Steve J. Spears

Steven John Peter Spears (22 January 1951 – 16 October 2007) was an Australian playwright, actor, writer and singer. His most famous work was The Elocution of Benjamin Franklin (1976). He was cited as "one of Australia's most celebrated playwrights".

Early life
Spears was born in Adelaide, South Australia in 1951 and, after his parents separated when he was very young, grew up with relatives in the suburb of Mile End. He studied law at the University of Adelaide, but through writing and performing student revues, was distracted into a career in the theatre. Spears moved to Sydney in the 1970s. In his own words, he was a "born-again Sydney-sider".

Death
Spears died in Aldinga, South Australia, from brain cancer in 2007. He was 56.