Peter Urlich

It’s no overstatement to say Peter Urlich as one of the living legends of the modern New Zealand music scene. Peter has been a key player in the soundtrack to Kiwis’ lives since the 1970s and continues to be one of the biggest influences in NZ music today.

Peter’s attention-grabbing vocal abilities can possibly be attributed to being the youngest in a loud family of six - music was a big part of the Urlich whanau (which included singer cousins Margaret and Pat).

His strong musical leanings were encouraged at Sacred Heart College, where he was schooled alongside The Finn brothers, the Chunn boys, Dave Dobbyn and Ian Morris – who also went on to become household names.

Peter’s first job was in the advertising industry, but by night, his passion for singing took over and he moonlighted as a singer in a rock band, playing surf club dances and 21sts.
In 1978, Peter, Ian Morris and Dave Dobbyn became Th’ Dudes – one of New Zealand’s most legendary rock bands. Their song ‘Bliss’ is a Kiwi anthem that endures to this day. They toured the country many times, recorded two albums and helped change the landscape of local music. In 2019, Th’ Dudes were inducted into the NZ Music Hall of Fame.

When the band split in 1980, Peter and friend Simon Grigg, opened a series of bars and nightclubs, which were the start of the electronic dance scene in this country. Venues like A Certain Bar, Six Month Club, The Playground and Berlin were the place du jour for Auckland’s in-crowd.

In the 90s, Peter joined forces with Bevan Keys to form iconic DJ duo Nice’n Urlich. What started as a radio show on bFM on Saturday mornings (1998 – 2001) became arguably the most popular house music act in the country, releasing three hit compilations.

It was during this time that Peter was approached to take part in TV2’s top-rating series, “Popstars,” as manager of the resulting pop band, TruBliss. More top-rating television followed when Peter performed on “Dancing With The Stars” in 2008, partnered with Hayley Holt, all juggled with hosting the George FM breakfast show for most of the 2000s.

Bouyed by decades of experience on-stage and holding the attention of live audiences in their thousands, Peter is a charismatic and entertaining MC. He has an extremely versatile voice-range from years of singing, and can adjust his baritone and range to suit almost any brief.

He is a passionate foodie and rugby league fan; and continues to indulge his interests in writing, design, environmental issues and art. Peter lives in Auckland with wife Danielle and their two sons, Joe and Stan, and is busy performing with his band, The Swingin’ Sextet, DJing and acting as a music consultant.

VOICE STYLE: Retail. Brand. Narrative.