Little Pattie

Patricia Thelma Amphlett was born in March 1949 in Paddington, New South Wales, and has an older brother, Joe. She was nicknamed "Little Pattie" at school as she had two taller friends also named Patricia. Parsons also taught Noeleen Batley, a popular singer called "Australia's Little Miss Sweetheart". Both persuaded her to audition for the Nine Network TV teen variety show Saturday Date, where she was a hit. 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. Singer-songwriter Jay Justin was impressed with her vocals and recommended her for a recording contract with EMI. ==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, which used the surf music style and a dance style craze that was known as 'The Stomp'. and "Dance Puppet Dance" (#9 in October). On 16 August 1966, 17 years old and tall, Little Pattie became the youngest and shortest person to entertain troops during the Vietnam War. in Nui Dat. She was singing onstage backed by the Joy Boys when the Battle of Long Tan started on 18 August less than away. Although organisers had promised her safety, she was evacuated from the area before the completion of her scheduled performances. In the days after the battle, Joye and Little Pattie visited injured soldiers in hospital to comfort and sing to them. 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. 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. She subsequently appeared on several TV shows in America, including The Ed Sullivan Show. ==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. 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. 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. 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. She is currently a singing teacher at various high schools in Sydney, including St Joseph's College and Burwood Girls High School. 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. ==Personal life==

In 1973, Little Pattie married Joy Boys' bass guitarist and ATA record producer and manager Keith Jacobsen, brother of Colin (Col Joye) and Kevin Jacobsen. Keith and Little Pattie parted in 1984 and she subsequently married Lawrie Thompson in 1986. == National honours ==

Little Pattie received a Medal of the Order of Australia on 9 June 2003 for her services to the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (as National President) and to Actors Equity (as vice-president). On 27 August 2009, Little Pattie was inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Hall of Fame alongside Kev Carmody, The Dingoes, Mental As Anything and John Paul Young. ==Discography==

Releases by Little Pattie unless otherwise indicated: Albums Extended plays Singles Charity singles Film Television (as self) ==Notes==

Vietnam Logistic and Support Medal Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) ==References==