Tenor, born near Cherbourg, Queensland, Australia, of an Aboriginal mother and an Italian father. After winning a talent competition on radio, he was accepted by the Melbourne Conservatory. He became the first Aborigine to gain a Diploma in Music (1949), and left to tour the USA. Returning to Australia in 1951, he joined the ABC Jubilee Tour to all capital cities. His latent interest in politics led to his standing, unsuccessfully, for the Victorian State parliament (1963), after which he worked for the South Australian Department of Aboriginal Affairs before returning to Victoria to teach music.