Pop-Star was his grandsons’ pejorative nickname for him. The officially approved grand-parenting title “Poppy” they discarded in favour of something much more colourful, and ludicrous.

But Pop-Star can boast of a true Pop-Star in his family circle in the person of his cousin Robert (and Heather) Dixon’s son Peter. I’m puzzled where the musical genes in his chromosomal make-up came from.

Peter is perhaps an unlikely achiever in the competitive world of popular Country and Western style music, and the music of religious faith and belief. A blend of talent, light fun music, and quiet reflective sounds..

He has none of the flamboyant, brash demeanour one might associate with a Pop-Star. He is thoughtful, modest, sensitive, and softly spoken (like his Dad and Pop-Star). His music too is similarly soft and melodious. You must see him in person to appreciate his delicate harmonies, the subtle variations in pitch, and his gently rhythmical and evocative lyrics, to appreciate how moving his performance can be. Moments of cascading sound, lilting interludes, and sometimes quiet endings with single clean pure notes caressing one’s ears. Recordings fail to create the moods and atmosphere of a live performance.

To Pop-Stars shame, he had never heard a Peter Dixon performance before. This changed when Peter, without his full band and accompanied only by a keyboard, came to Adelaide for an extended weekend of performances. The old-couple travelled down from Mount Barker in the Adelaide Hills for a sacred concert Friday August 9 in the Grove Adventist Church Hall at Salisbury hoping to catch up with him after several years.

It must be a daunting task to entertain an audience as a solo act continuously for an hour and a half (and longer). But entertain and entrance he did, with his expressive voice and blending guitar. It was a family audience. One might have expected the children to become restive during such a long performance. Without exception they were rapt, and responsive, listening to every word and note. Even Pop-Star didn’t fall asleep. There were no words of admonition, no tedious sermonizing. His sounds created the environment and touched the emotions that words couldn’t. Speaking in a brief introduction before each item, Peter spoke from his own experiences, with conviction, and humour touching issues of concern to all.

Concert ended, supper followed. Pop-Star wanted to tell everyone he met that the star of the evening was his cousin’s son. He could scarcely contain his pride. Eventually when other listeners had had opportunity to comment to Peter on the enjoyable evening, the old-couple gained his attention, and enquired after his lovely wife Barbara, and the two captivating girls, Renée and Ruby.

Should the opportunity present, make a point of listening to the Peter Dixon Band. Alternatively get some insight into what he is about with his music, encouraging us to pay more attention to the things that are important in life, from the videos on U Tube.

Pop-Star Peter