Peter Combe

Peter Charles Combe (; born 20 October 1948) is an Australian children's entertainer and musician. At the ARIA Music Awards he has won three ARIA Awards for Best Children's Album, for Toffee Apple, Newspaper Mama (1989) and The Absolutely Very Best of Peter Combe (So Far) Recorded in Concert (1992) and four additional nominations (Chopsticks (1990), Little Groover (1996), Live It Up (2017) and Planet Earth 3rd from the Sun (2023)). His best-known tracks are "Toffee Apple", "Spaghetti Bolognaise", "Mr Clicketty Cane", "Juicy Juicy Green Grass" and "Newspaper Mama". His Christmas Album (November 1990) reached the ARIA Albums Chart top 50.

Early life Peter Charles Combe was born in Adelaide on 20 October 1948 to Merle (née Holman) and Bern Combe, the third of four children. His early influences from the 1950s were the Springfields; he learned to harmonise from an early age. He was inspired by folk singers of the 1960s, including Peter, Paul and Mary, Simon & Garfunkel, Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan. He formed a folk group and taught himself guitar. Later he became fascinated by the Beatles and Billy Joel.

Career Early career By 1969, Combe was a primary school teacher and in the early 1970s, he was a specialist music teacher. He taught junior school music at Prince Alfred College in the late 1970s. He started writing songs for his students and in 1973 he wrote his first "operettas" for them. He taught at inner Sydney primary schools, performed in pubs and clubs as a singer-songwriter. He wrote a children's musical, Frederick WhatsHisName & his TwoLegged Six String Guitar, which provided the track, "Spangle Road". Another of his musicals is based on Norman Lindsay's book, The Magic Pudding.

In 1977, Combe migrated to England where he became a presenter on Music Time, a BBC Television educational program. After two more years teaching, Combe issued his second album, Songs for Little Kids.

At that time, children's albums comprised nursery rhymes, which were sung and played in a simple traditional style. Combe recalled, "record companies used to think anyone could write songs for children, anything was good enough. You would get whole albums where the only accompaniment was acoustic guitar."

In 1986, he returned to England for an eight-month stay – he wrote material for his next album, Toffee Apple (June 1987). At the ARIA Music Awards of 1988 Combe won the inaugural ARIA Award for Best Children's Album category for Toffee Apple.

In 1989, he won his second ARIA for Best Children's Album, for Newspaper Mama (1988). His next album, Chopsticks (September 1989), was also nominated in that category in the following year but it did not win. His first live album, The Absolutely Very Best of Peter Combe (So Far) Recorded in Concert (1991), won his third trophy for Best Children's Album, in 1992. A clip of the live performance at the Corner Hotel in Melbourne is available showing a crowd of young adults singing along to lyrics such as "Wash Your Face in Orange Juice", and "Belly Flop on a Pizza? Ewww!". Combe performs his classic songs to an audience of adults in 2012 during a pub show in Melbourne. Live It Up, was released on 6 April 2017. Combe toured the album across Australia

In 2018, Combe performed his 1990 Peter Combe's Christmas Album in full across the country in a national tour.

Personal life Combe resides in Adelaide, South Australia and spends time at his holiday house in Carrickalinga.

Combe and his wife Carol have four children - a son and three daughters - who have all performed with him over the years: Joni, Alice, Emily and Thomas 'Thom'; and seven grandchildren.

Growing up, Combe's father would wake him up at 6am to play tennis and he admits he's quite a good player.

Released: 1980 Label: Peter Combe (PC 106) Format: LP

Released: 1982 Label: ABC Music Format: LP ARIA: Gold

Released: 1985 Label: ABC Music (L 27124) Format: LP ARIA: Platinum

Released: June 1987 Label: ABC Music (L 27206) Format: LP, Cassette, CD 86 ARIA: Platinum

Released: 1988 Label: ABC Music (L 28021) Format: LP, Cassette, CD ARIA: Gold

Released: September 1989 Label: ABC Music (838416-2) Format: CD, LP, Cassette ARIA: Gold

Released: November 1990 Label: ABC Music (846597-2) Format: CD, LP, Cassette 49 ARIA: Gold

Released: 1993 Label: Rascal Records Format: CD, Cassette

Released: 1996 Label: Rascal Records (RASC04-2) Format: CD, Cassette

Released: 1999 Label: Rascal Records Format: CD

Released: 2002 Label: Rascal Records Format: CD, Digital download

Released: 2003 Label: Rascal Records Format: CD, Digital download

Released: 2003 Label: Bolinda Audio Format: CD

Released: 2004 Label: Bolinda Audio Format: CD

Released: October 2005 Label: Rascal Records Format: CD, Digital download

Released: 2006 Label: Bolinda Audio Format: CD

Released: 2009 Label: Peter Combe Format: CD, digital download

Released: March 2012 Label: Peter Combe Format: CD, digital download

Released: May 2017 Label: Peter Combe Format: CD, digital download, streaming

Released: September 2023 Label: Peter Combe, MGM Format: CD, digital download, streaming

Released: August 2024 Label: Peter Combe, MGM Format: CD, digital download, streaming

Live albums +List of live albums, with release date, Australian chart position and certification Title Album details Peak chart positions Certification AUS Snugglepot and Cuddlepie: The Musical - In Concert Released: 1993 Label: Rascal Records Format: CD, Cassette Notes: Recorded at the Adelaide Festival Theatre, March 1993 - Live at Jive Released: 2008 Label: Peter Combe Format: CD+DVD, Digital Download Notes: Recorded at Jive, Adelaide, April 2008 -

Compilation albums +List of compilation albums, with release dates Title Album details Greatest Hits Released: 1994 Label: Rascal Records Format: CD, Cassette Wash your Face in Orange Juice Released: 2003 Label: Rascal Records Format: CD Moovy Groovy Songs Released: 2009 Label: Peter Combe Format: Digital download Munchy Crunchy Songs Released: July 2013 Label: Peter Combe Format: CD, Digital download, streaming

Box sets +List of box sets, with release dates and details Title Album details Triple Pack Released: 2006 Label: Peter Combe Format: 3x CD Featuring Toffee Apple, Spaghetti Bolognaise & Newspaper Mama Triple Pack 2 Released: 2007 Label: Peter Combe Format: 3x CD Featuring: Live & Rocking, Little Groover & Best Friends Triple Pack 3 Released: 2008 Label: Peter Combe Format: 3x CD Featuring: Wash Your Face in Orange Juice, Chopsticks & Spook Christmas Triple Pack Released: 2015 Label: Peter Combe Format: 3x CD Featuring: Peter Combe's Christmas Album, Wake Up It's Christmas & Backing Tracks (Backing Tracks is instrumental tracks from Peter Combe's Christmas Album & Wake Up It's Christmas)

Awards and nominations APRA Music Awards The APRA Awards are held in Australia and New Zealand by the Australasian Performing Right Association to recognise songwriting skills, sales and airplay performance by its members annually.

Year Nominated works Award Result Ref1998"Honey"Most Performed Children's Work "Thingth I Thay"

ARIA Music Awards The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music.