There is not much information or photos of Peter Allen's longtime partner Gregory Connell online so I wanted to share some to those who wish to learn more about him and the work he did for Peter behind the scenes. So, let's learn more about the man who was an "anchor" ⚓ to Peter's "kite" 🎏...
Gregory Yewell Connell was born in McAllen, Texas, on 16 September 1949, to Thomas Connell, an aircraft mechanic and pilot, and his wife, Mary Jane (née Seaberry) who enjoyed singing and playing the piano. He had a sister, Mae Lynn; a stepbrother, Tom; and a stepsister, Gwynne.
Greg was raised in Fort Worth, Texas, and attended Eastern Hills High School. At school, he was a cheerleader and in drama club where he performed in the plays "Cheaper by the Dozen" and "Our Town". He also served as an apprentice at Casa Mañana Theatre in Fort Worth and studied dramatics and singing.
Shortly after graduating from high school in 1968, Greg moved to New York City where he worked for a modeling agency as a fashion and print model. He continued acting on stage at community and dinner theatres and did commercials, such as for Coca-Cola. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, he appeared in such plays as "My Three Angels", "Rainmaker", "Lovers and Other Strangers", and "Forty Carats". Moreover, he composed songs and sang lead in the group "Voice Six" at New York's Theatre for the New City and at the W.P.A. Theatre.
Greg met Peter Allen when he and a mutual friend attended Peter's show at New York's Continental Baths in 1973. It was love at first sight for the both of them. Greg thought Peter was working too hard for the money he was getting and so helped him get his first band together. In turn, Peter found him gorgeous, sweet, and good-hearted. According to Allen's biographer Stephen MacLean, Greg was "Peter's big love."💕
After they got together, Greg left a successful modeling career to support Peter's music career. He made helping Peter with his act his own career. In a 1981 article for "The Sydney Morning Herald", Greg stated, "I haven't given up my career. I've made this my career. It's my act as well." He became Peter's lighting and staging director and tour manager. He did sound work, loaded and unloaded equipment, drove the band around, and at times, dressed Allen. He even sang backup on Peter's 1976 hit song, "I Go to Rio". Peter further explained, "He does my lighting and staging, he's there driving trucks, carrying bags and directing the show" and remarked that "Gregory does everything but get up here and sing!" This arrangement enabled them to be together while Allen performed around the world. One of his main joys in working with Peter was the travelling. This worked out well since they were typically on the road ten months a year while the remaining two months were for rest and for making records.
When Greg started to get sick in late 1982, he denied to himself that he had AIDS (HIV testing didn't become available until 1985). Instead, he believed he had some other ailment and simply pressed on and hoped for the best while continuing to work and tour with Peter until he was unable to. He couldn't face the fact that he was dying of AIDS until a month or so before he died. A few days before his death when he was down to 38.5 kg./85 lbs., he insisted on having photos taken of himself on his deathbed to be shared with legislators and the public in order to shock them out of complacency in the fight against AIDS. On 11 September 1984, Greg died at home in Leucadia, California, from AIDS-related pneumonia. His ashes were scattered at sea in Southern California.
After Greg's death, his mother Mary Jane co-founded the Los Angeles chapter of Mothers of AIDS Patients, a self-help support group that assisted mothers going through the pain and loss of their children to AIDS and to erase the social stigma of the disease. She spoke at a U.S. Senate Hearing on securing more federal funds for AIDS research and education, appeared on TV programs and in Micki Dickoff's 1987 AIDS documentary Too Little, Too Late and participated at AIDS events. She described Greg as being very bright, alert, affectionate, loved cats, and never stopped laughing until the end.🐈
Peter Allen dedicated his 1985 live album, Captured Live at Carnegie Hall to Greg, sang songs in his memory at AIDS benefit concerts, raised money and awareness at numerous AIDS benefits, and co-wrote the song "Love Don't Need a Reason", which became an anthem for the AIDS movement. Sadly, Peter passed away from AIDS-related cancer on 18 June 1992.
I chose the song, “Interesting Changes” (from It Is Time for Peter Allen) for this video because I'm 99.99% sure this song is about Greg. The song is about having someone as an anchor ⚓ in your life when everything else around you is constantly changing. Despite all of these changes, their love remains the same.
Watch my first video about Greg here: ua-cam.com/video/DXbJuDB8HCo/v-deo.html.