Peter Allen (musician) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Peter Allen
Allen in 1967
Background information
Birth name	Peter Richard Woolnough
Born	(1944-02-10)10 February 1944 Tenterfield, New South Wales, Australia
Died	18 June 1992(1992-06-18) (aged 48) San Diego, California, U.S.
Genres	Pop
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter musician entertainer
Instruments	Vocals piano
Years active	1959–1992
Labels	Metromedia A&M Records Arista RCA Victor

Peter Allen (born Peter Richard Woolnough; 10 February 1944 – 18 June 1992) was a famous Australian singer, songwriter, and entertainer. He was known for his exciting stage shows, lively performances, and amazing costumes. Many artists sang his songs, like Olivia Newton-John, who had a huge hit with "I Honestly Love You". Another famous song he co-wrote was "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)", which won an Oscar.

Peter Allen performed in many concerts and shows, even riding a camel on stage at Radio City Music Hall in New York City! His song "I Still Call Australia Home" is a very popular patriotic song in Australia and has been used in many advertisements. In 2013, it was added to the National Film and Sound Archive's Sounds of Australia list. A musical about his life, The Boy from Oz, became a hit in Australia and on Broadway, where Hugh Jackman won a Tony Award for playing Peter Allen.

Discovering Peter Allen's Early Life

Peter Richard Woolnough was born on 10 February 1944, in Tenterfield, New South Wales, Australia. His father was a soldier and grocer, and his grandfather was a saddler. Peter had a younger sister named Lynne. He grew up in Armidale, where he started learning piano and dance at a young age.

Peter's performing journey began when he was just 11 years old. He played the piano in a hotel lounge in Armidale. When he was 14, his father passed away. After this, Peter left school and moved to Lismore with his mother and sister. His song, "Tenterfield Saddler", tells a story about his grandfather and this time.

In 1959, Peter went to Surfers Paradise looking for work. There, he met Chris Bell, a singer and guitarist. They formed a singing duo called The Allen Brothers. This is when Peter started using the stage name "Peter Allen." Soon, they were performing on a popular Australian TV music show called Bandstand.

In 1964, while performing in Hong Kong, the duo was discovered by Mark Herron, who was married to the famous singer Judy Garland. The Allen Brothers then became the opening act for Judy Garland's tours. Judy Garland liked Peter and introduced him to her daughter, Liza Minnelli. Peter Allen and Liza Minnelli were married from 1967 to 1974. The Allen Brothers group broke up in 1970.

Exploring Peter Allen's Music Career

Peter Allen began releasing his own music in 1971. However, he became even more famous because other artists sang his songs. His biggest success came with "I Honestly Love You", a song he co-wrote. Olivia Newton-John sang it in 1974, and it became a number one hit in the United States and Canada. She even won two Grammy Awards for it!

Peter also co-wrote other popular songs like "Don't Cry Out Loud" for Melissa Manchester and "I'd Rather Leave While I'm in Love" for Rita Coolidge. His well-known song "I Go to Rio" was a hit for the group Pablo Cruise in America.

In 1976, Peter Allen released his album Taught by Experts, which was very popular in Australia. It included the number one single "I Go to Rio". Even though his own songs weren't always huge hits in the U.S., he performed in big venues like Carnegie Hall and Radio City Music Hall. At Radio City Music Hall, he made history as the first male dancer to perform with The Rockettes and even rode a camel on stage during "I Go to Rio"!

His album Bi-Coastal (1980) was very successful. It featured the song "Fly Away", which was his only song to reach the Billboard charts in the U.S.

Peter Allen also co-wrote the Oscar-winning song "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" for the 1981 movie Arthur. He wrote it with Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager, and Christopher Cross. This song also reached number one in the U.S. He and Carole Bayer Sager also wrote "You and Me (We Wanted It All)," which was sung by the legendary Frank Sinatra.

Peter Allen performed for important events in Australia, including for Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles and Princess Diana. He also sang at the opening of the Sydney Entertainment Centre in 1983, where he showed off his famous Australian "Flag" shirt. When Australia won the America's Cup in 1983, he flew to Perth to sing for a huge crowd.

