Frankie J. Holden

Frankie J. Holden OAM (born Peter Brian; 18 December 1952) , also known as Frank Holden, is an Australian singer, actor and TV presenter. In the 1970s, he fronted Ol' 55, which had a hit with "On the Prowl" from their debut album, Take It Greasy which peaked at number three on the Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart in 1976.[1][2][3] For Return Home Holden was nominated for Best Actor in a Lead Role at the 1990 AFI Awards.[4]

For other people named Frank Holden, see Frank Holden (disambiguation).

Frankie J. Holden

OAM
Born
Peter Brian

(1952-12-18) 18 December 1952
Australia
Other namesFrank Holden
Occupations
  • Singer
  • actor
  • television presenter
  • business owner
Years active1976–present
SpouseMichelle Pettigrove

Singing career
Main article: Ol' 55 (band)

During the 1970s, Holden was the frontman for the Australian retro-rock band Ol' 55, which also included Wilbur Wilde and Jimmy Manzie. In the early 2000s, Holden re-emerged on the music scene with the Ol' Skydaddies, a band featuring members from Ol' 55, Daddy Cool and Skyhooks.

Television career

Actor

In the 1980s, Holden appeared in two episodes of Channel Ten's drama series Prisoner (1982–1983), all episodes of c/o The Bartons and in the first season of the Channel 7 children's program Round the Twist (1989).[5]

In 1990, Holden appeared in the Australian caper film The Big Steal as a used car salesman named "Frank" and as Arthur 'Ozzie' Oswald in The Flying Doctors.

In the early 1990s, he appeared in four episodes on the Seven Network's A Country Practice, and in 1992 starred in the short-lived Late for School.

He then played Senior Sergeant Glenn "Spider" Webb on the ABC's Police Rescue (1994–1996). The series was about the New South Wales Police Rescue Squad based in Sydney.

In 1996 he appeared in four episodes on Seven's police drama Blue Heelers as Senior Detective Jack Woodley. In 1999, he appeared in an episode of Halifax f.p..

From 2000 until 2002, he played ex-cop, then local publican, Stuart McGregor in ABC1's Something in the Air. This series was notable for its high output, producing 320 episodes in just two seasons.

In 2008, Holden was in two Nine Network dramas – Underbelly and The Strip.

In 2013, Holden joined the cast of Seven's A Place to Call Home, a drama set in rural Australia in the 1950s. He plays the part of Roy Briggs, described as "a rugged, unbreakable man capable of charm, good humour as well as a crusty grumpiness".[6]

In 2022, Holden played the role of Ted Grimley, father of Melissa Caddick, in the Nine Network drama Underbelly: Vanishing Act.

Presenter

From 1996 until 1998, Holden was the host of the revamped Monday evening variety show In Melbourne Tonight, co-featuring Julia Morris and Denise Drysdale. For the show's second year, he switched from being billed as 'Frankie J Holden' to 'Frank Holden'.

In 2009, Holden co-presented, alongside his wife Michelle, Discover Downunder, a half-hour Australia-based travelling/caravanning program for the Nine Network. In 2010, he co-hosted What's Up Down Under on Channel Seven. This show is similar in format to Discover Downunder.

Film

Frankie Holden has starred in films as recent as 2007 with Clubland. He was also in Proof, The Big Steal, Return Home, Evil Angels and High Tide. He also had a cameo appearance in Michael Thornhill's 1977 movie The FJ Holden.

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
2011 Blood Brothers Henry TV movie
2007 Introducing the Dwights (aka Clubland) John Feature film
1995 Cody: The Tipoff Jimmy Cotter TV movie
1994 Ebbtide Ernie Feature film
1994 Fortunes of War Rodger Crawley Feature film
1993 The Leaving of Liverpool Bunger TV movie
1993 Hammers Over the Anvil Bushman Marshall Feature film
1992 Eight Ball Mal Feature film
1991 Rose Against the Odds Tom Price TV movie
1991 Proof Brian Feature film
1990 The Big Steal Frank Feature film
1990 Return Home Steve Feature film
1990 Police Crop: The Winchester Conspiracy Max Chapman TV movie
1989 The Humpty Dumpty Man Noel Calderwood Film
1988 Raw Silk Detective TV movie
1988 Evil Angels (aka A Cry in the Dark) Leslie Thompson Feature film
1988 Outback Bound Purdy TV movie
1980 The Chain Reaction Farts Feature film
1979 The Journalist Investigator Feature film
1979 Cathy's Child Detective Plummer Feature film
1979 The Odd Angry Shot Spotted Solider Feature film
1977 The FJ Holden Frankie J Holden Feature film

