By Ewen McRae
A lifetime in music and performing has seen Hillside’s John Lo Piccolo awarded a medal of the Order of Australia as part of the Australia Day honours.
Lo Piccolo – who has performed as John St Peeters since 1969 – was awarded the OAM for services to the performing arts, and said the announcement floored him.
“When I got the news it was a shock to me,” he said. “I’ve been doing this since I was a kid, and the most important thing to me from the very first time I stepped on stage was to have people smiling and hopefully enjoying what I was doing.
“I’m blown away, because I didn’t expect this. Australia is the best country in the world, and I’ve had opportunities to pursue my career overseas, but Australia has always been in my heart.”
Lo Piccolo first came to prominence as a child, when his early performances with his piano accordion on talent show ‘New Faces’ and Graham Kennedy’s ‘In Melbourne Tonight’ saw him become known as The Squeeze Box Kid.
“In many ways I didn’t have a normal childhood,” he said.
“I had a kidney condition which meant I couldn’t do the outdoor games that other kids were doing, and my dad was a musician so I started learning from him and that’s how it all started.”
But it was watching a show by Elvis Presley in Hawaii in the early 70s that inspired him to write his own pop and rock songs, a switch that saw him with multiple top 40 hits, as well as regular appearances on Countdown with his good friend Molly Meldrum.
“I’ve had the best mentors anybody could ever have,” Lo Piccolo said.
“Graham (Kennedy) just told me to ‘do what you do’, and gave me my first break, and Bert (Newton) was lovely to me in those early days, and these people became my show biz family.
“And I owe so much to Molly for helping me transition to a singer-songwriter. I became a regular on Countdown, and hearing Molly announcing my songs on the chart-busters segment was mind blowing to me.
“I’m a very, very lucky human being.”
Lo Piccolo still writes and performs, while also moving into the creative direction field in recent years.
Two other locals were also awarded an OAM as part of Australia Day celebrations, including Melton South’s Daryl Akers.
Mr Akers has been a diligent worker for local conservation and the environment, including 20 years with the Melton Environment Group, an active member of the Western Melbourne Catchments Network, 15 years with the Friends of the Melton Botanic Garden, and a long time Grant Officer and Member of the Friends of Toolern Creek.
Eynesbury’s Evelyn Missen was also awarded an OAM for her work with youth and the community, including roles with Arthritis Victoria Foundation, Mercy Health palliative care services, and volunteer roles with Freemasons Victoria.
