Peter Allen: Somebody’s Angel - The Boy from Oz in the Key of Camp

With new interviews with Bernadette Peters, Melissa Manchester, Christine Andreas, Michael Jay, Dean Pitchford and Lenora Nemetz, complete discographies and songographies, a detailed listing of his best songs, and chockful of rare photos, award-winning author Lawrence Schulman explores the life and career of the late singer-songwriter Peter Allen, whose music is the centerpiece of this groundbreaking work, which aims to put him in the Pantheon of American composers of the Great New American Songbook.

“For me, this book was a surprise and a discovery. I knew nothing about Peter Allen until I read it. For those who remember him, this book will enrich your knowledge of his origins, his songs and his public reception. For those for whom the name means nothing, Lawrence Schulman has come to the rescue with this brilliant account of a singular talent of the twentieth century. Reading it, I was completely absorbed. Singer, performer, extraordinary songwriter: Peter Allen was all three, but until now, he has never received the acclaim he deserves for his writing. Schulman’s book sparkles, not just with facts but with personal anecdotes that move, sadden, and even thrill. Quotes from those who worked with Allen, from those who knew him but never did, as well as reflections on his homosexuality – these details and more add a special intimacy to what could have been yet another nod to a bygone singer. Photographs of Allen’s childhood, family and friends, and performances complete the portrait. Bravo to Schulman for restoring this unique musical artist to life! This book is a treasure.”
— JANE EVELYN ATWOOD, photographer

“A significant contribution to the story and history of popular music that grips the reader.”
— RICHARD ESTES, painter

“Lawrence Schulman returns with skill, knowledge, creativity, and an analytical mind exhibited in his Judy Garland book to introduce us to another extraordinary singer, Peter Allen, whose phenomenal talent as a songwriter was equally unique.”
— MELITA WESTERLUND, sculptor

“Lawrence Schulman extends his depth of appreciation and knowledge to the vibrant songs and performances of the Australian singer-songwriter Peter Allen. With Schulman, we enter the realm of rich writing and insights--well known through his essays on Judy Garland—that heighten the pleasure of listening to Allen, who died far too young.”
— JUDITH GOLDSTEIN, founder of Humanity in Action

LAWRENCE SCHULMAN is the author of the 2-volume Garland: That’s Beyond Entertainment – Reflections on Judy Garland (2023) and FREE: Words on Music by a Hi-Def Critic in an MP3 World (2024), both published by BearManor Media. Peter Allen: The Boy from Oz in the Key of Camp (2025) is his third work for BearManor and is based on his Fall 2023 ARSC Journal original article, which won the 2024 ARSC Journal Best Article Award. Author, music producer, critic and translator, Schulman translated from the French Bertrand Tessier’s 2023 Garland biography Splendor and Downfall of a Legend and has translated for the French website OpusHD.net since 2007. He has written reviews and articles for the ARSC Journal since 1994 on everything from Frank Sinatra to Bernard Herrmann and has also produced countless CD boxsets and written the liner notes for most of them. He has been heard on Maine Public Radio, French Public Radio and seen on numerous TV programs. His most recent 3-CD boxset/double-LP from Trapeze/Acrobat is the 2024 Judy Garland: A Celebration. Born in the Bronx and a Franco-American who lived in Paris for 26 years, he has degrees from Stony Brook University, the Sorbonne and CREAR, an audio-video school in Gouvieux, France. He has lived on Mount Desert Island in Maine since 1997.