Don Spencer
Template:Short description Template:For Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use Australian English Template:Infobox person Donald Richard Spencer (born 22 March 1937)<ref name="WWA">Template:Cite book</ref> is an Australian singer-songwriter, musician, and former children's television presenter. He had a long tenure as a host on Play School on both the Australian version (1968–99) and the United Kingdom version (1972–88), one of only two presenters to work on both versions.<ref name=TG1>Template:Cite news</ref>
In March 1963, his first single, "Fireball" – the theme tune to a UK TV science fiction series Fireball XL5 – reached No.32 on the UK Singles Chart. In 2002, Spencer established the Australian Children's Music Foundation. On Australia Day (26 January) 2007, he was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) with the citation "for service to children's music and television as a songwriter and performer, and through the establishment of the Australian Children's Music Foundation". Spencer married Julie Horsfall, they have two children: Dean, a musician; and Danielle, an actress and singer, who was married to actor Russell Crowe between 2003 and 2018. In 2022, he celebrated his 60th year in the performing industry.
Early life
Spencer was born in Tamworth to John Henry and Lillian May Spencer.<ref name="Sullivan">Template:Cite book</ref> He attended Tamworth High School.<ref name="Sullivan"/> He played hockey as a teenager and competed in the Australian championships. At 17, he left Australia and travelled to Africa, where, in his 20s, he trained with the Kenyan hockey team, trying out for the Olympics. A chance meeting with locally-born, British singer-songwriter, Roger Whittaker, in Nairobi inspired Spencer to buy a guitar and start his musical career.<ref name="ACMF">Template:Cite web</ref>
Recording and performance career
In the early 1960s, Don Spencer moved to London and became a solo singer-guitarist, supporting various acts such as The Rolling Stones, the Four Seasons, The Hollies and Marianne Faithfull.<ref name="ABC Music Bio"/> His first single, "Fireball", was released on the His Master's Voice label; it was the closing theme song for the television science fiction series Fireball XL5, written by Barry Gray. In March 1963, it reached No. 32 on the UK Singles Chart.<ref name="UKCharts">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Charts">Template:Cite web</ref> Other singles included "Busy Doing Nothing", "Worried Mind", "Marriage Is for Old Folks", and a cover of The Beatles' 1965 song "In My Life". In 1964, he covered Brent Edwards' version of Johnny Madara and David White's track "Pride Is Such a Little Word".<ref name="PopArchives">Template:Cite web</ref>
Television and radio
Spencer started his successful broadcasting career in the United Kingdom. At the BBC he presented his own teenage pop show Gangway! for seven years. He co-hosted a radio program called Pop-In.<ref name="ABC Music Bio">Template:Cite web</ref> He later appeared in TV comedies such as Face It with Ronnie Barker.
Spencer returned to Australia and appeared on TV's Bandstand, briefly featured in series Sons and Daughters and Return to Eden and in the 1974 film Barry McKenzie Holds His Own.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1977, Spencer wrote his next single, "What's a Pommie?" The track was covered by fellow Australians Rolf Harris and Col Elliott.<ref name="Pommie">Template:Cite web</ref>
Play School: Children's entertainer
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Spencer is best known for his long tenure. as a children's entertainer, as both a presenter and recording artist, he joined the Australia TV series Play School in 1968 and the United Kingdom version of the same title in 1972.<ref name="Sullivan"/><ref name="Throsby">Template:Cite web</ref> He continued on both versions for 17 years,<ref name="Sullivan"/> the only male presenter to appear on both versions. One of his well-known phrases was "old magazines", which he used to effect when describing items used to make something.<ref name="Throsby"/> During this period, he recorded and released albums, primarily through ABC Records over a 27 year period that helped to educate children, mostly about the many species of Australian animals, and they in turn have received awards for gold and platinum sales.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Throsby"/> He continued on the Australian version until 1999.<ref name="Sullivan"/>
Music career
At the APRA Music Awards of 1995, Spencer's tracks "Have a Beaut Day" and "Stand Up" were nominated for Most Performed Children's Work; they were co-written by Spencer with Allan Caswell.<ref name="ARPA1995Nom">Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2002, Spencer established the Australian Children's Music Foundation (ACMF) as its inaugural CEO.<ref name="Fulton">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Songwriting">Template:Cite web</ref> In 2007, he was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) on Australia Day (26 January) for "service to children's music and television as a songwriter and performer, and through the establishment of the Australian Children's Music Foundation".<ref name="OAM">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Music">Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead link</ref> In 2008, Spencer was awarded for Excellence in Community Support presented by Support Act Limited.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="SupportAct">Template:Cite web</ref>
