Patsy celebrates

Tanunda’s, Ms Patsy Biscoe says she is honoured to be named in this year’s Australia Day honours, receiving a Member of the Order of Australia (AM).

Celebrating with husband, Dr. Jack Urlwin and family in Tasmania; Patsy said she was “thrilled to bits” that two quite distinct parts of her adult life have been acknowledged.

Patsy has called the Barossa home for the last 25 years and immersed herself in numerous committees throughout the community – making a contribution in Local Government, arts, town committees and radio.

But it’s also her life prior to moving to the Barossa, where, for more than 30 years, she was a children’s entertainer both on stage and television including Fat Cat and Friends, Here’s Humphrey and Channel Niners that generations nationally also remember.

“I hadn’t fully realised until I received this award that my life has taken two distinctly separate paths,” said Patsy.

Patsy has been rewarded by a long list of honours over the years including inclusion on the South Australian Women’s Honour Roll and last year was inducted into the South Australian Music Hall of Fame.

Patsy started her singing career at 16 – an experience she remembers vividly and is delighted that today people still share their stories with her about memories of listening to her when they were children.

She released more than 10 albums of nursery rhymes, children’s songs and bedtime stories and has published more than 400 titles in musical composition, selling more than 500,000 recordings including 30 gold and one platinum.

More than 20 years ago she performed her last concert but Patsy hasn’t shied away from the microphone while in the Barossa, taking on roles such as emcee of the Barossa Christmas Parade and the Barossa Band Festival.

For the full story see this week’s edition of The Leader.