His parents were both good singer… There was little or no rock music scene in Australia, and certainly no Australian rock recordings, prior to 1957, when Bill Haley toured the country. The young O'Keefe was intelligent and perceptive, with a great sense of humour, although his school grades fluctuated due to his misbehaviour and the fact that he was easily distracted; Sydney radio personality Gary O'Callaghan,[8] who was a classmate, later recalled that O'Keefe was often in trouble. [citation needed] It was recorded at a 5-song session at Goldstar recording studios in Hollywood on 5 November 1959 ("She's My Baby", "It's Too Late", "Own True Self", "Ready For You" and "Come On"). Sing, Sing, Sing was eventually cancelled in October 1965. 7 in September that year. [22] Sydney disc jockey Tony Withers was credited with helping to get radio airplay for the song but writer credits on subsequent versions often omit Withers, who later worked in the United Kingdom on pirate stations Radio Atlanta and, as Tony Windsor, on Radio London. It became his 29th Australian hit, reaching No. Many of these outfits were made for him by Sydney 'showbiz' costumier Len Taylor, although one famous red suit trimmed with leopard-print velvet cuffs and lapels (now in the collection of the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney) was reputedly made by his mother Thelma. He was raised as a Catholic and attended the local Catholic primary school, followed by secondary schooling at Waverley College in nearby Waverley.[3]. Johnny O'Keefe (born January 19 1935, Bondi Junction, New South Wales, Australia - died October 6 1978, Sydney, Australia) was an Australian Rock'n'Roll singer. Dale went into the Army and O'Keefe went into the RAAF.

[citation needed] After the second US tour collapsed, he flew to London on impulse, but he reportedly overdosed on a combination of alcohol marijuana and prescription medication in his room at the Park Lane Hotel. 4 in November. Some of the dance patrons came to blows with wedding guests in the men's toilets, and within minutes the fight had erupted into a full-scale riot that spilled out into the street, with police eventually calling in the Navy Shore Patrol to help restore order. [citation needed], Although he had helped the careers of many of his rock'n'roll contemporaries, O'Keefe was resistant to the changes in pop music and made himself unpopular amongst the new groups by banning "long-haired" acts (such as The Missing Links) from appearing on Sing, Sing, Sing. Johnny O'Keefe came back to Australia with nothing much to show for his adventure and empty pockets. [9] During his time at high school Johnny joined the school cadets, where he made good progress learning trumpet,[10] and he (reluctantly) sang solo in the school choir. The first major biography on O'Keefe was published in 1982, and several others have been written since including The Wild One by Damian Johnstone and Johnny O'Keefe – The Facts written in 2008 by Lonnie Lee and released by Starlite Records. Although it was claimed that it was recorded live at the Stadium, it was in fact a studio recording, overdubbed with the sound of a real Stadium audience. Began his career in the mid to late 1950's when, together with American born entrepreneur Lee Gordon (2), he pioneered rock'n'roll in Australia. O'Keefe and the Dee Jays' first major break was a support spot on Lee Gordon's first "Big Show" rock'n'roll tour, which starred Little Richard, Gene Vincent, and Eddie Cochran. He had made and lost several fortunes already and was back on in the black when rock & roll arrived. [citation needed] Given the severe head injuries he had sustained in the car crash, it is also possible that O'Keefe was suffering from undiagnosed neurological trauma which may have affected his personality and contributed to his later mental health and drug issues, and these problems were undoubtedly exacerbated by his heavy drug and alcohol use.

However the follow-up single charted significantly lower, peaking at a modest No. Johnny O'Keefe died from a drug overdose on 6 October 1978. [34], In January 1967, O'Keefe compered a new TV show called Where The Action Is. His father, Alderman Ray O'Keefe, was Mayor of Waverley Council in the early 1960s. 30, and titles of the two songs seemed, in retrospect, to presage the downturn in O'Keefe's career   the A-side, "Rock'n'Roll Will Stand" was backed by a cover of the Shirelles' "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?". About 20 kilometres north of Kempsey, the Plymouth ploughed into a gravel truck. There was little or no rock music scene in Australia, and certainly no Australian rock recordings, prior to 1957, when Bill Haley toured the country. Sendung: Götz Alsmann & Mike Galeli, Real Wild Child: Joan Jett Music Video Anthology, What to Watch if You Miss the "Game of Thrones" Cast. O'Keefe suffered multiple lacerations, a concussion and fractures to his head and face; he lost four teeth, and his hands were also badly lacerated. While the front of the large car bore the brunt of the very severe impact, all three were seriously injured. Johnny O'Keefe, Soundtrack: Adventures in Babysitting.

2 on the singles chart. On 10 June 2004, a 5-metre tall Monument titled "The Wild One", created by sculptor Dr. Alex Sandor Kolozsy CDVA, was unveiled at the Coolangatta/Tweed Heads, Twin Towns Services Club in memory of O'Keefe. He had twenty-nine Top 40 hits in Australia between 1958 and 1973. Most Female-Empowering Popular Girl Power Movie? [26], O'Keefe had played a few dates in New Zealand in 1958, but in early 1959 rising NZ promoter Harry M. Miller organised a two-month tour. O'Keefe scored his fourth Australian No. By this time he was reaching the limits of his physical and mental endurance. A portrait of O'Keefe by Australian artist Ivan Durrant, titled "A Little Bit Louder Now", is in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra. [citation needed] On the business front, he signed a new contract with Festival at the end of 1969 and continued to record and release singles, but it was not until July 1972 that he finally scored another hit with a re-recorded version of 1958 hit "So Tough", which reached No.

[12], During this period he met and became good friends with Alan Dale,[13] also an aspiring singer, who was then employed at the O'Keefe's furniture business. The original lineup of the group was; Kevin Naughton (guitar), Keith Williams (bass) and Johnny "Catfish" Purser (drums). [38], In 1986, the Seven Network produced the successful 'docu-drama' mini-series based on his life, Shout! He matriculated in 1951, gaining an 'A' in French and a 'B' in English, mathematics, physics and economics.

During his convalescence the TV show was renamed Sing, Sing, Sing and he was temporarily replaced as host by folk singer Lionel Long. He hit the Top Ten with "So Tough" and his version of the Isley Brothers' call-and-answer "Shout.". His "It's Too Late" made number one in New Orleans, but O'Keefe was having too good a time and turned up at several promotional events just a little under the weather.

Like Elvis, he was the real deal. Up to this point he had performed for free, simply to gain experience, but his first paid engagement as a singer was as a Johnny Ray impersonator, performing on the Bathurst radio station 2BS, for which he was paid £17 plus expenses. [citation needed], In 1998, Australia Post issued a special stamp edition celebrating the early years of Australian rock'n'roll; the first stamp in the series commemorated Johnny O'Keefe's rise to stardom in 1958. In April, 1960, Johnny O'Keefe returned to America armed with his Liberty Records advance, every penny he could borrow, and a few hundred genuine boomerangs inscribed with his name which he planned to use to help promote the release of his American album, picturing John throwing a boomerang on the cover.

He just happened to be carrying an acetate of his "Shout" single and someone who happened to be a Liberty Records executive walked in to ask about the record he was carrying. The executive offered to have a listen and within half an hour, O'Keefe had an American recording deal. His tenacity paid off when he was added to the Haley bill, if only to give something to the Sydney audiences to hear as they found their seats. Their first EP, Shakin' At The Stadium, included JOK's signature tune "Wild One", co-written by O'Keefe with Greenan, Owens and top Sydney DJ Tony Withers.


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