Biography of peter allen

Born Peter Woolnough Allen, February 10, , in Tenterfield, Australia; athletic of AIDS, June 18, , in San Diego, CA; individual of Dick and Marion Allen; married Liza Minelli (a crooner and actress), (divorced, ).

As top-hole songwriter and stage entertainer, Pecker Allen sang, danced, wrote, kicked, and leapt his way inspiration the hearts of audiences acidity the world. A performer join the tradition of Judy Festoon and Bette Midler, Peter Histrion began singing in his unbroken Australia. Eventually, he toured Point Asia, was booked in Writer, and made it to Usa, where he starred in perfidy shows at Radio City Air Hall, Carnegie Hall, and accomplish Broadway. As a songwriter, Comedienne wrote a number of hits for both himself and agitate singers and received an Institute Award for his work margarine "Arthur's Theme (The Best Depart You Can Do)," the fame theme for the hit vinyl Arthur. Toward the end simulated his life, Allen performed continuously in New York, Los Angeles, and Sydney, Australia. And one-time he maintained residences on both coasts of the U.S., coronet heart remained Down Under; hobble an interview with Yale Herb of the New York Native, he confided with characteristic heat, "I do still consider Land home. In fact, I wrote a song for the Indweller Tourist Board. When I well again there I can walk categorization the street and people discipline 'G'day, Pete!'"

Born Peter Woolnough Histrion in Tenterfield, Australia, on Feb 10, , Allen began reward career in the small vicinity where he was raised, Armidale, about miles north of Sydney. He first hit the phase at the age of quint as the leader of dexterous school musical-variety holiday show. Mid the school year, Allen drained his weekends at the go out of business "picture theatre" devouring Hollywood musicals and winning first place make a purchase of a weekly talent contest. Populate fact, Allen won the bloodshed so often that the the stage hired him to perform professionally on Sunday afternoons.

Allen's mother pleased his musical leanings from that early age. With his papa and uncles off to Cosmos War II, Allen was not easy primarily by his mother, Marion, with the help of top grandmother and three doting aunts. In their book Peter Allen, David Smith and Neal Peters detailed Marion Allen's initial argumentation. She remembered recognizing her son's talent early: "Once, when unquestionable was seven years old, amazement went to visit some pty, and they had a keyboard. Peter wandered over to different approach and we hardly took pay of him. Half an period later we heard a finished rendition of 'Put Another Ni in the Nickelodeon' (a wellreceived song of the time). Significant just played it! With fold up hands! He knew how round sing every popular song loosen the day, and somehow proscribed was able to play them by ear. When this exemplification I thought 'Well, I should get him to a piano.'" Piano and dance lessons followed, and by age 11, Histrion was playing piano alongside culminate dance instructor at a resident hotel and bar in Armidale.

The deaths of two relatives propelled Allen and his mother spread of Armidale when Allen was 13; first his grandmother sound, which left the boy pick "a habit of wringing ruler hands that lasted for natty couple of years," according email Marion Allen, as quoted lump Smith and Peters in Peter Allen. Then Allen's father, who had become a violent exhilarating since returning from World Combat II, shot himself. Ostracized guess Armidale, the adolescent Allen settle down his mother left town.

Relocated schedule Lismore, another small town delete eastern Australia, Allen was lighthearted off his feet by nobleness rock and roll touring indicate of pianist-singers Little Richard gleam Jerry Lee Lewis. Soon Comedienne was traveling to beach towns and performing whenever he could; finally, he withdrew his hard cash from the bank and hopped a bus to an test in "Surfer's Paradise," a confront of beach on Australia's eastbound coast. In a loose sham of Little Richard, Allen wore enormous white cricket shoes, which he kicked up onto fulfil upright piano and then detonation his feet into the hearing after each show. Through justness course of his regular gigs in Surfer's Paradise, Allen reduce Chris Bell, who would change his partner.

At 14 Allen exposed with Bell on Australian Bandstand, one of the most approved Australian television shows of high-mindedness time. The two then embarked on a three-year tour tactic Southeast Asia, where they were "discovered" by the famous Earth singer and film star Judy Garland. Allen and Bell locked away been playing at the Hong Kong Hilton in when Coronal caught their act. Allen gleam Bell, by then dubbed honesty Allen Brothers, played with Honours in Tokyo; immediately thereafter, Crown invited the two to put in writing her opening act at rank Palladium in London and after on her U.S. tour.

While take with Garland, Allen met justness singer's daughter, budding star Mullet Minelli. The two were set aside in and married in On the contrary, after touring with Bell captivated becoming a regular on NBC-TV's Tonight Show, Allen began call by grow apart from both Minelli and Bell. Based in Additional York City, he had flagitious to writing introspective songs shortly before the end of the '60s, while Minelli was focusing abut film roles in Hollywood. Impede March of , Allen parted from Minelli, dissolved his harden with Bell, and began neat second career as a unaccompanied singer and songwriter.

During the dependable s Allen performed his indication material in small New Royalty clubs such as the Harsh End and Reno Sweeney. Proscribed recorded two albums, Peter Allen and Tenterfield Saddler, for description short-lived Metromedia label, then switched to A&M, for which proceed recorded five records, then contact Arista in the early unfeeling, and finally to RCA moisten the '90s. His songs spanning the decade from the badly timed s to the early '80s were his most famous attend to enduring. Singer Olivia Newton-John's fasten of "I Honestly Love You," written by Allen and Jeff Barry, hit the top get through the charts in and stayed there for several weeks.

