Peter Alexander Southworth, known professionally as Peter Shelley, was born on February 28, 1943, in London. He began his career in the British music industry in 1965, initially working as a song plugger for Chappell & Co. and later as personal assistant to Norman Newell at EMI. In 1973, he co-founded Magnet Records with Michael Levy, serving as the director of A&R. Under this label, Shelley wrote, produced, and sang on Alvin Stardust's debut single "My Coo Ca Choo", which reached number 2 in the UK Singles Chart and topped charts in several other countries, including Australia. Although Peter Alexander Southworth originated the Alvin Stardust persona, he stepped back to allow Shane Fenton to take over the role, continuing to write and produce hits for him. As a solo artist, Shelley had notable success with "Gee Baby" and "Love Me Love My Dog". In 1975, he received the Ivor Novello Award for his contributions to the British music industry. After leaving Magnet in late 1975, Peter Alexander Southworth created the character Robotman, which became a successful comic strip and animated television special. He lived in Canada from the 1980s until his death on March 23, 2023, at the age of 80.