Television
Year Title Role Notes
202? Love, Tea, Epiphany Stanley
2022 Underbelly: Vanishing Act Ted Grimley TV miniseries, 2 episodes
2019-20 Home and Away Ian Shaw TV series, 10 episodes
2013-18 A Place to Call Home Roy Briggs TV series, 66 episodes
2010 Sleuth 101 Kyle TV series, 1 episode
2010 What's Up Down Under Co-presenter TV series
2009 Discover Downunder Co-presenter TV series
2009 All Saints Andy McKenzie TV series, 1 episode
2008 The Strip Max Nielson TV series, 13 episodes
2008 Underbelly Garry Butterworth TV miniseries, 13 episodes
2006 Lost and Found Kilroy
2004 Stingers Mitch TV series, 1 episode
2000-02 Something in the Air Stuart McGregor TV series, 320 episodes
1999 Chuck Finn Syd TV series, 1 episode
1999 Halifax f.p. Leo Birse TV series, 1 episode
1997 Good Guys, Bad Guys Sgt Brann TV series, 1 episode
1996-04 Blue Heelers Terry Kennedy / Jack Woodley TV series, 5 episodes
1996-98 In Melbourne Tonight Host TV series
1994 Sky Trackers Mal TV series, 1 episode
1994 Under the Skin Mr Reid TV series, 1 episode
1993-96 Police Rescue Senior Serfeabt Glenn 'Spider' Webb / Eric Temple TV series, 20 episodes
1993 Neighbours David TV series, 4 episodes
1991-93 A Country Practice Jack / Malcolm TV series, 4 episodes
1992 Bony Croft TV series, 1 episode
1991 Kelly Landers TV series, 1 episode
1991 The Miraculous Mellops Narrator TV series, 19 episodes
1991 The Flying Doctors Arthur 'Ozzie' Oswald TV series, 1 episode
1991 Boys from the Bush Danno TV series, 1 episode
1990-92 Embassy Terry Blake TV series, 36 episodes
1990 Col'n Carpenter Graham TV series, 1 episode
1989 Round the Twist Mr Gribble / Foxy TV series, 11 episodes
1988 Rafftery's Blues Quiz TV series, 1 episode
1988 C/o The Bartons Robert Barton TV series, 12 episodes
1987 John and the Missus Nish Morris Feature film
1987 Hey Dad...! Have a Go Judge TV series, 1 episode
1983-84 Carson's Law Various TV series, 4 episodes
1984 Special Squad TV series, 1 episode
1982-83 Prisoner Brad / Errol TV series, 2 episodes
1982 The Sullivans KO Carter TV series, 1 episode
1982 The Daryl Somers Show Man Playing Pool TV series, 1 episode

Personal life

Holden married his first wife Leigh Hunter in the mid seventies, divorcing in the early eighties. He had 3 daughters from his second marriage, to dancer Melda Rees, who died in 1997 from cancer.[7] He married actress Michelle Pettigrove two years later. They have had one daughter together.

Holden currently resides on the Sapphire Coast of New South Wales Australia and is still performing around Australia as a successful entertainer.

In 2010, Frankie and Michelle, with two other couples, purchased Tathra Beachside, a seaside holiday park in Tathra, NSW.[8]

Honours

In 2016, Holden was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia, in the 2016 Queens Birthday Honours List, for service to the arts as an entertainer, and to the community of the Sapphire Coast.[9]

Frankie J. Holden has a star in Caloundra's "Walk of Stars" between Red Symons and Daryl Somers.[10]

A caricature of Frankie J. Holden appears in the animation Hyper Parsnip Bitches[11] by animator Paul Robertson.

Solo Discography

Singles
List of singles, with selected chart positions
Year Title Peak chart
positions		 Album
AUS
[12]
1977 "My Right of Way" 90 FJ Holden
"Rock Around the Clock"
(with Glenn Shorrock, John Paul Young, Renée Geyer, Daryl Braithwaite and Graeme Strachan)		 - non album single
1980 "Boomerange" - non album single

References
General
  • McFarlane, Ian (1999). "Whammo Homepage". Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop. St Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86508-072-1. Archived from the original on 5 April 2004. Retrieved 4 January 2010. Note: Archived [on-line] copy has limited functionality.
  • Spencer, Chris; Zbig Nowara; Paul McHenry (2002) [1987]. The Who's Who of Australian Rock. with notes by Ed Nimmervoll. Noble Park, Vic.: Five Mile Press. ISBN 1-86503-891-1.[13] Note: [on-line] version established at White Room Electronic Publishing Pty Ltd in 2007 and was expanded from the 2002 edition.
Specific
  1. McFarlane (1999). Encyclopedia entry for "'Ol' 55'". Archived from the original on 19 April 2004. Retrieved 19 April 2004.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link). Retrieved 1 February 2010.
  2. Spencer et al, (2007) OL 55 Archived 18 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine entry. Retrieved 1 February 2010.
  3. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book Ltd. ISBN 0-646-11917-6. NOTE: Used for Australian Singles and Albums charting from 1974 until ARIA created their own charts in mid-1988. In 1992, Kent back calculated chart positions for 1970–1974.
  4. Return Home - IMDb, retrieved 11 August 2019
  5. Vagg, Stephen (14 July 2019). "Australian Singers Turned Actors". Filmink.
  6. "Roy Briggs". yahoo.com. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
  7. "Celebrity - Book Frankie J. Holden at MTA - Entertainment Booking Agency Australia - MTA Entertainment and Events". musictheatreaustralia.com.au. Retrieved 19 August 2018.
  8. "Frankie J Holden's holiday escapes". NewsComAu. 10 November 2012. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
  9. https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1154025
  10. https://mysunshinecoast.com.au/events/events-display/caloundra-walk-of-stars-gala-evening,33252
  11. Hyper Parsnip Bitches on YouTube
  12. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 140. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  13. Who's who of Australian rock / compiled by Chris Spencer, Zbig Nowara & Paul McHenry. 2002. ISBN 9781865038919. Retrieved 4 January 2010. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
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