Pete Astor (born Abe Smith, 1960) is a British songwriter, singer and multi-instrumentalist, best known for his work with The Loft, The Weather Prophets and Ellis Island Sound.
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Pete Astor was born Abe Smith in Colchester, England, in 1959.[1] He formed The Loft in 1980, the band signing to Creation Records and releasing a few singles before splitting up in 1985.[1] He then formed The Weather Prophets, who released three albums between 1986 and 1988.[1] When the Weather Prophets split up, Astor embarked on a solo career with the album Submarine in 1990, again on Creation Records, followed by Zoo in 1991.[1] Finding success in France, Astor moved to the Danceteria label to release Paradise (1992, as Peter Astor and the Holy Road), and God and Other Stories in 1993.[1] After becoming disillusioned with the music business, he disappeared from view for a number of years, returning in the late 1990s with his Ellis Island Sound and The Wisdom of Harry projects.
In 2005, another Astor solo album, Hal's Eggs , appeared on Static Caravan Recordings (this time as Pete Astor). At around the same time, various Cherry Red compilation albums featuring his work were released, ultimately leading to the surprise reformation of his first band, The Loft.
Astor continues to perform and record with both Ellis Island Sound and The Loft and has recently released Songbox on the Second Language label.