Gordon Waller
As one half of the gentle-voiced duo Peter and Gordon, he helped channel the early songwriting of Paul McCartney into a global number-one hit.
1945–2009 (age 64)·Scottish guitarist, singer and songwriter·Birthday: June 4·The Silent Generation
Biography
Gordon Waller was the tall, guitar-playing half of the quintessential British Invasion duo Peter and Gordon, whose clean-cut harmony pop provided a softer counterpoint to the era's rising rock energy. Teaming with school friend Peter Asher, Waller's rich baritone blended seamlessly with Asher's tenor on songs like the melancholic 'A World Without Love,' a melody penned by Asher's then-brother-in-law, Paul McCartney. The duo's success was inextricably linked to the Beatles' inner circle, recording several other McCartney compositions and enjoying a string of mid-60s hits. After the duo split in 1968, Waller's musical path meandered through stage acting, solo recordings, and later, a legal career, but he periodically reunited with Asher for nostalgic performances. His legacy is forever captured in the wistful sound of that first, massive hit, a perfect snapshot of a specific moment in pop history.
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.
Gordon was born in 1945, 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 Gordon Was Born
The biggest hits of 1945
#1 Movie
The Bells of St. Mary's
Best Picture
The Lost Weekend
Gordon's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1945Born
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1950Started school
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1958Became a teenager
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1961Could drive
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1963Could vote
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1966Turned 21
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1975Turned 30
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1985Turned 40
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1995Turned 50
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2005Turned 60
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2009Died at 64
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
Key Achievements
- Achieved a US and UK number-one hit in 1964 with 'A World Without Love,' written by Paul McCartney.
- As part of Peter and Gordon, charted ten singles in the Billboard Hot 100 during the mid-1960s.
- Performed on iconic American television programs like 'The Ed Sullivan Show' and 'Shindig!' during the British Invasion.
Did You Know?
The duo's name 'Peter and Gordon' was chosen simply because it sounded better than 'Gordon and Peter.'
He studied law in the 1970s and worked for a time as a barrister in England.
He played the role of Pharaoh in the original West End production of the musical 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.'
After moving to the United States, he worked as a carpenter and performed in oldies revival tours.
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