Singer and composer
Born: March 14, 1947;
Died: February 17, 2017
PETER Skellern, who has died aged 69, was a singer, composer and pianist known for his homely, nostalgic love songs reminiscent of Cole Porter. He had a number of hits in the 1970s, and later wrote musicals and collaborated with fellow musician, Sir Richard Stilgoe.
His biggest hit was You’re A Lady, which was a number three hit in 1972 and was later recorded by Brigitte Bardot and Davy Jones of The Monkees.Three years later there was Hold on to Love and then a cover of the 1930s song Love is the Sweetest Thing. As the hits faded, Skellern then moved from performing to composing, creating musicals as well as writing the lyrics for One More Kiss, Dear, the song composed by Vangelis which featured in the 1980s science-fiction movie Bladerunner.
Skellern was born in Bury in Lancashire and, although he was not from a particularly musical family, he played trombone in his school band and served as the organist and choirmaster in his local church before studying at the Guildhall School of Music.
After graduating with honours in 1968, he decided that a classical career as a pianist was not for him and he formed a vocal harmony band called March Hare which, after changing their name to Harlan County, recorded a country pop album.
After the band disbanded, he began recording on his own in the 1970s while also working as a hotel porter. He was then spotted by Decca, who signed him, and he found success with his own composition You’re a Lady, which was a worldwide hit. The song led to regular appearances on television including The Royal Variety Performance.
In the early 1980s, he was commissioned by the BBC to write a series of short comic musicals which were broadcast in 1981 and it was always one of his favourite projects. “I was asked what I would like to do,” he said, “and I wanted to create something different to a concert, so I suggested a series of half hour musicals, each featuring five songs. There was a repertory company of four or five actors and it was very successful, getting more than six million viewers every week. I loved doing it.”
Skellern also composing television signature tunes. There was Me and My Girl, the 1980s ITV sitcom starring Richard O'Sullivan as a widower raising his adolescent daughter, The Life and Times of Henry Pratt and Flesh and Blood.
In the early 1980s, he formed a band called Oasis, long before the name became more associated with the Gallagher brothers. As well as Skellern, there was Julian Lloyd Webber, Mary Hopkin and Bill Lovelady, the idea being to merge popular and classical traditions to create a new sound, although their recordings failed to make a major impact.
Years later, when the other Oasis had huge success, Skellern was not impressed. “While it’s obvious that they revere the Beatles,” he said, “the Beatles were bright people and never rude. You didn’t see photographs of John Lennon sticking two fingers up at everyone.”
Skellern continued to record his own material, releasing 14 albums in all – including Holding My Own (1974), Astaire (1980) and Sentimentally Yours (1996) - while also collaborating with Stilgoe. They toured together several times and their two-man show was successful in the West End and New York.
More recently, Skellern had written musicals and choral music and often appeared on Songs of Praise – he also appeared for the second time on the Royal Variety Performance in 2000. Three years ago he also began training for the priesthood, something he had dreamed about since boyhood.
When he was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour, he was encouraged to continue with his work.
Following his official ordination in October, he said: "For about a week I hung in this abyss and I just grabbed God.
"It was like that for about a week and then God closed the ground beneath me and I became resigned and happy and I have been like that ever since."
He was ordained as a priest shortly before his death, following special permission from the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby. The Bishop of Truro, the Right Reverend Tim Thornton, ordained him at St Wyllows church in Lanteglos-by-Fowey, Cornwall, where Skellern had been living since 2001.
In a statement after his death, Peter Skellern’s family said: "Peter's creativity in art, comedy and music stand as his legacy to love and laughter.
"The love he brought to us will continue to be shared with everyone through his music. We will miss him with all our hearts."
Peter Skellern is survived by his wife, Diana, his children, Timothy and Katherine, and four grandchildren.
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