Patricia Thelma Thompson (née Amphlett) OAM (born 17 March 1949), known professionally as Little Pattie, is an Australian singer who started her career as a teenager in the early 1960s, recording surf pop, with her backing group The Statesmen. She subsequently went on to record adult contemporary music.[1][2][3]
Billed as Little Pattie, she released her debut single in November 1963, "He's My Blonde Headed, Stompie Wompie, Real Gone Surfer Boy"[1][3] which peaked at No. 19 on the national Kent Music Report and entered No. 2 in Sydney.[4]
Patricia Thelma Amphlett was born in March 1949 in Paddington, New South Wales, and has an older brother, Joe.[2] She is the first cousin of the late Chrissy Amphlett, former frontwoman of Australian band Divinyls.[2][6] She was educated at King Street Primary School[2] and Sydney Girls High School.[1][7] She was nicknamed "Little Pattie" at school as she had two taller friends also named Patricia.[2]
At eight years old, she commenced piano lessons with Gwen Parsons, and then singing lessons when 11 years old.[8] Parsons also taught Noeleen Batley, a popular singer called "Australia's Little Miss Sweetheart".[1][9] Both persuaded her to audition for the Nine Network TV teen variety show Saturday Date, where she was a hit.[9] She first appeared on TV, singing on the Opportunity Knocks series, when she was 13. While a third-year high school student, at the age of 14, she performed weekly at the Bronte Surf Club as lead singer of the Statesmen with Nev Jade, Peter Maxworthy, Duncan McGuire (on bass guitar), Mark Rigby and Peter Walker.[9] Singer-songwriter Jay Justin was impressed with her vocals and recommended her for a recording contract with EMI.[1]
Teenage singing star
Little Pattie's debut single was the double A-sided "He's My Blonde Headed, Stompie Wompie, Real Gone Surfer Boy" / "Stompin' at Maroubra", both co-written by Jay Justin and record producer Joe Halford,[9][10][11][6] which used the surf music style and a dance style craze that was known as 'The Stomp'.[1] It was released by EMI on HMV in November 1963 when she was aged 14, and reached No. 2 on the Sydney music charts (#1 was the Beatles' "I Want to Hold Your Hand"),[1] No. 6 in Brisbane,[6] and peaked at No. 19 on the national Kent Music Report.[4] Little Pattie left school in early 1964,[9] and released her debut album, The Many Moods of Little Pattie on EMI / HMV.[1] She had further hits on the Sydney charts with "We're Gonna Have a Party Tonight" (#18 in March),[1] "Pushin' a Good Thing Too Far" (#28 in March 1965)[1][12] and "Dance Puppet Dance" (#9 in October).[1]
Her popularity saw her voted as Australian Female Singer of the Year in 1965.[9] She appeared frequently on television variety programs, including Bandstand, Saturday Date, An Evening With and Sing, Sing, Sing.[1]
On 16 August 1966, 17 years old and 147 cm (4 ft 10 in) tall, Little Pattie became the youngest and shortest person to entertain troops during the Vietnam War.[3] Along with Col Joye & the Joy Boys she performed three concerts each day[14] in Nui Dat. She was singing onstage backed by the Joy Boys when the Battle of Long Tan started on 18 August less than 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) away.[2][3][14] Although organisers had promised her safety, she was evacuated from the area before the completion of her scheduled performances.[3]
During the third show I was given the sign, which of course is the fingers across the throat, which in show business means you better finish. We were very swiftly evacuated by Iroquois helicopters. We could see the jungle where the battle was well and truly taking place and I remember that instinctive... that feeling of – this is very bad; this is dangerous. This is going to be a sad night, and indeed it was. You know, 17-year-old thoughts and through 17-year-old eyes, I guess, but I could see thousands and thousands of orange lights, which of course was the gunfire, and I'll never forget it. Never.[15]
— Patricia Amphlett, 17 August 2009, Radio Australia Today
In the days after the battle, Joye and Little Pattie visited injured soldiers in hospital to comfort and sing to them.[2][5] In 1994 she received the Vietnam Logistic and Support Medal in recognition of her services in support of the Australian Armed Forces in operations in Vietnam.[5] From 1966, Little Pattie was performing solo in cabarets and clubs, she continued releasing singles and albums with EMI until 1970, and then signed with Joye's ATA recording label and management group.[1] She subsequently appeared on several TV shows in America, including The Ed Sullivan Show.[9][14]
Later career
