Gordon Waller of British Duo Peter and Gordon Dies at 64

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    Singer and guitarist Gordon Waller, of '60s British Invasion duo Peter and Gordon, died Friday after going into cardiac arrest at a hospital in Norwich, Connecticut, near his home. The 64-year-old contributed lead vocals on the 1964 Paul McCartney-penned chart topper 'A World Without Love,' which he recorded with his musical partner Peter Asher.

    Waller and Asher met in 1959, when they were students at London's Westminster school. The two began playing together within a few years, and often performed at London venues during their lunch break and after school before they were discovered by an EMI record producer in 1964. McCartney, who was dating Asher's sister, Jane, at the time, gave Peter and Gordon his song 'A World Without Love,' which became their first single and reached No. 1 on the charts.

    As more and more British acts invaded the U.S., the duo's star began to dim and they split in 1968. In those short years, however, Peter and Gordon had nine Top 20 hits, including 'Nobody I Know' and 'I Don't Want to See You Again,' both of which were also written by McCartney. Waller went on to release 'And Gordon' in 1972, and his most recent album, 'Rebel Rider,' was released last year. Waller and Asher reunited in recent years and had a few gigs lined up over the next few months.

    "Gordon remains one of my very favorite singers of all time and I am still so proud of the work that we did together," Asher wrote in a statement. "I am just a harmony guy and Gordon was the heart and soul of our duo. I shall miss him in so many different ways. The idea that I shall never get to sing those songs with him again, that I shall never again be able to get annoyed when he interrupts me on stage or to laugh at his unpredictable sense of humor or even to admire his newest model train or his latest gardening effort is an unthinkable change in my life with which I have not even begun to come to terms."

    Waller is survived by his wife, Jen, and two daughters from a previous marriage. Funeral arrangements have yet to be announced.

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    Jeremy Fletcher, Redferns / Getty Images
    Jeremy Fletcher, Redferns / Getty Images

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