The Boy from Oz: The True Story of Peter Allen

by Stephen MacLean

The composer of 'I Honestly Love You', 'I Go to Rio' and 'I Still Call Australia Home' led a classic show business life.

Peter Allen's performances at the height of his career in London, New York and Los Angeles were nothing less than spectacular, drawing rave reviews, cult crowds, and an ever-increasing network of friends which boasted Bette Midler, Richard Gere and Harry Connick Jnr. With 'talent' stamped all over him and a jump-start, whirlwind marriage to Liza Minnelli, Allen had a one-way ticket to the Big Time. What could be further from his humble beginnings in country Australia than the legendary performances in his heyday that, as one critic wrote, 'would have scandalised any decade other than the 70s'?

Peter Allen: the Boy from Oz is an insider's look at the man – his fame, image, artistry and survival. Stephen MacLean follows the fascinating and complex trajectory of Allen's stardom, from his rise through the gender-blurred scramble of the 70s to become part of the popular mainstream, developing as a songwriter in his own right. Out of the spotlight, Allen was held dear by many for his vivacity and humour, and onstage for his powerhouse performances, the trademark high energy tirelessness and camp banter never failing to bring the house down. Allen's life and times are faithfully brought to life through interviews with the people who knew and loved him best.

Genres: Music, Biography

368 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[Sean Kennedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting biography but there were times it felt like there were gaps in information and I wished for a little more enlightenment. I guess that's hard to do when the subject is dead and you're only going on the recollections of others (or those willing to speak to the writer).

[Bill Porter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Initially I found the writing somewhat clunky but adjusted to it after a while. Ultimately I enjoyed the family side of the story, but not the show biz side, which was displayed for what it is. Fatuous and shallow. No surprise there really.

[Gretchen Bernet-Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

A full-on version of Peter Allen's life with everything you wanted to know, or wanted to forget, about this flamboyant Australian singer-actor whose real name was Peter Woolnough. I quote "Peter had a gimmick he was about to unleash. Once he had the audience warmed up, Peter let rip. He began pounding the piano with escalating rock chords. He flipped back the chair with his foot and the ladies laughed. He pounded the piano harder and harder, then kicked his leg high in the air. The ladies laughed again and some cheered as he kicked it higher..." and that was when he was a kid in a country town. The song and dance number "I Go To Rio" was in his future.

Allen's adult life seemed a mixture of unabashed behaviour, fluctuating between cool and crazy or insightful and insulting but his musical talent always shone through. Regrettably my ebook version did not have photographs but the captions indicated a plethora of images. Twentieth century fans will appreciate the personal research by former journalist and writer Stephen MacLean who certainly captured the mood of the time.

[Rupert Grech · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three and a half stars. Clearly well researched, this book was full of interesting information and anecdotes. But somehow, I didn’t get the feeling that it really illuminated Allen’s personality to the point of getting to know him well. Some of the minutiae was probably not necessary but at other times I felt that there were gaps in information. Generally engaging but the gossip-style and opinionated writing became tedious at times.

[Michael Burge · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thorough and frank account of a fascinating life.

[Eliza · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved reading about Peter Allen’s life but I didn’t like the flow of the writing tbh

[Melissa Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good insight into Peter's life. He was quite different to how I always envisaged him 😉