As Little Pattie entered her twenties, she continued her career moving into adult contemporary music. During the 1972 Australian Federal election campaign she sang with other entertainers including Joye and Judy Stone in the Australian Labor Party's "It's Time" TV commercial, which featured future Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam.[2] Styled as Pattie Amphlett from 1972, she released singles and albums on ATA / Festival Records and by 1977 had moved into country music.[1] In 1973, she married Keith Jacobsen (Joy Boys' bass guitarist, ATA record producer and manager) and continued to perform on television and in clubs.[2] Amphlett parted from Keith in 1984 and married Lawrie Thompson (a drummer) in 1986.[2]
In 2001 EMI re-released a compilation album, 20 Stompy Wompy Hits, which featured her early songs. The ABC-TV series Long Way to the Top was broadcast in August 2001.[16] Little Pattie featured on Episode 1, "Bed of a Thousand Struggles 1956–1964", where she discussed her early surf music and 'The Stomp' dance craze.[17] The TV series inspired the Long Way to the Top national concert tour during August–September 2002, which featured a host of the best Australian acts of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s including Little Pattie and Col Joye and the Joy Boys.[2][9][18][19] In 2004, General Peter Cosgrove invited her to be patron of FACE (Forces Advisory Council on Entertainment) and she was invited to go to Iraq to perform for Christmas 2005 and New Year 2006. She performed at the "Salute to Vietnam Veterans" held at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra on 19 August 2006.[2]
In addition to her music career, Little Pattie was a member of the Council for the Australian War Memorial from 1995 until 1998, and received an Order of Australia Medal in 2003 for her services (as national President) to the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance and (as vice-president) to Actors' Equity.[20] She has been on the Federal Executive of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU). In 2000 The Sydney Morning Herald included her on a list of the 'century's most loved faces', and she was included in a 1998 issue of Australian stamps featuring pop and rock acts.[3]
She is currently a singing teacher at various high schools in Sydney, including St Joseph's College and Burwood Girls High School.[citation needed] As from October 2023 Little Pattie was performing on the nostalgia circuit as the Good Old Days of Rock'n'roll, with fellow veterans, Digger Revell, Dinah Lee and Lucky Starr.[25]
Personal life
In 1973, Little Pattie married Joy Boys' bass guitarist and ATA record producer and manager Keith Jacobsen,[1][2] brother of Colin (Col Joye) and Kevin Jacobsen.[2] Keith and Little Pattie parted in 1984 and she subsequently married Lawrie Thompson in 1986.[2]
Guest - Herself presents Judy Stone with Lifetime Achievement Award
ABC TV Special
2024
Anzac Day March
Herself
ABC TV Special
2024
Lest We Forget
Herself sings "Abide With Me"
TV Concert Special
2024
Today Extra
Herself & Lucky Starr
TV series, 1 episode
Notes
A.^ "He's My Blonde-Headed, Stompie Wompie, Real Gone Surfer Boy" / "Stompin' at Marourbra" was originally released as a double A-sided single by Little Pattie & the Statesmen in November 1963. Both tracks appeared on the EP, He's My Blonde Headed Real Gone Stompie Wompie Surfer Boy in December and subsequently appeared on the album, The Many Moods of Little Pattie in 1964.[1]
Awards and nominations
ARIA Music Awards
The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. They commenced in 1987. Little Pattie was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009.[35]
The Go-Set Pop Poll was coordinated by teen-oriented pop music newspaper, Go-Set and was established in February 1966 and conducted an annual poll during 1966 to 1972 of its readers to determine the most popular personalities.[37]
Year
Nominee / work
Award
Result
1966
herself
Female Vocal
4th
1967
herself
Female Vocal
5th
1968
herself
Female Vocal
4th
Mo Awards
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. Little Pattie won one award in that time.[38]
McGrath, Noel (1984) [1978]. "Noel McGrath's Australian Encyclopaedia of Rock & Pop". Australian Encyclopaedia of Rock & Pop. Adelaide: Rigby. ISBN0-7270-1909-0.[39]
Spencer, Chris; McHenry, Paul; Nowara, Zbig (2002) [1987]. The Who's Who of Australian Rock (5th ed.). Noble Park, Vic: Five Mile Press. p. 227. ISBN978-1-86503-891-9.
^"Distinguished Old Girls". The History of Sydney Girls High School. Sydney Girls High School. Archived from the original on 22 June 2008. Retrieved 25 May 2008.