THE BABC LA Christmas luncheon in Santa Monica on Friday, December 16th is shaping up to be one of the best in recent memory.
In addition to all the usual amazing raffle and silent auction prizes plus very special guest speaker Stephen Fry, the BABC have announced their musical guests. Topping the bill is Peter Asher CBE, who was recently described by the New York Times as “a fascinating music business anomaly.” A pop star during the British Invasion as half of Peter & Gordon, he later became the head of A&R for the Beatles’ Apple Records label in the late ’60s, before segueing to a career as a top artist manager and record producer (James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt, Cher, Diana Ross and more) in the ’70s and ’80s. He spent a decade as a label executive before returning to management, producing, and even performing, as well as finding new avenues as the author of a Beatles book and radio broadcaster.
Today he is busier than ever, both in the studio (his current project is an album with Susanna Hoffs of the Bangles) and on the road with his own show. It all began in 1964 with a Paul McCartney song the Beatles had rejected, “A World Without Love”, which Peter & Gordon took to Number One in 33 countries, including the UK and the USA.
Also performing will be Dorian Cheah, the rising electric violinist, composer and Emmy-nominated songwriter. His music is a genre-fluid experience that combines his classical roots, passion for the visceral power of rock and roll, and modern electronic elements. Originally from Pittsburgh, PA, where his classical music education began, he moved to New York to study with Dorothy DeLay at The Juilliard School.
Dorian has worked on stage and in the studio with a variety of musical luminaries, including Celine Dion, Jennifer Lopez, Ke$ha, Brie Larson, En Vogue, Bernie Worrell (Talking Heads), jazz pianist Brad Mehldau, Karsh Kale, Zakir Hussain, Scott Page (Pink Floyd) and more. His latest release “717” is his second studio collaboration with producer and bassist Bill Laswell, and is available on all streaming platforms.
And if that were not enough, there will be a special presentation titled The Royal Christmas at Sandringham from Stewart Pearce, a renowned Master of Voice, Performance Coach, and Inspirational Speaker. Stewart reached global acclaim with his best-selling book Diana, the Voice of Change, filled with unique insights into the essence of the late Diana, Princess of Wales, with whom he worked during the last two years of her life.
In addition to Princess Diana, Stewart has coached public figures such as Margaret Thatcher, Benazir Bhutto, Anita Roddick, Marianne Williamson, Vanessa Redgrave, Emilia Clarke, Sir Mark Rylance, Eddie Redmayne, Hugh Bonneville, Matthew Goode, Simon Callow CBE, Sebastian Stan and Minnie Driver.
Stewart will reflect on Christmas with the Royal Family, and this year without the Queen.
Tickets for the BABC lunch, which will be held in the Starlight Ballroom at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica, are going fast. To avoid disappointment, book yours today by visiting www.babcla.org.
