Celebrating the Legacy of Peter East: Release of Stunning Limited Edition Prints

Mar 15
3 min read

Updated: Apr 3

What if the bravest thing you ever do in life isn’t something you achieve for yourself, but something you give to everyone around you—quietly, relentlessly, every single day?

Peter was a twin, identical to Bruce, my other brother, and he was a brilliant artist.

Winston Churchill once said, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” Peter lost his fight with cancer in May 2015, and his family and friends miss him every single day. Only now, looking back, do I truly understand how deeply you can miss someone—and how clearly you see what they brought to your life—once they are gone. The legacy of Peter East is his art and it is now available in the gallery.

Every day, Peter gave. He astonished us with a talent that seemed to have no boundaries, a strength that few could match, and a quiet dignity that touched everyone who knew him. He gave so much, to so many, and in more ways than we can ever fully count.

A singer, an actor, a gifted musician, an artist, a sportsman, a chef – all of these could be laid at the feet of his sheer determination to succeed. Why does a man without a stomach want to cook? Because, like everything else, he had a gift for it. After his stomach was removed, he hated eating in restaurants, so what did he do? He created his own “home restaurant” where he did the cooking and could gently hide his illness from view.

Sometimes it’s good for all of us to pause and think about our own legacy.

Have I achieved? Have I been a good father, a good husband, a good wife, a good brother, a good friend? Just as a kite rises higher against the wind than with it, Peter truly soared throughout his illness. He carved a path that pushed medical boundaries and rewrote the rules on surviving stomach cancer.

Peter faced every bleak prognosis—and there were many—with single‑minded determination. They were wrong, he insisted. There would be a cure, and he would prevail.

From that moment on, Peter refused to accept that the fight was over. He set himself almost impossible goals and then quietly went out and achieved them. He truly believed that, although he might lose the odd battle, he was going to win the war.

His singing was one of his greatest joys and passions. His voice and talent grew as he drove himself to greater and greater heights. When I listen to some of his recordings, I’m still in awe; he could touch you with a single note, which is the mark of a great singer. His performances at Sheffield City Hall are still remembered to this day.

In his last few years, the after‑effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy destroyed much of the feeling in his hands and feet, making it difficult for him to paint and to create the wonderful line drawings he has left behind for us to share. Playing tennis, another of his passions, became too tiring, and even watching it grew frustrating. But Pete still needed a new challenge.

So he became a line judge. And, of course, local or regional level wasn’t enough for our Pete. He set his sights higher—on Wimbledon.

And there he was, on our TV screens, despite all his medical challenges, reaching new heights yet again.

I must also mention his golf. Despite the loss of feeling in his hands and feet, Peter taught himself to work around the problem, and his handicap tumbled to 8. He was private about his illness; he didn’t want a fuss. I will always remember him walking onto his local golf course—where he had won virtually every trophy the previous year—carrying just a couple of irons to join Bruce and me for the last few holes.

Unannounced, woolly hat pulled low in disguise, and with tubes and drains hidden under his oversized jacket, he stepped up and, with his very first shot, hit the green from 150 yards.

Some would say that, over those last ten years, Peter’s life had little quality. Peter would have completely disagreed. He loved, he sang, and he set the bar so high with his life’s achievements that few can hope to follow.

Bruce and I have chosen to share just four pieces of his work with you. Two are shown above and have been released as giclée prints in the gallery. These are true collector’s items and have been issued in a numbered print run of just 10.

Update 16/03/26