatlantic hits with a folk-rock sound, then saw his promise eclipsed by his own boastful publicity.
1939–2010 (age 71)·Musical artist·Birthday: April 5·The Silent Generation
Biography
Born Robin Peter Smith in Kent, Crispian St. Peters crafted a stage name and a gentle, melodic pop style that briefly made him a star. His breakthrough came in 1966 with 'The Pied Piper', a soft-rocking cover of a Changin' Times song that climbed charts on both sides of the Atlantic. He quickly followed it with another hit, 'You Were on My Mind'. With his good looks and crisp vocal delivery, he was positioned as a leading face of the British pop scene. Yet, his moment at the top was fleeting. In a series of ill-advised interviews, he brashly claimed superiority over contemporaries like The Beatles and Tom Jones, remarks that the press eagerly amplified and that alienated fans and the industry. His subsequent records failed to capture the earlier magic, and his career receded as quickly as it had risen. He continued to perform on the nostalgia circuit for decades, a permanent footnote of the swinging sixties and a cautionary tale about the perils of hubris.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Crispian was born in 1939, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Crispian Was Born
The biggest hits of 1939
#1 Movie
Gone with the Wind
Best Picture
Gone with the Wind
Crispian's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1939Born
World War II begins; The Wizard of Oz premieres
Gas: $0.19/galMin wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Over the Rainbow" — Judy GarlandBest Picture: Gone with the Wind
1944Started school
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1952Became a teenager
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1955Could drive
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1957Could vote
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1960Turned 21
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1969Turned 30
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1979Turned 40
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1989Turned 50
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1999Turned 60
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 70
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2010Died at 71
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
Key Achievements
- His 1966 single 'The Pied Piper' reached No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 4 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
- Follow-up hit 'You Were on My Mind' reached No. 14 in the UK and No. 36 in the US the same year.
- Released several albums in the mid-1960s, including 'The Pied Piper' and 'Follow Me'.
- Continued to record and perform live, particularly on 1960s nostalgia tours, for over four decades.
Did You Know?
He was originally a guitarist in a band called The Beat Formula before going solo.
He claimed his stage name was inspired by the patron saint of musicians, Saint Crispian, and the surname St. Peters simply 'sounded good'.
After his pop fame faded, he worked for a time as a representative for a pharmaceutical company.
He was diagnosed with epilepsy later in life.
“The Pied Piper is calling you to follow him.”
