Lifestyle

Australian artists of the rock ‘n’ roll era

Feb 20, 2017

In the early 60’s television became an important media for up and coming singers in Australia. Programmes like BANDSTAND, SIX O’CLOCK ROCK, SATURDAY ROCK and THE GO SHOW highlighted the talent in Australia.

The number one artist was JOHNNY O’KEEFE, born in Sydney on the 19^th of January 1935. JOK almost single-handedly established the Australian rock n roll industry. His twenty-nine top 40 hits made him second to none, but his biggest legacy was to ensure Australian artists were afforded the opportunity to record. Olivia Newton-John, Helen Reddy and Peter Allen are prime examples of artists who benefited from his support on OZ television. JOK was the first OZ artist to make the Australian top 40 with ‘Wild One”. He was the first Australian artist to sign for an international recording company Liberty, where he recorded “She’s My Baby”. He appeared on THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW and AMERICAN BANDSTAND. Other big hits were “Shout”; “I’m Counting On You” and “She Wears My Ring”. Australians were stunned to hear of his death on 6^th October 1978, and ten years later he was elected into The Aria Hall Of Fame.

COL JOYE was born Colin Frederick Jacobsen on the 13^th April 1936 in Sydney. Col Joye and the Joy Boys took the charts by storm in 1959 with, “Bye Bye Baby’; “Rockin’ Rollin’ Clementine”; and the biggest selling single that year “Oh Yeah Uh Huh”, making them the first act to have three number ones in a calendar year. Many more hits followed and in 1960 they outsold Ricky Nelson with “Yes Sir That’s My Baby”; but it was in 1973 when they had their biggest and final hit “Heaven is My Woman’s Love”. They were elected into the Aria Hall Of Fame into 1988.

DIGBY RICHARDS was born in Dunedoo, country NSW on 12th September 1940. From 1960 to 1974 he had four national hits “My Little Lover”; “A Little Piece Of Time’; “People Call Me Country”; and “Do The Funky Monkey”.

Digby Richards The R-Jays auditioned for Festival Records in 1959 and became their third rock n roll signing behind Johnny O’Keefe and Col Joye and the Joy Boys. He died on the 17th February 1983.

LONNIE LEE was born in Rowena, country NSW on 18^th September 1940. He had eight top 40 hits from 1959 the most popular were “Ain’t it So”; “Starlight Starbright”; “I Found A New Love” / “Defenceless” which was Australia’s first double side number one in 1960. He was also the first Australian to record a stereo album and the first Australian to have a full-colour album sleeve. In 1958 he toured with Crash Craddock and The Everly Brothers and 49 years later done a revival tour with Crash Craddock, Bobby Vee and Lesley Gore.

JOHNNY DEVLIN was born in New Zealand on the 11^th May 1938; he had an NZ number one in 1958 with “Lawdy Miss Clawdy” a cover of the Lloyd Price USA hit. He came to Australia in 1959 and was a supporting act with The Beatles in 1964. He died of a heart attack in June 1977.

JOHNNY REBB was born on 20^th March in Newcastle, NSW. He replaced Johnny O’Keefe as compere on SATURDAY ROCK when JOK went to the USA. Later he became the lead singer with The Atlantics, the top instrumental group in Australia who had chart topper with “Bombora”. He died on the 28^th July 20014.

DIANA TRASK was born in Melbourne 23^rd June 1940 and at the age of 16 was part of a group backing Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. who took her to the USA to further her career. From 1968 she was a regular in the Country Music Charts with hits like “I Fall To Pieces’ a cover of the late Patsy Cline’s hit and “Beneath Still Waters” which was revived by Emmy Lou Harris in 1980. In 1974 she had a top ten hit on the pop charts with “Oh Boy”.

NOELEEN BATLEY was born in Sydney on Christmas day 1944 and became known as Australia’s Little Miss Sweetheart. In 1960 she had a top 10 hit with “Barefoot Boy” becoming the first Australian female artist to have a National hit record. In 1961 she was voted Australia’s top female artist.

ROB E G was born Robert Porter on 4^th June 1942 in Sydney. He introduced us to the lap steel guitar on BANDSTAND in 1959 with his rendition of “Sleep Walk” the Santo and Johnny huge instrumental hit. His biggest hits were “Si Senor”; “Jezebel” and “55 Days At Peking”. Later he produced acts such as Daddy Cool, Rick Springfield, Air Supply and Tommy Emmanuel. He also co-wrote the hit “Shining” for Marcia Hines.

JIMMY LITTLE was born on 1^st March 1937 at the Commeragunja Mission, western NSW. In 1963 his number one hit “Royal Telephone” sold more than 75,000 copies. He signed with Festival Records in 1959 and had a minor hit with the Irish standard “Danny Boy”. In 1997 he was elected into the Aria Hall of Fame. He died on 2^nd April 2012.

In 2014, Ian “Molly” Meldrum and his television show “Countdown” were elected into The Aria Hall Of Fame.