In 1990, he recorded his last album, Making Every Moment Count, which included songs with Melissa Manchester and Harry Connick Jr.. One of his most famous songs, "I Still Call Australia Home", became widely known through its use in Qantas Airways television commercials.

Peter Allen on Broadway

Peter Allen made his first appearance on Broadway in 1971 in a show called Soon. He later starred in his own one-man show on Broadway in 1979, called Up in One: More Than a Concert.

He recorded a live album, Captured Live at Carnegie Hall, which included songs from his musical Legs Diamond. This musical opened on Broadway in 1988. After Legs Diamond finished its run, he went back to performing concerts, including a tour with Bernadette Peters.

Other Creative Projects

Peter Allen also appeared in a few films and TV shows:

• He had a small role in the movie Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978).
• His live song "Everything Old is New Again" was featured in the movie All That Jazz (1979).
• He was a musical guest at Miss Universe 1981.
• He played the Pirate King in a 1982 TV version of The Pirates of Penzance.
• He appeared in an episode of the TV series Miami Vice in 1985.

Peter Allen's Personal Side

Even though Peter Allen was very lively on stage, he was quite a private person when he wasn't performing. He once said that his stage persona was "a much more interesting person than me." He felt that being on stage allowed him to be this different, more exciting person.

When he wasn't performing, Peter enjoyed many hobbies. He loved swimming, windsurfing, skiing, water skiing, and sailing. He also collected Hawaiian shirts, enjoyed reading, cooking, and growing flowers, herbs, and vegetables. He spent so much time in his garden that he joked his neighbors might think he was a landscape gardener!

Peter owned a beach house in Leucadia, California, a small house in Oak Beach, Queensland, Australia, and an apartment in New York City. He bought his first house in Leucadia in 1975 with the money he earned from his hit song "I Honestly Love You". He even wrote a song called "Puttin' Out Roots" about moving to Leucadia. The living room of his Leucadia beach house is shown on the cover of his 1979 album, I Could Have Been a Sailor.

On 26 November 2005, a part of the Tenterfield Library was named the "George Woolnough Wing." This was named after Peter Allen's grandfather, who was remembered in his song "Tenterfield Saddler."

Peter Allen's Passing and Lasting Impact

Peter Allen's final performance was on 26 January 1992, in Sydney, Australia. He passed away on 18 June 1992, at the age of 48, in San Diego, California. A private service was held at his home, and his ashes were scattered in the Pacific Ocean near his house.

After his death, a documentary called The Boy from Oz was made about Peter Allen's life. It included clips of his performances and interviews with people who worked with him.

A stage musical based on his life, also called The Boy from Oz, opened in Australia in 1998. It used many of his songs to tell his story. In 2003, the musical came to Broadway in New York, making it the first Australian musical to be performed there. Hugh Jackman played Peter Allen and won a Tony Award for his amazing performance.

In 2015, a TV mini-series called Peter Allen: Not the Boy Next Door was broadcast in Australia, showing different parts of his life.

Peter Allen was recognized for his contributions to music when he was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 1993. His music and unique style continue to be remembered and celebrated.

Peter Allen's Music Albums

Studio Albums

Live Albums

Compilation Albums

Singles

Awards and Recognitions

Peter Allen received several important awards for his music and performances.

Academy Awards (Oscars)

Peter Allen won an Academy Award (Oscar) for Best Original Song in 1981 for "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)."

ASCAP Awards

The ASCAP Awards celebrate top songwriters and composers.

ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards are Australia's main music awards. Peter Allen was honored by being added to the Hall of Fame.

Golden Globe Awards

Peter Allen also won a Golden Globe for Best Original Song in 1981 for "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)."

Grammy Awards Nominations

Peter Allen was nominated twice for a Grammy Award for Song of the Year.

Mo Awards

The Mo Awards recognized achievements in live entertainment in Australia. Peter Allen won two of these awards.

Order of Australia

The Order of Australia is a special honor given to Australian citizens for outstanding achievements.

Images for kids

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  Peter Allen in 1967