Peter Gormley
Encyclopedia
Peter Gormley was an Australian born artist manager who guided the early careers of many recording artists, including Frank Ifield
, Cliff Richard
, The Shadows
, Marvin Welch & Farrar, Labi Siffre
and Olivia Newton-John
.
During the early 1970s the British Music press (NME et al.) sarcastically coined the phrase "The Gum Leaf Mafia" to describe Australian clients of Peter Gormley who arrived en masse in London in the late 1960s e.g. Olivia Newton-John
, The Seekers
, The New Seekers
, Kevin Peek, Terry Britten
, Alan Tarney
, Trevor Spencer
, John Farrar
, Barrie Guard, etc.
In Australia Gormley founded the Festival record label on which Olivia Newton-John
released all her original studio albums in that country from 1971 onwards until her last album produced by John Farrar
called Warm and Tender
in 1989.
In 1980 Brian Goode of Outrider Management took over management for The Shadows
and Labbi Siffre. Cliff Richard
set up his own management company The Cliff Richard Organisation. Lee Kramer took over management for Olivia Newton-John
in 1975 in the USA.
Gormley died on 8 May 1998, having been in retirement for some five years when he died of colon cancer, two years after the death of his wife, Audrey. He was survived by a daughter, Robyn, and by nieces Miriam and Clare Gormley, both of whom are opera singers.
Frank Ifield
Francis Edward Ifield is an early Australian-English easy listening and country music singer. He achieved considerable success in the early 1960s, especially in the UK Singles Chart, where he had four Number 1 hits between 1962 and 1963....
, Cliff Richard
Cliff Richard
Sir Cliff Richard, OBE is a British pop singer, musician, performer, actor, and philanthropist who has sold over an estimated 250 million records worldwide....
, The Shadows
The Shadows
The Shadows are a British pop group with a total of 69 UK hit-charted singles: 35 as 'The Shadows' and 34 as 'Cliff Richard and the Shadows', from the 1950s to the 2000s. Cliff Richard in casual conversation with the British rock press frequently refers to the Shadows by their nickname: 'The Shads'...
, Marvin Welch & Farrar, Labi Siffre
Labi Siffre
Labi Siffre is a British poet, songwriter, musician and singer most widely known as the writer and singer of " So Strong", "It Must Be Love" and "I Got The", the sampled rhythm track which provides the basis for a number of well-known hip hop tracks such as Eminem’s breakthrough hit single, "My...
and Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John AO, OBE is a singer and actress. She is a four-time Grammy award winner who has amassed five No. 1 and ten other Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 singles and two No. 1 Billboard 200 solo albums. Eleven of her singles and 14 of her albums have been certified gold by the RIAA...
.
During the early 1970s the British Music press (NME et al.) sarcastically coined the phrase "The Gum Leaf Mafia" to describe Australian clients of Peter Gormley who arrived en masse in London in the late 1960s e.g. Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John AO, OBE is a singer and actress. She is a four-time Grammy award winner who has amassed five No. 1 and ten other Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 singles and two No. 1 Billboard 200 solo albums. Eleven of her singles and 14 of her albums have been certified gold by the RIAA...
, The Seekers
The Seekers
The Seekers are an Australian folk-influenced pop music group which were originally formed in 1962. They were the first Australian popular music group to achieve major chart and sales success in the United Kingdom and the United States...
, The New Seekers
The New Seekers
The New Seekers are a British-based pop group, formed in 1969 by Keith Potger after the break-up of his group, The Seekers. The idea was that the New Seekers would appeal to the same market as the original Seekers, but their music had rock as well as folk influences...
, Kevin Peek, Terry Britten
Terry Britten
Terry Britten is a prolific English singer-songwriter, who has written songs for Tina Turner and Sir Cliff Richard, Olivia Newton-John, Status Quo, Michael Jackson and many others.-Career:...
, Alan Tarney
Alan Tarney
Alan Tarney is an English songwriter, record producer and bass guitarist. He was born in Workington, Cumberland, England, but spent his teenage years in Adelaide, Australia where he met his songwriting and musical partner Trevor Spencer.- Career :Tarney was part of the huge influx of British...
, Trevor Spencer
Trevor Spencer
Trevor Spencer is an Australian songwriter, record producer and drummer. He was born in Adelaide, Australia Trevor studied drums and percussion from the age of 10...
, John Farrar
John Farrar
John Farrar is a music producer, songwriter, music arranger, singer and guitarist who is best known for his work with Olivia Newton-John with whom he wrote and produced many hit songs....
, Barrie Guard, etc.
In Australia Gormley founded the Festival record label on which Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John AO, OBE is a singer and actress. She is a four-time Grammy award winner who has amassed five No. 1 and ten other Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 singles and two No. 1 Billboard 200 solo albums. Eleven of her singles and 14 of her albums have been certified gold by the RIAA...
released all her original studio albums in that country from 1971 onwards until her last album produced by John Farrar
John Farrar
John Farrar is a music producer, songwriter, music arranger, singer and guitarist who is best known for his work with Olivia Newton-John with whom he wrote and produced many hit songs....
called Warm and Tender
Warm and Tender (Olivia Newton-John album)
Warm and Tender is an album of children's lullabies released by Olivia Newton-John in 1989.- Track listing :# "Jenny Rebecca" – 3:46# "Rocking" – 3:05# "Way You Look Tonight" – 2:59# "Lullaby My Lovely" – 1:16# "You'll Never Walk Alone" – 2:49...
in 1989.
In 1980 Brian Goode of Outrider Management took over management for The Shadows
The Shadows
The Shadows are a British pop group with a total of 69 UK hit-charted singles: 35 as 'The Shadows' and 34 as 'Cliff Richard and the Shadows', from the 1950s to the 2000s. Cliff Richard in casual conversation with the British rock press frequently refers to the Shadows by their nickname: 'The Shads'...
and Labbi Siffre. Cliff Richard
Cliff Richard
Sir Cliff Richard, OBE is a British pop singer, musician, performer, actor, and philanthropist who has sold over an estimated 250 million records worldwide....
set up his own management company The Cliff Richard Organisation. Lee Kramer took over management for Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John AO, OBE is a singer and actress. She is a four-time Grammy award winner who has amassed five No. 1 and ten other Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 singles and two No. 1 Billboard 200 solo albums. Eleven of her singles and 14 of her albums have been certified gold by the RIAA...
in 1975 in the USA.
Gormley died on 8 May 1998, having been in retirement for some five years when he died of colon cancer, two years after the death of his wife, Audrey. He was survived by a daughter, Robyn, and by nieces Miriam and Clare Gormley, both of whom are opera singers.