Ian Turpie

Ian Bruce Turpie (6 November 1943 – 11 March 2012), sometimes referred to as Turps, was an Australian performer, actor (theatre, television, film), pop singer and presenter (television, radio). He was the host of the teen pop music TV show, The Go!! Show (1965–66) and various TV game shows, The Price Is Right (1981–1985, 1989), and Supermarket Sweep (1992–1994). As a TV actor he portrayed Keith Warne on Swift and Shift Couriers (2008, 2011) and Wazza and Narrator in Housos. He was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer in 2011 and died the following year, aged 68.

Early life Ian Bruce Turpie was born on 6 November 1943 at Ferntree Gully's Bush Nursing Hospital to Don Turpie (1911–1990), a shipping clerk and Joyce ( Olson, 1917–1999) and grew up with six siblings. He attended nearby Boronia State School, where he performed gymnastics and school plays. His first starring role, in a school play, was as the titular character in Toad of Toad Hall, at the local Progress Hall, in August 1954. He began his entertainment career at the age of 10, when he was accepted at the Hector Crawford Drama School. which was recorded at the 3DB studios in Melbourne and broadcast nationally over the Major Broadcasting Network.

During his teens, Turpie began his music career and focused on playing guitar, songwriting and singing. By the age of 16, he was a seasoned radio and stage performer, touring Australia in Peter Pan (1957), Auntie Mame (1959) and Bye Bye Birdie (1961), and appearing in several National Theatre productions including Shakespeare's Macbeth. He had made his TV debut in May of that year in a guest role in the episode, "Queen Versus Wilson" of the courtroom drama Consider Your Verdict.

Turpie performed on Bandstand, Time for Terry and The Graham Kennedy Show during the early 1960s. Newton-John returned to England in 1966. They agreed not to date others unless they had been separated for more than three months; Newton-John remained in England for longer. Due to Turpie's career, the family relocated to Sydney in 1974.

In 2005, Turpie pleaded guilty to drink driving after driving in Manly, New South Wales, with a blood alcohol level of 0.08 (the legal limit in the state is 0.05). He was fined $867 and had his driver's licence suspended for six months; however, this was overturned on appeal. After taking into account Turpie's charity work and his need to drive to work, Judge Reg Blanch ordered that no conviction be recorded. Turpie told reporters he was sorry for doing a "stupid thing".

Death

On 18 February 2011, it was announced that Turpie, a heavy smoker, had been diagnosed with oesophageal cancer. He died on 11 March 2012, aged 68. When The Price is Right debuted its reboot in 2012, host Larry Emdur dedicated the first episode in memory of Turpie.

Discography

Albums

+ List of albums Title Album details Turps Is The Talk of the Town Released: 1996 Label: ABC Music (4898562) Formats: CD

Awards and nominations

Penguin Award, Best Light Entertainment, The New Price Is Right (1985) Logie Award, Most Popular Western Australia Show, Turpie Tonight (1983) Penguin Award, Best Light Entertainment, The New Price Is Right (1982)

ARIA Music Awards The ARIA Music Awards are a set of annual ceremonies presented by Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), which recognise excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of the music of Australia. They commenced in 1987. 1997 Talk of the Town Best Comedy Release

Mo Awards

The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards (commonly known informally as the Mo Awards), were annual Australian entertainment industry awards. They recognise achievements in live entertainment in Australia from 1975 to 2016. Ian Turpie won one award in that time. (wins only) 2010 Ian Turpie Hall of Fame

Filmography

Funny Things Happen Down Under, as Lennie (1965) Heaven's Burning, cameo as used car salesman (1997) All the Way (1998) Somewhere in the Darkness, as the Weatherman (1998) Kissing Kimberley Cooper (Tropfest film)

TV

Acting

Consider Your Verdict (1964) 1 episode Homicide (1964) 1 episode The Magic Boomerang (1965) 1 episode TV Follies (1979) Pizza as Ian Clinton (2000) season 1 episode 4 Always Greener as Rolan Fields (2002–2003) 6 episodes Swift and Shift Couriers as Keith Warne (2008, 2011) 19 episodes Double the Fist as M.C (2008) 1 episode Housos as Wazza (2011)

Host regular

Club Buggery, ABC (1996-1997) The Go!! Show Sing, Sing, Sing (replacing Johnny O'Keefe) Surprise, Surprise - co-host with Tommy Hanlon Jr Supermarket Sweep, Nine Network (1992-1994) Time for Terry co-host with Terry O'Neill Turpie Tonight The Newlyweds Game, Network Ten (1968), Nine Network (1987) The New Price Is Right (1981–1985) The Price Is Right (1989) Press Your Luck, Seven Network (1987–1988)

Guest appearances

The Young Entertainers This is your Life (with Mike Munro) Love is in the Air Long Way to the Top All the Way Theatre Royal Revue 7 TeenTime Kommotion Bandstand (Brian Henderson) Steve Vizard Tonight Bert Newton Show Blankety Blanks (Graham Kennedy) Family Feud (Rob Brough) The Fat (Tony Squires) Mike Walsh Show Don Lane Show Hey Hey It's Saturday (Daryl Somers) Celebrity Who Wants to be a Millionaire? Celebrity Wheel of Fortune Penthouse Club (Mary Hardy) Bandstand A Guy Called Athol ABC Follies The Melbourne Show Supermarket Sweep Spicks and Specks We'll Call You

Theatre

Credits: Peter Pan (December 1957) – Princess Theatre, Melbourne Nude with Violin (1958) – Comedy Theatre, Melbourne with Robert Helpmann, Auntie Mame (February 1959) – Princess Theatre, Melbourne; (July) – Theatre Royal, Adelaide with Shirl Conway Macbeth, National Theatre Bye Bye Birdie (July 1961) – Theatre Royal, Adelaide; (August) – His Majesty's Theatre, Perth; (September) – Her Majesty's Theatre, Brisbane; (October) – Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne Bubble & Squeak (February 1968) – Triaca's Theatre, Melbourne with Noel Ferrier producing, Jill Perryman acting Hero (May 1976) – Seymour Centre, Chippendale with Graham Bond Jesus Christ Superstar (April 1978) – St George Leagues Club, Kogarah with Marcia Hines (Mary), John English (Judas)

Radio

appeared in some episodes of the Crawford Productions' D24, broadcast nationally on the Major Broadcasting Network ABC Play "Five Find Outers" Evening Host 2CH

Charity work

Turpie was involved with the following charities: Australia Day ambassador (since 1995), Make a Wish Foundation, Merry Makers, Sunnyfield Association, Meningococcal Association, Children with Cancer, Lifeforce, Sydney Children's Hospital (Celebrity Golf Days), Alzheimer's Australia NSW and Rotary Club.