At 13 his father suicided so Peter and his mother had to settle in Lismore in far north NSW. In 1958 he left school at 14 and was soon playing at dances and clubs in beach towns near Lismore. While on the Gold Coast, he met another aspiring young performer, singer-guitarist Chris Bell and established themselves as The Allen Brothers, a folk-pop nightclub duo. They had copied the Everly Brothers.
They made their first TV appearance on ATN-7’s show Teen Time in 1959. They moved to Sydney where they were spotted by Brian Henderson, compare of the TV pop show Bandstand, and became regulars on the show. Via this early live TV experience, they met other young Australian performers eg Olivia Newton-John.
Johnny O’Keefe signed the Allen Brothers to his label and produced their first recordings in Apr 1960. The Allen Brothers switched labels again in 1961, releasing singles on EMI's label. In Ap 1962, they performed in a Las Vegas-style nightclub in Tokyo and then toured all around S.E Asia.
Judy Garland had given triumphant performances at the Sydney Stadium, but her 1964 Melbourne show was a disaster. On her arrival in Hong Kong she almost overdosed on tranquillisers. While she recovered, the Garland went to the Hong Kong Hilton, spotted the Allen Brothers and became their manager. Garland hired them as her opening act for a concert at the London Palladium and introduced Peter to her daughter Liza Minnelli. In 1965 The Allen Bros premiered with Garland in On Broadway Tonight.
Peter's gay sexuality was no secret within the industry, but if Liza was aware of it, they happily married anyhow in Mar 1967. Hopefully the marriage proved of immense help to Peter permanent residence-wise.
The Allen Brothers signed an album deal with Mercury Records in 1968 and recorded their debut LP. In June 1968 Minnelli made her first visit to Australia, accompanied by the men, and they played a hugely successful season in Sydney.
By the late 1960s the Allen Brothers were well-established as a cabaret act, but Peter loved the vibrant Greenwich Village music scene and off-Broadway theatre. Beginning with an opening for rising star Bette Midler, Allen became more famous in New York’s cabaret revival of the early 1970s.
In Jun 1969 Judy Garland died in London, aged only 47, after she had fallen into a destructive blear of drugs and alcohol.
Peter and Liza separated late in 1969 and the Allen Brothers broke up in early in 1970; Chris Bell possibly quit show business and went elsewhere. Texan Greg Connell, a male model and light designer, was Peter’s great love from 1970 on. [Tragically Connell also died from AIDS in 1984].
In June 1970 Peter played his first solo show in a Greenwich Village nightclub. During this period he excelled at writing reflective ballads and bittersweet love songs; he was fortunate that his composing career coincided with the singer-songwriter vogue of the early 1970s eg Elton John. At Metromedia Music, he met and successfully worked with songwriter Carole Bayer-Sager.
During 1971 Allen returned to Australia for a Bandstand reunion. It included two songs co-written with Bayer Sager, Don't Cry Out Loud and I'd Rather Leave While I'm In Love, both of which later became big hits. It was followed by the album Tenterfield Saddler in 1972, which included Peter's tribute to his grandfather (and was my favourite).
Peter returned to performing in 1973 in popular New York night clubs. He quickly built up a cult following, partly because of his flamboyant stage antics, and it wasn't long before other singers were choosing and performing his songs, including his close Australian friends Olivia Newton-John and Helen Reddy.
written by Stephen MacLean
published in 1996
In 1976 Peter recorded an album that included the most important single of Peter's career, I Go to Rio (1976). The video simply showed Peter in his loud Hawaiian shirt, playing his piano, dancing around the studio with marraccas. The clip went to air in Australia on the TV show Countdown, and thanks to Countdown's huge national audience, "Rio" topped the Australian charts in July 1977.
He made his London cabaret debut and this led to his first film role, in 1978. It was the fantasy film musical Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, starring The Bee Gees, Peter Frampton and George Burns. The soundtrack consisted of Beatles songs, performed by an all-star line up, including Helen Reddy, Tina Turner and of course Peter Allen.
In 1980 a visit to Australia led to the creation of one of the best-known of his songs, I Still Call Australia Home. Peter wrote the song during the performance and sang it for the first time on the tour's closing night in Melbourne. Singing in Sydney with a 400-voice choir, Peter performed the song with Helen Reddy and Olivia Newton-John as the concert's grand finale. It caught on and became an unofficial Australian anthem.
By this time Peter was drawing full houses at major US sites like Radio City Music Hall, where he headlined during 1981. His high-camp theatricality left little room for doubt about his gay sexuality.
Famous composer Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager’s husband, had been hired to write the score for a new comedy film, Arthur, in 1981. Carole and Burt collaborated on the theme song for the film when Carole used a phrase from one of Peter's old songs in the chorus: When you get caught between the moon and New York City. Arthur’s theme song became a huge international hit single.
Peter returned to Australia for a season in Jan 1990, and another season in Jan 1992 but he was very ill from AIDS-related throat cancer. He returned to America, but he deteriorated and died in June 1992, aged 48. Oh how I miss you, Peter. Ditto Helen Reddy and Olivia Newton John.
In 1998 The Boy From Oz show opened in Sydney and was successful for 2 years. The show premiered on Broadway in 2003 with Hugh Jackman in the title role. How perfect!
He made his London cabaret debut and this led to his first film role, in 1978. It was the fantasy film musical Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, starring The Bee Gees, Peter Frampton and George Burns. The soundtrack consisted of Beatles songs, performed by an all-star line up, including Helen Reddy, Tina Turner and of course Peter Allen.
In 1980 a visit to Australia led to the creation of one of the best-known of his songs, I Still Call Australia Home. Peter wrote the song during the performance and sang it for the first time on the tour's closing night in Melbourne. Singing in Sydney with a 400-voice choir, Peter performed the song with Helen Reddy and Olivia Newton-John as the concert's grand finale. It caught on and became an unofficial Australian anthem.
By this time Peter was drawing full houses at major US sites like Radio City Music Hall, where he headlined during 1981. His high-camp theatricality left little room for doubt about his gay sexuality.
Famous composer Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager’s husband, had been hired to write the score for a new comedy film, Arthur, in 1981. Carole and Burt collaborated on the theme song for the film when Carole used a phrase from one of Peter's old songs in the chorus: When you get caught between the moon and New York City. Arthur’s theme song became a huge international hit single.
Peter returned to Australia for a season in Jan 1990, and another season in Jan 1992 but he was very ill from AIDS-related throat cancer. He returned to America, but he deteriorated and died in June 1992, aged 48. Oh how I miss you, Peter. Ditto Helen Reddy and Olivia Newton John.
In 1998 The Boy From Oz show opened in Sydney and was successful for 2 years. The show premiered on Broadway in 2003 with Hugh Jackman in the title role. How perfect!
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13 comments:
I don't think I am alone in having seen the Boy from Oz, liking Allen's music and picked up bits and pieces about him over the years, but aside from Garland and Minelli, I knew little of the rest. As I said, I don't think I am alone and that is a shame.
Andrew
Bandstand was terrific in the early 1960s when we first got television. I remember most of the then-young Australia performers who went on to be famous later. But I didn't remember Chris Bell's face when I put up the photo.
What an amazing song writer, singer and performer Peter Allen was. What a tragedy that he died in his 40s :(
Hello Hels, Although I am unfamiliar with the music of Peter Allen, it seems that he accomplished a great deal, and it is unfortunate that his life was cut short for the same reason as so many other people who had the promise of their lives ahead of them.
--Jim
Parnassus
you may not remember the Allen Brothers from decades ago, but you will certainly know the songs Peter Allen made famous in the 1970s and 80s. Play "I Go To Rio" very loudly and enjoy :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCYxTg6svXg
Agreed about the early deaths :( All epidemics are tragic, but the HIV/AIDS epidemic seemed to focus on the young and the creative. It will take a long time before the entertainment world gets over the loss of Peter Allen and many many other talented actors, singers, dancers etc.
Did you mention that Peter Allen was a talented and vigorous piano player?
Joseph
oops I did mention the piano playing, but two extra important points should be added.
1] in primary school, Peter Allen Woolnough played piano in lots of public performances. So back then it was his first and most beloved instrument. And
2] later on, his performances on stage were so spectacular that we focused on his dancing around the piano stool and his jazzy costumes. Needless to say the piano playing should have been the primary focus.
Its interesting that Liza Minelli's 2 husbands Peter Allen and David Gest were both gay . I guess that must have suited her aat some level. She has had a pretty tragic life echoing that of her mum . So sad .
mem
there is something almost inevitably disruptive about the lives of talented and creative artists and performers. And the more talented the artist, the more tragic the disruptions.
Liza Minnelli was hugely talented and gorgeous to watch, but she suffered from alcoholism, drug abuse, 4 marriages and divorces, mental health issues, viral encephalitis etc.
Judy Garland had a much shorter and more painful life than her daughter. An absent and dysfunctional father, alcoholism, drug addiction, anorexia as a young teen, mental health issues as an adult, 5 marriages and divorces etc.
Perhaps both women found that gay men were more sympathetic and supportive than straight husbands.
I wonder if Chris Bell is still living and where he is now. For sure, he would have some stories to tell.
niles
Good question! Peter and Liza separated in late 1969 and were divorced in 1974, perhaps causing the Allen Brothers to break up in 1975. The so-called brothers were sooo successful, yet unbelievably I cannot find ANY record of Chris Bell’s life after the brotherhood ended. Did he get into the airline industry? Did he join another musical group in the U.S.A?
I did see one mention of him on another site that said he formed a group out in California.
When I talk to God I remind him that he shouldn’t have taken Peter Allen and Steve Irwin from us so early
Anon
re Peter Allen, Helen Reddy and Olivia Newton John, I hope that God heard you. I hope those talented Australians who passed away too early also heard you, from their places in heaven.
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