Denis Walter
{{Short description|Australian radio and TV announcer}}
{{Use Australian English|date=August 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Denis Walter
| image =
| imagesize =
| caption =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1955|01|03}}
| birth_place = Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| othername =
| occupation = TV & Radio Presenter
Singer
| years_active = 1972−present
| spouse =
| domesticpartner =
| website = [http://www.deniswalter.com.au/ Official Denis Walter website]
}}
Denis Clive Walter OAM, (born 3 January 1955) is an Australian radio presenter, baritone singer, recording artist and media personality who also presented television news for 16 years.
Career
Walter's music career has lasted over forty years and he has recorded 16 albums to date.{{Cite web|url=http://deniswalter.com.au/recordings/|title=Recordings|website=Denis Walter|language=en|access-date=28 March 2019}}
For 16 years until his final bulletin in November 2008 when he left to join Melbourne radio station 3AW full-time,{{Cite web|url=https://tvtonight.com.au/2008/09/denis-walter-to-exit-win-news.html|title=Denis Walter to exit WIN News|last=Knox|first=David|date=22 September 2008|website=TV Tonight|language=en-AU|access-date=28 March 2019}} Walter was a news presenter in regional Victoria for WIN Television (a former affiliate of the Nine Network).{{Cite web|url=https://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/walter-still-clocking-up-miles-of-smiles-20081120-ge7j0k.html|title=Walter still clocking up miles of smiles|last=Lallo|first=Michael|date=20 November 2008|website=The Age|language=en|access-date=28 March 2019}} He has also hosted nightly televised Keno lottery draws and having presented the weather on Nine News in Melbourne earlier in his career, returned for a few weeks in December 2008/January 2009 to fill in for Livinia Nixon.
On 10 November 2008, Walter began hosting Afternoons on 3AW (693 AM) Melbourne, replacing Ernie Sigley who retired.{{cite web|url=http://www.radioinfo.com.au/news/denis-walter-replace-ernie-sigley-3aw|title=Denis Walter to replace Ernie Sigley at 3AW|date=23 September 2008|website=Radioinfo|accessdate=25 January 2014}} Walter regularly performs at concerts throughout Victoria.
In August 2018, Walter was announced as a host on the Nine Network's travel series Helloworld, appearing on the first series.{{Cite web|url=https://karryon.com.au/industry-news/destination/its-showtime-helloworld-the-tv-show-coming-soon-to-channel-nine/|title=IT'S SHOWTIME! Helloworld The TV Show: Coming soon to Channel Nine|website=karryon.com.au|date=31 August 2018 |language=en-AU|accessdate=2018-10-12}}
In December 2019, 3AW announced that he will move to a new timeslot in 2020 as the host of a new local program, 3AW Nights replacing John Stanley.{{Cite web|url=https://www.3aw.com.au/denis-walter-to-host-3aw-nights-in-2020/|title=Denis Walter to host 3AW Nights in 2020|date=2019-12-07|website=3AW|language=en|access-date=2019-12-08}}{{Cite web|url=https://tvblackbox.com.au/page/2019/12/8/3aw-sends-broadcasting-legend-denis-walter-to-new-evening-timeslot|title=3AW sends broadcasting legend DENIS WALTER to new evening timeslot|website=Australian Television News – TV Blackbox|language=en-AU|accessdate=2019-12-07}} Dee Dee Dunleavy has been announced as Walters replacement.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theage.com.au/culture/tv-and-radio/dee-dee-dunleavy-to-replace-denis-walter-on-3aw-afternoons-20191220-p53ltm.html|title=Dee Dee Dunleavy to replace Denis Walter on 3AW afternoons|last=Carmody|first=Broede|date=2019-12-20|website=The Age|language=en|access-date=2019-12-21}} He is on a 3-year contract in this role, extendable for a further 3 years. Obsessed with the quiz show “Sale of the Century” Walters auditioned for the vacant host role a record 19 times.
Community work
Walter is a patron for Cystic Fibrosis Australia, an ambassador for Dementia Australia, the Austin Hospital, Melbourne, Make A Wish Foundation (South West Victoria) and Barwon Health and also does work for the Neuroscience Foundation and a number of other charitable and community groups.{{Cite web|url=http://deniswalter.com.au/|title=Denis Walter|website=Denis Walter|language=en|access-date=28 March 2019}}
Walter is also the Patron for Samoyed Club of Victoria. Denis also hosts the Carols By Candlelight in Dandenong every year.
Each year Walter hosts Carols by the Bay at Eastern Beach on the Geelong waterfront, a Christmas concert.{{cite web |url=http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/news/crowds-flock-to-denis-walters-carols-by-the-bay/story-fnjuhxh0-1226778059467 |title=Crowds flock to Denis Walter's Carols by the Bay |last1= Rooth |first1=Meagan |date=8 December 2013 |website=Geelong Advertiser |accessdate=25 January 2014}} He is also a long-standing performer since 1979 at Vision Australia's traditional Christmas Eve Carols by Candlelight event in Melbourne.{{Cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/denis-walter-has-performed-at-carols-by-candlelight-for-more-than-half-his-life-20161223-gth355.html|title=Denis Walter has performed at Carols By Candlelight for more than half his life|last=O'Brien|first=Kerrie|date=24 December 2016|website=The Sydney Morning Herald|language=en|access-date=28 March 2019}}
Honours
Walter was awarded an Order of Australia Medal in the 2015 Queen's Birthday Honours list "for service to the performing arts as a singer and entertainer, and to the broadcast media."{{cite web|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/queens-birthday-honours-2015-denis-walter-awarded-a-medal-of-the-order-of-australia/story-fni0fit3-1227387376424 |title=Queen's Birthday Honours 2015: Denis Walter awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia |last1= Jefferson |first1=Andrew |date=8 June 2015 |website=Herald Sun |accessdate=8 June 2015}}
Personal life
Discography
=Albums=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1"
|+ List of albums, with selected details and chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Album details ! scope="col" colspan="1" | Peak chart |
| scope="col" style="width:3em; font-size:90%"| AUS {{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|authorlink=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|edition=illustrated|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, N.S.W.|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6|page=331}}
|
|---|
| scope="row" | The Incredible Voice of Denis Walter
|
| — |
| scope="row" | Denis Walter by Request
|
| — |
| scope="row" | Collections of Denis Walter
|
| 66 |
| scope="row" | Sometimes When We Touch
|
| — |
| scope="row" | No Limits
|
| — |
| scope="row" | Tell It on the Mountain
|
| — |
| scope="row" | Songs of Faith (with John MacNally) |
| 89 |
| scope="row" | Through the Years
|
| 11 |
| scope="row" | What Kind of Love
|
| — |
| scope="row" | The Magic of Christmas
|
| — |
| scope="row" | Songs from a Southern Land Vol. 1
|
| — |
| scope="row" | The Aussie Christmas Gift
|
| — |
| scope="row" | Yesterday Once More
|
| — |
- Note: According to Walter's website, as of 2020, he has released 16 albums, therefore, there are four missing from the table above.
{{s-start}}
{{s-media}}
{{succession box | before= originator | title= WIN News Victoria
Presenter| years = 1992–2008| after =Bruce Roberts}}
{{s-end}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.deniswalter.com.au/ Denis Walter Official website]
- [https://www.3aw.com.au/show/nights-with-denis-walter/ 3AW Nights with Denis Walter]
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Walter, Denis}}
Category:Australian male singers
Category:Australian broadcast news analysts
Category:Musicians from Geelong
Category:Australian television newsreaders and news presenters