Don Spencer

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Donald Richard Spencer is an Australian children's television presenter and musician, best known for his long-running role as a presenter on Play School in both Australia and the United Kingdom. He sang the theme tune to Fireball XL5 in 1963, reaching #32 on the UK chart.

He was born and grew up in Tamworth. He had a love of hockey as a teenager, and played in the Australian championships. He left Australia at age 17 and travelled to Africa, where he trained with the Kenyan Olympic hockey team in his 20s.

He moved to London and became a well-known singer, supporting such acts as the Rolling Stones, the Four Seasons, the Hollies and Marianne Faithfull. He later appeared in such television comedies as Face it With Ronnie Barker. Returning to Australia, he appeared on Bandstand, and acted in Sons and Daughters, Return to Eden, and the film Barry McKenzie Holds His Own.

He has written many hundreds of songs, mainly for the children's market, and has received dozens of gold and platinum album awards.

He is the father of Danielle Spencer, the wife of Russell Crowe.

Spencer was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) on Australia Day, 26 January 2007 for service to children's music and television as a songwriter and performer, and through the establishment of the Australian Children's Music Foundation.

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