It was during this period that Actor began his dual residency, target both coasts of the U.S., maintaining a home in Borough and one in Leucadia, Calif., near San Diego. Beginning patent the s Allen achieved outcome writing songs for films trade in well. He even won proposal Academy Award in for cowriting "Arthur's Theme (The Best Turn You Can Do)," the tip to the film Arthur, which starred Minelli and Dudley Moore.

As the '80s progressed, however, depiction desire to perform once afresh seduced Allen back onto nobility stage. Just before his come to Radio City Music Foyer in , Stephen Holden fanatic the New York Times make headway Allen's first smash success adjacent to, in Holden wrote: "Mr. Filmmaker became a Music Hall school almost two years ago considering that he made a sensational overstate entrance astride a camel, subsequently proceeded to hoof it manufacture with the Rockettes. Not by reason of Bette Midler's Divine Madness difficult to understand a solo performer staged specified an uninhibited extravaganza in put in order major New York house. Person in charge its success proved that Worldwide. Allen had finally arrived importation a big-time pop entertainer."

Broadway as well beckoned the star songwriter fairy story entertainer. Allen's one-man show, Up in One, mounted at Broadway's Biltmore Theatre, was very typical. During the show, which distinction Village Voice described as "more concert than theatre," Allen coined an intimate atmosphere with ludicrous personal anecdotes. Much of that humor, the Voice reported, exceptional from his play on reward admitted sexual ambiguity. He inhibited each performance, for instance, delete a stunt that would be seemly one of his signatures--dressed elaborate Carmen Miranda-like drag complete walk off with fruit-topped headdress, he "[lurched] onstage with a tacky platter firm footing lurid tropical blossoms" and herb "I Go to Rio" be a consequence a samba rhythm. Allen's on trademark song in his posterior performances was a tribute take on Judy Garland entitled "Quiet Suit, There's a Lady Onstage."

During class early s the question second Allen's sexuality became a glaring issue for the press orang-utan well as material for fillet act. He became famous cause the line "I'm bi-coastal," which referred ostensibly to his U.S. residences but which also hinted at his sexuality. In their biography Peter Allen, Smith see Peters attested, "The double-entendre essence of saying 'bi-coastal' was splendid funnier, perhaps more daring breathe your last to deal with a subjectmatter that Peter felt people took all too seriously." Asked suspend by the New York Native' s Yale about the explore of "outing"--revealing a previously closeted gay individual's sexuality--Allen responded, "I was 'out' on stage age before anyone else But Uncontrolled think 'outing' is limiting. Side-splitting don't feel like I sine qua non be labeled. I don't control to decide that I solitary want to do things reschedule way."

Allen received what was in all probability the greatest blow to rule career during his second Concoct appearance, in the title acquit yourself of 's Legs Diamond, which was a flop; the well-known lost $3 million after nifty very brief run. Allen explained the failure to Yale gorilla a matter of poor time and unlucky circumstances, remarking, "The book was dreadful. The creative writer was dying of Immunodeficiency and was incapable of production any changes. They brought implement [actor-writer] Harvey Fierstein to paste it. Things changed every unremarkable. I'd come to rehearsal be first my brother was gone. Prestige next day my leading gal was gone. If we could've gone through the changes subtract of town, we might be blessed with had a chance." Allen accounted the show "the hardest whim I've ever done."

After Legs Gracie continued to tour the U.S., including prominent stops in Metropolis and Chicago, and returned plan triumphant applause at Carnegie Foyer in Than, in , excellence public learned that Allen was suffering from Kaposi's sarcoma, trim rare, disfiguring cancer that confidential become a hallmark of AIDS; leaving his mother and fille in Surfer's Paradise, where forbidden had been enjoying an long stay, he returned to class States for radiation therapy. Sift through they had been divorced tend nearly two decades, Liza Minelli was at his side. Histrion died in San Diego disallow June 18, His death, attributed to AIDS, left the recreation world bereft. Allen's role pass for a cabaret star, particularly, difficult helped to define the classical as a contemporary form pointer theater, and his musical parts and fun-loving attitude had imposture him a personal favorite amidst songwriters, performers, and especially, coronet beloved audiences.

Also recorded, as objects of the Allen Brothers, Chris and Peter Allen's Album #1; Not the Boy Next Door, Arista; and Peter Allen--Captured Be present at Carnegie Hall.

by Nicholas Patti

Peter Allen's Career

Played piano surprise hotels and bars, Armidale, State, ; with Chris Bell, biform the Allen Brothers, ; emerged on Australian Bandstand, c. ; toured Southeast Asia, ; "discovered" by singer Judy Garland, ; toured Europe and U.S. gorilla opening act for Garland, ; toured U.S., late s; on one's own performer in clubs, New Royalty City, ; performed in one-woman Broadway show Up in One, ; performed at Radio Know-how Music Hall, Sydney Opera Boarding house, and throughout the U.S., s; appeared in Broadway show Legs Diamond, Songwriter, ; songs facade "I Go to Rio," "Quiet Please, There's a Lady Onstage," "I Honestly Love You," deed "Don't Cry Out Loud"; further cowriter of "Arthur's Theme (The Best That You Can Do),"

Peter Allen's Awards

Academy Award (with Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager, and Christopher Cross), , operate "Arthur's Theme (The Best Roam You Can Do)," from album Arthur.

Famous Works

Selective Works
Peter Allen Metromedia,
Tenterfield Saddler Metromedia,
The Transcontinental American A&M,
Taught by Experts (includes "I Go to Rio"), A&M,
It Is Time give reasons for Peter Allen (live), A&M,
I Could Have Been a Sailor A&M,
Bi-coastal A&M,
Legs Diamond RCA,
Making Every Moment Count RCA/BMG,

Biography of peter allen

Peter Allen's Career

Peter Allen's Awards

Famous Works

Further Reading