Peter Asher (born on 22 June 1944 in Willesden, Middlesex, England) is a guitarist, singer and record producer.

Asher is known as "Peter" of the 1960s Everly Brothers-derived duo Peter & Gordon, whose biggest hit was the 1964 Paul McCartney-penned A World Without Love. Asher`s greatest success was serving as producer of a long string of multi-platinum albums for Linda Ronstadt as well as albums for James Taylor.

While attending Westminster School, he first met fellow student Gordon Waller, and they began playing together as a duo.

Asher is the son of Dr Richard and Margaret Asher, and the older brother of actress and businesswoman Jane Asher and radio actress Clare Asher. Jane Asher was, in the mid-1960s, the girlfriend of The Beatles` Paul McCartney. Through this connection, Asher and Waller were often given unrecorded Lennon/McCartney songs to perform, most notably their first and biggest hit, 1964`s decidedly Beatlesque "World Without Love."

After Peter & Gordon disbanded in 1968, Asher took charge of the A&R department at The Beatles` Apple Records label, where he signed a then-unknown James Taylor and agreed to produce the singer-songwriter`s debut solo album. The album was not a success, but Asher was so convinced that Taylor held great potential that he resigned his post at Apple to move to the United States and work as Taylor`s manager. He also poduced Taylor`s recording over several decades.

In 1969, Asher was asked by George Harrison to look up an American band called Raven while he was in New York City (The Longest Cocktail Party, pg. 119). He offered Raven an Apple Records recording contract in the kitchen of Steve Paul`s Scene but the group turned it down and instead signed with Columbia Records. Reference: Once Life Matters: A New Beginning ppg. 62-65- author Marty Angelo.

In the early 1970s Asher also managed a country rock band called "Country", which recorded for Atlantic Records (through its subsidiary Clean Records) featuring Michael Fondiler and Tom Snow, who has since become a songwriter. Asher achieved his greatest success producing a long string of eclectic and platinum albums for Linda Ronstadt, including Heart Like a Wheel, Simple Dreams, What`s New, and Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind.

Asher also played a role in shaping the California rock sound prominent during the 1970s, producing records for Ronstadt, J.D. Souther, Andrew Gold and Bonnie Raitt. In 1976, Asher and Waller reformed for the annual New York Beatlefest and played a few other dates.[2] In the 1980s, Asher also worked on hit albums for artists as diverse as Cher and 10,000 Maniacs.

Asher had been quoted as saying that actor Mike Myers has said he had patterned his Austin Powers character after Asher`s appearance.[3]

His daughter Victoria Asher is keytarist in the popular American pop-punk band Cobra Starship.