Oliver Hardy in north Georgia in the 1905 fall semester when he was 13. He had little interest in formal education, although he acquired an early interest in music and theater. He joined a theatrical group and later ran away from a boarding school near Atlanta to sing with the group. His mother recognized his talent for singing and sent him to Atlanta to study music and voice with singing teacher Adolf Dahm-Petersen. He skipped some of his lessons to sing in the Alcazar Theater for $3.50 a week. Hardy began styling himself "Oliver Norvell Hardy", adding the first name "Oliver" as
Matthew Hardy for ITV in the UK, and subsequently wrote for Kelsey Grammer's sketch series on FOX in the US. He has also appeared as a panelist on ABC TV's 'Spicks & Specks', and on Network Ten's 'Good News Week'. In 2009, he was the UK correspondent during the SBS 'live' ASHES cricket broadcasts. In 2008 Hardy's debut DVD/CD was released (Sony), titled 'I'm So Australian', a view on what it takes to be Australian. In the UK, Hardy toured with Irish comedian Ed Byrne for 30 gigs in the Scottish Highlands in 2010, and with Shappi Khorsandi on her 60 date