Peter SHELLEY

1943 - 2023

PETER SHELLEY Peter Shelley, (né Southworth), born in London, England, February 28, 1943, passed away from cancer at his home in Victoria, BC on March 23, 2023, with his three children at his side, his humour never failing. Peter lived his life undaunted by convention and steeped in childlike wonder and creativity that never left him. He started his music career in A&R for Decca Records and discovered a host of bands, including Ten Years After and Giles, Giles and Fripp (later to form as King Crimson). A few years later, he co-founded one of the most successful independent record companies in the UK, Magnet Records. He won the Ivor Novello award in 1975 for songwriter of the year, having penned and produced top ten hits as a solo artist ("Love Me Love My Dog" and "Gee Baby") and for Alvin Stardust ("My Coo Ca Choo," and "Jealous Mind"), among others. At the height of his success, Peter decided to leave the music business and moved his family to Canada. It was in Vancouver, later Toronto, that he developed a character named Robotman, a robot with a heart that when pressed played music. This evolved into a multi-media enterprise and later a comic strip named Monty, appearing in hundreds of newspapers. Despite his success, he was not big on "career," or ownership - he gave everything away multiple times. He once owned a Bentley and hired a chauffeur so he could write his songs without having to drive. A few years later, the coffers emptied, he bought a second-hand clunker he named Dino, which he preferred. Peter lived all over the world, including the Isle of Arran, Portugal, Arizona and Mexico, with a quest to understand himself and what this world is about. His originality, vitality (he wrote a song about Arsenal, a favourite soccer team, the day before he died) and courage to face life head on, in all of its extremes, provided great inspiration to those around him. He preferred to live by his wits; while at the Mexico/US border, with no destination and carrying his luggage, he spotted a driver holding a sign for Flagstaff and got in the car. He took his children tobogganing for the first time in the red suitcases they used when they emigrated to Canada. At seventy-nine, he slyly stole the employee microphone, used to call in orders at an ice cream parlour, and sang "Mack The Knife." If there was a piano in reach he'd play it, and soon a song would be made. He knew there was "more" because of Mozart. He would not let you take yourself or life too seriously. In his final days, he lived with a profound sense of grace and dignity. A true seeker to the end. Well done lad. Peter is survived by his children, John Southworth (Janine Theriault), Natalie Southworth (René Doucet) and James Southworth; his three grandchildren, Rita Southworth and Henry and Sidney Doucet; sister, Yvonne and nephew, Stephen. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to a local women's shelter.