‘He will be sadly missed’: Australian music pioneer Col Joye dies

Musician, entertainer and entrepreneur Col Joye has sadly passed away at the age of 89, after a career that earned him dozens of gold and platinum records, studded with successive number one hits.

Joye was born Colin Jacobsen on April 13, 1939, in Sydney and left school at 14 to work as a salesman for a jeweller and start a band with his brothers Kevin and Keith.

The Jacobsen brothers released two singles in 1959 – Stagger Lee and Bye Bye Baby – with the latter reaching number one in the charts, establishing Joye as a major star.

On the advice of a clairvoyant, he changed his name to Col Joye and became a regular on the music show Bandstand for 14 years.

Col Joye and the Joyboys were the first Australian rock band to reach the American Billboard chart in 1959, touring the US with Billy Thorpe and The Aztecs in the mid-1960s and early 70s.

Joye also toured Vietnam with singer Little Pattie to entertain Australian troops, most famously on August 18, 1966, at Nui Dat when the Battle of Long Tan began nearby.

The artists later visited injured soldiers in hospital after the battle.

After Beatlemania hit Australia, Joye had to wait until 1973 for his next number one single, which was Heaven Is My Woman’s Love.

Col and his brother Kevin later formed the management company Jacobsen Group, which also handled publishing and recording for famous clients like The Bee Gees.

In 1983, Joye was awarded the Order of Australia for his work as an entertainer and his philanthropic work.

Joye was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 1988, the first entertainer to be honoured.

In 1990, Joye fell from a tree, suffering head injuries which left him in a coma.

However, he made a full recovery and decided to retire from performing.

In 2001, the ABC series Long Way to the Top noted his star power and honoured his career.

The Australian Recording Industry Association paid tribute to Joye, saying he made a remarkable contribution to the local music scene for more than six decades.

“At a time when the local industry was dominated by US and UK artists, he proved that Australians would embrace local artists and local music,” CEO Annabelle Herd said in a statement.

“Our deepest condolences go to Col’s family.

“He will be sadly missed.”