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*'''''The Peacemaker''''' is the name of a film; see ''[[The Peacemaker (film)|The Peacemaker]]''.
'''Rolf Harris''' (born [[March 30]], [[1930]]) is a [[singer]], [[composer]], [[artist]], and [[television]] host. Born in [[Bassendean, Western Australia|Bassendean]], a suburb of [[Perth, Western Australia|Perth]], [[Australia]], he moved to [[England]] at age 22.
*'''Peacemaker''' is the name of a comic book character; see [[Peacemaker (comics)]].
*'''''The Peacemaker''''' is the name of an anti-duelling pamphlet by [[Thomas Middleton]].
He initially rose to fame in the early [[1960s]] for his novelty song "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport", featuring the distinctive sound of the "[[wobble board]]" - a large piece of [[Masonite]] which was played by "wobbling" it back and forth. He went on to use an array of unusual instruments in his music, including the [[didgeridoo]] (the sound of which was imitated on "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport" by four [[double bass]]es), [[jew's harp]] and, later, the [[stylophone]]. His biggest hit, however, was a gimmick-free rendering of the [[sentimental]] song "Two Little Boys" ([[1969]]), a departure for him in that he usually recorded either his own compositions or traditional songs.
*'''Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers''' is a rock band [[Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers]].
*'''The Peacemaker''' is a name for the [[Colt Single Action Army handgun]], a pistol first manufactured in 1873.
He also made several television appearances in which he would paint pictures on large boards in an apparently slapdash manner, with the odd nonsense song thrown in, but with detailed results. These led to a string of TV series based on his artistic ability, notably ''Rolf Harris's Cartoon Time'' in the [[1980s]] and ''Rolf's Cartoon Club'' in the early [[1990s]]. He also hosted a successful variety TV series in [[Canada]], which was a second home to Harris during the 1960s.
*'''The Great Peacemaker''', a prophet who helped found the [[Haudenosaunee|Haudenosaunee nation]]
{{disambig}}
His career received a boost in the early [[1990s]] when his [[cover version]] of [[Led Zeppelin]]'s "[[Stairway to Heaven]]" became a hit, reaching the Top 10 of the [[UK singles chart]]. The single, originally recorded for an appearance on the television show ''[[The Money or the Gun]]'', recreated the song in the style of "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport", complete with wobble board and didgeridoo solos.
He is probably best known to younger Britons as the host of the [[reality television]] programme ''[[Animal Hospital]]'', which chronicled the real-life activity of a British [[veterinary medicine|veterinary practice]]. More recently, he presented ''Rolf on Art'', which highlighted the work of some of his favourite artists, including [[Vincent van Gogh|van Gogh]], [[Edgar Degas|Degas]], [[Claude Monet|Monet]] and [[Paul Gauguin|Gauguin]].
On [[September 26]], [[2004]] Harris fronted a project to recreate [[John Constable]]'s famous ''[[The Hay Wain]]'' painting on a massive scale, with 150 people contributing to a small section. Each individual canvas was assembled into the full picture live on the [[BBC]], in the show ''Rolf on Art: The Big Event''. He is set to paint a portrait of HM [[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|Queen Elizabeth II]] as part of her 80th birthday celebrations, which will also feature as a special edition of ''Rolf on Art''.
He was named as one of the ''[[Radio Times]]'' list of the top 40 most eccentric TV presenters of all time in [[July]] [[2004]]. He can make all sorts of strange noises, including budgie noises and, what he calls, 'eefing and eyfing' (a sort of panting, whistling noise). Rolf has also planted a tree in the [[Celebrity Tree Park]] in [[Kununurra, Western Australia|Kununurra]], [[Western Australia]].
==External links==
*[http://www.rolfharris.com/ The Official Rolf Harris Web Site]
*[http://www.rolfharrisjukebox.com/ The all singing, all dancing, amazing (but badly animated) Rolf Harris Jukebox]
* {{imdb|id=0365271|name={{PAGENAME}}}}
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/arts/4545401.stm The BBC news item on the royal portrait]
[[Category:Australian painters|Harris, Rolf]]
[[Category:Australian artists|Harris, Rolf]]
[[Category:1930 births|Harris, Rolf]]
[[fi:Rolf Harris]]
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