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{{Use Australian English|date=October 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2023}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Patsy Biscoe ([[Order of Australia|AM]])
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1946}}
| birth_place = [[Shimla]], India
| death_date = 
| death_place =
| nationality = Australian
| other_names =
| occupation = {{hlist|Television personality|singer|musician|local government politician}}
| years_active = 1958–2000s
| known_for = ''[[Fat Cat and Friends]]''
| notable_works = ''[[Here's Humphrey]]''
| module = {{Infobox musical artist|embed=yes
| background = solo_singer
| genre = {{hlist|[[Folk music|Folk]]|[[children's music]]}}
| instruments = {{hlist|Vocals|guitar}}
}}
}}

'''Patsy Biscoe''' {{post-nominals|country=AUS|AM}} (born 1946) is an Australian children's television personality, singer and guitarist. She regularly appeared on children's national television shows, ''[[Here's Humphrey]]'' and ''[[Fat Cat and Friends]]''. She has released many children's music albums containing nursery rhymes and similar children's songs and has sold in excess of 500,000 units in her musical career.

==Background, early life and training==
Biscoe was born in [[Shimla]], India, to a [[British army]] officer and a civil servant in 1946. She came to Australia and settled in [[Sydney]] with her family during the [[Partition of India]], and they moved to [[Sandy Bay, Tasmania|Sandy Bay]] in [[Hobart]] when she was nine.<ref name="turnbull"/>

Biscoe won a classical singing scholarship after making an unscheduled appearance at the [[St Mary's College, Hobart|St Mary's College]] annual [[eisteddfod]]. While studying medicine at the [[University of Tasmania]], she sang and played guitar at a Sunday night jazz club. Her studies and fledgling career were interrupted by a car accident which damaged her eyesight.<ref name="turnbull"/> She covered a scar on her forehead from the accident with what became her distinctive long-fringed haircut.

Biscoe was a finalist in the Starflight International talent quest of the Australian television show, ''[[Bandstand (Australia)|Bandstand]]'', competing for an overseas trip and a recording contract. She recorded her first LP in Sydney in 1965 with [[Columbia Records|CBS records]].<ref name="turnbull">Turnbull, Malcolm J. "[http://www.warrenfahey.com/early-tasmania-part1/ The Folk Revival in Tasmania 1964–1972] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160203191944/http://www.warrenfahey.com/early-tasmania-part1/ |date=3 February 2016 }}", accessed 22 December 2007.</ref> She was quite prolific on Graham Morphett's EMS Records label. By 1980, she had a single and at least five albums released on Graham Morphett's EMS Records label, a subsidiary of E.M.S. Sound Industries which was founded by Graham Morphett.
<ref>History of Australian Music from 1960 until 2000, Tuesday, 15 October 2013 - [https://historyofaussiemusic.blogspot.com/2013/10/patsy-biscoe.html PATSY BISCOE, SINGLES; Albums]</ref><ref>Australian Record Labels - [https://australianrecordlabels.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Indie-labels-2-1.pdf NDEPENDENT AUSTRALIAN LABELS 2 LARGER LABELS, Compiled by Michael De Looper Page 53 NATIONWIDE / RAVEN / E.M.S.]</ref>

==Career==
Biscoe gained fame in her adopted home of [[Adelaide]] when she regularly appeared on the [[Nine Network]] children's show, ''[[Here's Humphrey]]'' (1965–2008), which she hosted from September 1970.<ref name="Can Times Sept70">{{cite news | url = http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article110461842 | title = Films for the week | newspaper = [[The Canberra Times]] | volume = 45 | issue = 12,702 | date = 21 September 1970 | accessdate = 12 March 2017 | page = 13 | via = [[National Library of Australia]] }}</ref> Later she was a presenter on local TV children's show, ''Channel Niners''. She also appeared as a singer on children's TV show, ''[[Fat Cat and Friends]]'' (1972–91), on [[SAS (TV station)|SAS-10]].<ref name="Myatt">{{cite news | url = http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article44522967 | title = Compact: Bringing a Message Through Song | newspaper = [[The Australian Women's Weekly]] | volume = 48 | issue = 19 | date = 8 October 1980 | accessdate = 12 March 2017 | page = 36 | via = National Library of Australia }}</ref>

Her album ''Songs to Play on a Rainy Day'' that was released on EMS-3010 contained 22 songs. It received a positive review in the 18 June 1976 issue of the ''Australian Jewish News''.<ref>''The Australian Jewish News'', Friday, June 18, 1976 - [https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/262705011 Page Ten ''For the young of all ages'', ACTION SONGS]</ref>

In October 1980 she promoted wearing seat belts for children in a TV ad campaign by the Road Safety Council in South Australia.<ref name="Myatt">{{cite news | url = http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article44522967 | title = Compact: Bringing a Message Through Song | newspaper = [[The Australian Women's Weekly]] | volume = 48 | issue = 19 | date = 8 October 1980 | accessdate = 12 March 2017 | page = 36 | via = National Library of Australia }}</ref>

Biscoe was pictured in the 7 November 1984 issue of the ''Port Linco'n Times''. Bisco and Fat Cat popped into the Port Lincon Hospital for a surprise visit where she entertained patients in the children's ward for over half an hour.<ref>''Port Lincoln Times'', Wednesday, Nov 7, 1984 - [https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/276082823 Page 2 Fat Cat pops in]</ref>

