Barry Crocker

Crocker made his acting debut on a 1969 episode of Skippy the Bush Kangaroo. He has also had a successful career as a stage, television and motion picture actor, most notably starring alongside Barry Humphries in the title role of Bruce Beresford's 1972 movie, The Adventures of Barry McKenzie and its 1974 sequel, Barry McKenzie Holds His Own. The "bogan" character of Barry McKenzie gave rise to Crocker recording such ribald songs as "My One Eyed Trouser Snake" and other "off-colour" songs.

Crocker was Beresford's first choice as lead actor when it came to the filming of David Williamson's popular play Don's Party, but serious back problems curtailed Crocker's screen career at that point, opening the way for John Hargreaves to achieve film success in the coveted title role.[5]

Nevertheless, in 1976 Crocker was crowned King of Moomba, the annual entertainment festival in Melbourne.[6]

He had the lead role as Governor Alan Smith in the short-lived prison drama Punishment (1981), and guest-starred in two episodes of the Australian satirical black comedy series Review with Myles Barlow. Later TV roles included parts in Pizza, Swift and Shift Couriers, and Housos for SBS, and The Strange Calls, an ABC2 comedy series.

In 1994, Crocker appeared as himself in the worldwide record-breaking film Muriel's Wedding. he proved his acting and comedy credentials once again as the retro-disco host Donny Destry in the 2007 movie Razzle Dazzle.

Crocker appeared as Charles "Hoot" Russell, Greg Russell's father in the Hey Dad..! episode "Hoot's Boots". It was the second-to-last episode of the show, which spanned 14 seasons. A DVD box set of Hey Dad..! has had to be abandoned, following the conviction of the original "Dad" – Robert Hughes – on several sex offences.

In 2005, Crocker was featured on the Nine Network program This Is Your Life. It was a rare accolade, because Crocker had already been the subject of this prestigious TV program thirty years earlier, in 1975, when the show was hosted by Roger Climpson. Crocker was caught by surprise when host Mike Munro and the TV production team arrived, after a lot of careful planning by his long-term partner, Katy Manning, the English actress.

Crocker was chosen by Chaim Topol to co-star as his nemesis Lazer Wolfe in a long-running Australian season of the musical Fiddler on the Roof. He also featured in the role of The Lecturer in the 2008 Australian premiere of the stage musical Reefer Madness.

Crocker presented the Australian version of Behind Mansion Walls on the Crime and Investigation network on Foxtel in Australia.

In 1959, after successfully touring and a number of television appearances, he convinced Cyril Stevens, of Spotlight Records in Thornbury,[7] to audition him and his musical partner. Stevens, who was a photographer by trade, had set up a recording studio in the early 1950s. He recorded mainly jazz and musical events around Victoria. Stevens wasn't impressed, and Crocker and Dave Clark were about to leave when Stevens' son entered the room, recognised the pair from television and concerts, and convinced his father to record the team. Two EPs were recorded, totalling eight tracks. The records were Spotlights' highest sellers.[8]

In May 1973, Crocker released the album Music Makes My Day, on Festival Records, featuring an updated version of American rockabilly singer Robin Luke's "Susie Darlin'". The recording featured Olivia Newton-John and Pat Carroll on backup vocals, and enjoyed chart success, peaking at number 7.[9][10][11][12]

He sang the original recording of the theme song for the 1977 Reg Grundy soap opera, The Restless Years (later a hit for Renee Geyer), and also the original theme to the long-running soap opera Neighbours, another Reg Grundy production. His version was used from 1985 to 1992, and it was also played during the series' final episode, which aired in July 2022.

Crocker wrote and recorded an unofficial theme song for the Australian rules football team, Geelong, entitled Come on the Cats.[1]

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. Barry Crocker won two awards in that time and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2013.[18]