Peter Karrie was born in Bridgend, south Wales, on 10 August 1946. His career on the stage began as singer with the 1960s group Peter And The Wolves, who supported acts including The Rolling Stones and Tom Jones.

Karrie moved to London where he busked before landing his first part in a show. A number of starring roles in the West End followed, including Jean Valjean in Les Misérables and the American in Chess. Other performances have included Angelo in Fire Angel, James Dean in Dean, and Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar.

He took the role of John Blackthorne in Shogun and was acclaimed for his performance as Daddy Warbucks in Annie. Other roles have included Che Guevara in the first UK national tour of Evita, and starring roles in three Bernard J Taylor musicals: Much Ado, Nosferatu The Vampire and Pride And Prejudice.

However, it is for his performances in The Phantom Of The Opera that Karrie is best known. He first took the title role at London's Her Majesty's Theatre in 1991, and went on to perform in Toronto, Vancouver, Singapore, Hong Kong, and in Bradford and Manchester on a UK tour. In 1994 and 1995 members of The Phantom Of The Opera Appreciation Society voted Karrie their favourite Phantom.

A number of TV and radio series have also been made by Karrie, as have three CDs - Peter Karrie Unmasked, Theatrically Yours and The Impossible Dream - showcasing his singing voice. His one-man touring show Peter Karrie Unmasked was a great success, as was Peter Karrie And Friends, for which he performed alongside stars including Charlotte Church, Bryn Terfel, Barbara Dickson and Bonnie Tyler.

In 2006 he starred as the Reverend Peter Price alongside Shan Côthi in the Mal Pope musical, Amazing Grace, which was directed by Michael Bogdanov and staged at the Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff. The same year he took the role of Joby Churchill in Pope's musical Contender, about the career of heavyweight boxing champion Tommy Farr.

Peter Karrie still has homes in Wales, and is a fellow of the Welsh College of Music and Drama. He is married with six children.

Selected roles

• 2007: Joby Churchill - The Contender
• 2006: Don Quixote - Man Of La Mancha
• 2006: Tevye - Fiddler On The Roof
• 2006: Reverend Peter Price - Amazing Grace
• 2004: UK Tour - Peter Karrie and Friends
• 2003: Daddy Warbucks - Annie
• 2001: UK and Canada tour: Peter Karrie Unmasked
• 2000: The Phantom - Phantom of the Opera (Millennium Tour)
• 1999: Far East, South Africa and UK tour: Beyond The Mask
• 1993 Jean Valjean - Les Miserables
• 1991-2000: The Phantom - Phantom Of The Opera (various countries)
• 1991: John Blackthorne - Shogun
• 1987-1990: Jean Valjean - Les Miserables
• 1986: The American - Chess
• 1983-86: Che Guevara - Evita
• 1978-80: Judas - Jesus Christ Superstar