After retiring from performing, Biscoe became a [[naturopathy|naturopath]]. She has also been Deputy Mayor of the [[Barossa Council]] [[Local government in Australia|local government area]] and Chair of the [[Tanunda, South Australia|Tanunda]] Town Committee.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://patsybiscoe.com/about/|title=About|work=Patsy Biscoe's website|accessdate=12 August 2021}}</ref>

==Recognition==
Biscoe was made a Member of the [[Order of Australia]] in 2016 for her services to music and her local community.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-01-26/patsy-biscoe-children-entertainer-australia-day-honour/7112202|title=Australia Day honours: Children's entertainer Patsy Biscoe made Member of the Order of Australia|publisher=[[ABC News (Australia)|ABC News]]|location=Australia|first=Rebecca|last=Opie|date=25 January 2016|accessdate=26 January 2016}}</ref>

During the early 1990s, Biscoe was parodied by Adelaide comedian [[Glynn Nicholas]], who played Paté Biscuit on the [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] television comedy show, ''[[The Big Gig]]''. Biscoe appeared in several episodes with Nicholas, one time tying up Biscuit and taking his place on the show with Bongo, Biscuit's hand puppet. She also appeared on the show using her own hand puppet, Bongette—the female counterpart of Bongo. When on screen together, neither Bongo nor Bongette could hide their attraction for the other.<ref>{{youtube|0B560bMiDmU|Pate Biscuit vs Patsy Biscoe: ''The Big Gig'', 1990}}</ref>

==Discography==
===Studio albums===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1"
|+ List of albums, with selected chart positions
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:20em;" | Title
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:16em;" | Album details
! scope="col" colspan="1" | Peak chart<br />positions
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:20em;" | Certifications
|-
! scope="col" style="text-align:center;" | <small>[[Kent Music Report|AUS]]<br /><ref name=aus>{{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|authorlink=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|edition=illustrated|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, N.S.W.|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6|page=35}}</ref></small>
|-
! scope="row" | ''The Voice of Patsy Biscoe''
|
* Released: 1966
* Label: CBS (BP 233287)
| align="center" | –
|
|-
! scope="row" | ''Patsy Biscoe Sings Your Fifty Favourite Nursery Rhymes''
|
* Released: 1973
* Label: EMS Records (EMS 1001)
| align="center" | 77{{efn|group=upper-alpha|''Patsy Biscoe Sings Your Fifty Favourite Nursery Rhymes'' peaked at number 77 in August 1982}}
|
* AUS: Gold<ref name="Aus Certs 1982"/>
|-
! scope="row" | ''Games & Songs to Play on Your Birthday''
|
* Released: 1978
* Label: EMS Records (EMS TV 7081)
| align="center" | –
|
|-
! scope="row" | ''Jesus Loves Me''
|
* Released: 1979
* Label: EMS Records (EMS TV 7078)
| align="center" | –
|
|-
! scope="row" | ''Patsy's Christmas Album''
|
* Released: December 1980
* Label: EMS Records (EMS TV 7006)
| align="center" | 62
|
* AUS: Gold<ref name="Aus Certs 1982">{{cite web|url=https://i.imgur.com/aNf84lX.jpg|title=Kent Music Report No 453 – 28 February 1983 > Platinum Albums 1982 (Continued)|via=Imgur.com|access-date=26 December 2022}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" | ''50 Favourite Nursery Rhymes Volume Two''
|
* Released: June 1982
* Label: J & B Records (JB 105)
| align="center" | 48
|
* AUS: Gold<ref name="Aus Certs 1982"/>
|-
! scope="row" | ''50 Favourite Nursery Rhymes Volume Three''
|
* Released: December 1983
* Label: J & B Records (JB 160)
| align="center" | 91
|
|-
! scope="row" | ''Songs to Play on a Rainy Day (For Children of All Ages)''
|
* Released: 1986
* Label: EMS Records (EMS-3010)
| align="center" | –
|
|-
! scope="row" | ''Come Waltzing Matilda''
|
* Released: 1986
* Label: Powderworks (POW 3063)
| align="center" | –
|
|-
! scope="row" | ''Who Built the Ark?''
|
* Released: 1987
* Label: Powderworks (POW 3066)
| align="center" | –
|
|-
! scope="row" | ''Hush Little Baby''
|
* Released: 1987
* Label: Powderworks (POW 3072)
| align="center" | –
|
|-
! scope="row" | ''Once Upon a Time with Patsy Biscoe''
|
* Released: 1989
* Label: RCA (BPCD0705)
| align="center" | –
|
|}

'''Notes'''
{{notelist-ua}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{official website|www.patsybiscoe.com}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Biscoe, Patsy}}
[[Category:1946 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Australian women singers]]
[[Category:Australian children's musicians]]
[[Category:Australian television personalities]]
[[Category:Women television personalities]]
[[Category:People from Shimla]]
[[Category:Musicians from New South Wales]]
[[Category:Musicians from Adelaide]]
[[Category:Australian women guitarists]]
[[Category:Members of the Order of Australia]]
[[Category:University of Tasmania alumni]]
[[Category:Indian emigrants to Australia]]
[[Category:Australian people of British descent]]
[[Category:Deputy mayors of places in Australia]]
[[Category:South Australian local councillors]]
[[Category:EMS Records artists]]

Patsy Biscoe - Revision history

imported>Karl Twist: Moved some content to Background. Added content