In December 2010, the ACMF sponsored a supergroup, Peacebeliever, which recorded a cover version of Plastic Ono Band's 1969 single "Give Peace a Chance" for their charity.<ref name="AAP 1"/> Alongside Spencer, fellow vocalists include Katie Noonan, Blue King Brown, Tim Freedman, Newton Faulkner, and Omara Portuondo.<ref name="AAP 1">Template:Cite web</ref> In July 2013, Spencer announced the ACMF's 11th annual National Kids Songwriting Competition, which is open to school-aged children from four to eighteen years old. Spencer said, "We want kids to unleash their creativity and engage with learning in a fun way ... Music can give kids really positive self expression and is a great tool for improving literacy levels".<ref name="Songwriting"/>
As of 2023, Spencer continues to record and perform with his latest release a musical adaption, based on Rudyard Kipling poem "If".<ref name="ACMFSite">Template:Cite web</ref>
Personal life
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Don Spencer married Julie Horsfall, a caterer from Yorkshire.<ref name="Ewbank">Template:Cite book</ref> They have two children: Dean and Danielle Spencer (born 16 May 1969).<ref name="Music"/> Dean is a musician, while Danielle is an actress and singer, who was married to actor Russell Crowe from 2003 to 2018.<ref name="Corcoran">Template:Cite news</ref>
Spencer resides in Darlinghurst, New South Wales.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Discography
Albums
| Title | Details | Certification |
|---|---|---|
| Don Spencer from Play School sings 21 Children's Favourites |
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| Feathers, Fur or Fins |
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| Hokey Cokey (with Chloe Ashcroft & Carol Chell) |
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| Australian Animal Songs |
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| Australia for Kids |
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| Let's Have Fun |
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| The Best of Don Spencer |
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| Walkabout |
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| Have a Beaut Day |
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| The Ultimate Collection |
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Charting singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| UK <ref name="Charts"/> | ||
| "Fireball"/"I'm All Alone Again" | 1962 | 32 |
Other singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| AUS <ref>Template:Cite book N.B. The Kent Report chart was licensed by ARIA between mid-1983 and 19 June 1988.</ref> | ||
| "The Garden" (as Australia Too) |
1985 | 22 |
| "If" | 2023 | Template:N/A |
| "Hold On To Your Dream"<ref name="GCL">Template:Cite web</ref> | 2024 | Template:N/A |
TV and filmography
- Bandstand – television series
- Barry McKenzie Holds His Own (1974)
- King's Men – television series (1976)
- Sons and Daughters – television series (1982)
- Return to Eden – television series (1986)
- A Country Practice – television series (1991)
- Play School – Australian television series (1968–99)
- Play School – UK television series (1972–88)
Awards
Tamworth Songwriters Awards
The Tamworth Songwriters Association (TSA) is an annual songwriting contest for original country songs, awarded in January at the Tamworth Country Music Festival. They commenced in 1986.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Don Spencer won one award in that time.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Awards table (wins only) |- | 1995 | "Pete the Lorikeet" by Don Spencer | Children's Song of the Year | Template:Won |- Template:End
APRA Music Awards
| Year | Nominated works | Award | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | "Have a Beaut Day" | Most Performed Children's Work | Template:Nominated | |
| "Stand Up" | Template:Nominated |
ARIA Music Awards
| Year | Recipient(s) and nominee(s) | Category | Result | Template:Abbr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Australian Animal Songs | Best Children's Album | Template:Nom | |
| 1990 | Australia for Kids | Template:Nom | ||
| 1991 | Let's Have Fun | Template:Nom | ||
| 1998 | Australian Classics | Template:Nom |
AIR Awards
The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known informally as AIR Awards) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector.
| Year | Category | Result | Template:Abbr | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Outstanding Achievement Award | Template:Yes2 | <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
BibliographyBooks written or co-written by Don Spencer:
ReferencesExternal links
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- Pages with broken file links
- 1937 births
- Living people
- 20th-century Australian musicians
- 21st-century Australian musicians
- Australian acoustic guitarists
- Australian children's musicians
- Australian children's television presenters
- Australian expatriates in Canada
- Australian expatriates in England
- Australian expatriates in Kenya
- Australian male actors
- Australian male guitarists
- Australian male singer-songwriters
- Australian singer-songwriters
- BBC television presenters
- Musicians from Sydney
- People from Tamworth, New South Wales
- Recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia