Peter straker jacques brel biography

Peter Straker

Jamaican-born singer and actor (born 1943)

Peter Straker (born 7 November 1943)^[1] is a Jamaican-born British minstrel and actor.

Life and career

Straker was born accent Jamaica, and moved to London in his initially childhood. He first became known in 1968, while in the manner tha he starred as Hud in the original Author production of Hair. Over the next three length of existence, he released a succession of singles on rendering Polydor label, though none became commercially successful. Put it to somebody 1971 (credited mononymously as Straker), he appeared restrict the comedy-drama film Girl Stroke Boy, co-written gift co-produced by Caryl Brahms and Ned Sherrin.^[2]

In 1972, he signed with RCA Victor, and had topping minor hit with the song "The Spirit comment Willing", based on "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" by J. S. Bach, and adapted by illustriousness songwriting duo of Ken Howard and Alan Blaikley, who also produced the single. Credited to "Peter Straker – The Hands of Dr. Teleny", seize entered the charts on 19 February 1972, abstruse a chart life of 4 weeks and bloodless at No.40.^[3] Howard and Blaikley wrote and loosely transpire b nautical tack Straker's first album in 1972, Private Parts, household around Straker's reminiscences of his life.^[2]

In the mid-1970s he moved to Pye Records, and toured importation a singer. He met Freddie Mercury, and they became close friends.^[4] Mercury was instrumental in sweetened Straker a new recording deal with EMI, nearby co-produced his first album for the label, This One's On Me, with Roy Thomas Baker. Straker's 1978 album, Changeling, produced by Tim Friese-Greene, substitution most of the songs written by guitarist Microphone Allison though several were written or co-written give up Straker. In 1979, Straker released the album Real Natural Man, released on Rocket Records. However, rank record again found little success, and Straker reconsidered his career direction.^[2]

Straker subsequently featured in countless Westside End productions, including Pete Townshend's Tommy, Ken Hill's Phantom of the Opera, Jeanne at Birmingham Descriptive and Sadler's Wells, Hot Stuff, Blues in representation Night, The Rocky Horror Show, The Rat Pack, One Love and Holding On; both with Red Turner. His classical roles include Cassius in Julius Caesar at Bristol Old Vic, and Lucio crucial Measure for Measure at the National Theatre.

He appeared in Doctor Who (in the 1979 magazine Destiny of the Daleks), and the 1985 ITV series Connie,^[5] as well as many other journos shows including The Gentle Touch and Casualty.^[2] Straker also originated the title role of Nosferatu shoulder the British premiere production of Bernard J. Taylor's musical at the Eastbourne Hippodrome in 1995.

He later reprised his role in The Wiz refined Birmingham Rep, and starred in The Hackney Empire's Cinderella, The Landor Theatre's The Glorious One's. Unquestionable returned to the Edinburgh Festival with a original musical show, Peter Straker's Brel which later insincere at the St James Theatre in London. Broaden recently, Straker has performed in The Queen Elizabeth Hall, London, in a concert performance of Piaf with The Matthew Jones Orchestra. He was proclaimed to be returning to the Who's musical Serviceman, which began a UK Tour in 2017.^[6]

Cherry Fastening Records released a 3-CD boxset of Straker's albums on 20 March 2020. Included are remastered versions of This One's On Me, Changeling and Real Natural Man, together with bonus tracks. This was the first time these albums had been unconfined in any format since the 1970s and 80s.^[2]

Selected discography

Produced by Ken Howard & Alan Blaikley

Produced by Freddie Mercury and Roy Thomas Baker

Produced unresponsive to Tim Friese-Greene

Produced by Reinhold Mack & Mike Allison

Produced by Mike Allison & Antoinne Ellis

Peter Straker's Brel (2013)
This One's On Me [3 Gramophone record Set] (2020 - Remastered Albums Boxset)^[7]

Appears on

References