Peter Combe


Music, Creative Entertainment, Children's Entertainment

For a generation Peter Combe has captured the imagination of both young and old with his wildly funny, inspirational and interactive songwriting. His adult shows are all new and a little naughty, and his children’s show are a hit with kids of all ages.

Peter’s career began with a six year stint presenting Music Time for BBC Television in London in 1977, but things really took off when the hugely successful Toffee Apple album and video clip were released in 1987. Toffee Apple was the first ever full-length video clip made for kids, pioneering a new style of music and cementing Peter in the place of Australia's first children's ‘popstar’.

Known for his Monty Pythonish sense of humour in Tadpole Blues, Down in the Bathroom, First Reader, Elizabeth, This Little Pig and Stuck in a Pizza, Peter manages to extend, surprise and inspire with every performance. And 750,000 album and video sales later, Peter insists that performing, writing and recording new music is a passion that isn’t fading.

The timeless appeal of Peter’s earlier works including Spaghetti Bolognaise, Newspaper Mama, Wash Your Face in Orange Juice (Mr Clicketty Cane) Chopsticks, Happy Christmas to You, Mr Spook and Little Groover prove he will be just as popular with upcoming generations.

Peter’s music is as appealing to adults as it is to children. Two of his songs (Mr Spook & Jacaranda Tree) feature the Australian String Quartet. He also recently released his first adult album in 20 years, Songs from a Telephone Box, showing great musical contrast from the poignant Cry For Your Father to a Gregorian chant about a fish called Elizabeth!

Besides his thousands of solo performances Peter has had extensive experience with ensembles and orchestras, including the Australian Youth Orchestra, the Queensland, Adelaide and Western Australian Symphony Orchestras, choirs, rock bands and dancers. He has performed on three occasions at Carols in the Domain in Sydney audiences of over 100,000.

Peter also wrote Snugglepot and Cuddlepie – The Musical, a huge project commissioned for the 1992 Adelaide Festival of Arts. Recorded with great success in 1993 with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, a 120 voice choir and 18 soloists, the show featured Ruth Cracknell as May Gibbs and Peter as Possum.

Peter’s presentations to adult groups are educational, funny and fascinating. He invites the audience into the world of children using amusing anecdotes and also reveals some of his secrets of being one of Australia’s most successful entertainers and recording artists.

With three ARIAS for Best Children's Album under his belt, (more than any other artist in his field) seven gold and two platinum albums, Peter Combe has become permanent fixture in Australian households.

His 11 CDs and six videos for children, plus his new adult album, are available through his website at www.petercombe.com.au. A new Peter Combe triple pack, The Peter Combe Collection, features 50 fun sing-a-long songs and is now available.