Peter Allen

One of the best-known songwriters in Australian history, Peter Allen wrote a number of iconic hits during his 20-year career, from Christopher Cross' Oscar-winning "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" to the patriotic hit "I Still Call Australia Home." He was born on February 10, 1944, in Tenterfield, New South Wales, and released his self-titled debut album in 1971. Although his fourth solo album, 1976's Taught by Experts, went gold and spawned the Number 1 hit "I Go to Rio," Peter Allen enjoyed greater success as a songwriter for other artists. "I Honestly Love You," which he wrote with Jeff Barry, became a Grammy-winning hit for Olivia Newton-John in 1974, topping the charts in Australia, Canada, Sweden, and the US. Five years later, Melissa Manchester scored a Top 10 hit in America with her version of Allen's song "Don't Cry Out Loud," with Rita Coolidge peaking at Number 3 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart with another Allen composition, "I'd Rather Leave While I'm in Love." "I Still Call Australia Home" was released one year later, followed by another chart-topping smash — Christopher Cross' "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)," which Allen had co-written for the hit movie Arthur — in 1981. Although Allen died from AIDS-related illnesses more than a decade later on June 18, 1992, he remains a songwriting legend, his legacy popularized by the Tony Award-winning musical The Boy From Oz.

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