Peter Cox, the vocalist recognized primarily for his role in the duo Go West, entered the world in London on November 17, 1955. At the age of 12 he became a member of his school's choir, and by 18 he had established his initial musical group, which he called Bodie in reference to a track by Free that influenced their musical approach. During performances on the regional club scene, Cox developed a friendship with Richard Drummie, prompting them to collaborate on songwriting. The pair obtained a publishing agreement in 1982, and subsequently arranged for studio sessions to produce demonstration recordings of "We Close Our Eyes" and "Call Me." They chose the moniker Go West and inked a contract with Chrysalis in 1984, achieving a degree of popularity over the following years until attaining their greatest commercial success in 1990 via the track "The King of Wishful Thinking," featured on the Pretty Woman film soundtrack. Cox moved to Los Angeles in 1993 with the intention of launching a solo endeavor, introducing himself to audiences in the middle of 1997 through the release of "Ain't Gonna Cry Again" as his first single; the album bearing his name appeared shortly thereafter.
