Tassie History

08/04/04

Country music in Tasmania has naturally the same origins as mainland Australia, Tasmania's country music history really began in the late 1930s'.

Tasmania has supplied the Australian country music industry with a number of influential artists over the years.

Past artists like, Dick Parry, Kevin Shegog and Athol McCoy plus guitarists like Paul Lester and Graeme Hesketh. The Singing Kettles, Eddie Tapp and Jean Stafford through to guitarist Stuie French are just a few that have been or still are flying the flag for Tassie and Australian CM.

	Athol McCoy's strong country voice earned him lasting fame in his home state for his songs New Tassie Waltz and Tassie Tears. Born at Sheffield in 1925, he learned piano and guitar. In 1974 he had a radio show on 7AD Devonport. Crossing to the mainland, he worked around Melbourne and won his heat of the Amateur Hour in 1950, then recorded for EMI. Athol toured with Noel George's Wild West Show, Reg Lindsay and the Rick and Thel Show before taking his own show in 1961. In 1966 he toured Australia with Tex Morton as "The Morton’s and McCoy’s". Athol recorded for RCA then toured again in 1969 and 1972, after which he retired to Bega, visiting Tamworth for the Hands of Fame in 1980. A true performer, Athol kept up a busy touring schedule until his death in 1996.
	1960’s Country hit maker Kevin Shegog moved from his home in Tasmania in the mid 50s' and became a big name on the live Country Music radio shows that were popular in Melbourne at the time. His first recording for the Planet Label included "The Little Kangaroo", and he then recorded for the W&G label and had a string of pop hits including a cover of the classic "Wolverton Mountain", his own classic "One Small Photograph" which was one of the biggest Country hits of the 60s, and "The Wayward Rambler". Kevin continued to record and perform into the early 70s, and then he only made rare personal appearances. None of Kevin Shegog’s work has been on the market since the mid-70's when W&G Records closed until he recorded two albums with R&H Studios in Geelong in the late 80’s. Kevin was inducted into Tamworth's Hands of Fame in 1983. He passed away at Wallaroo in South Australia after a long illness on November 9th. 2000 at the age of 67.

Maxwell (Max) Bryan Kettle

was born in Launceston on January 16th. 1950.

At the age of twelve, Max joined his brothers Bill and Ross as the third member of The Singing Kettles. A short time later, Max recorded his first song White Silver Sands (1962) and for the next eight years went on to record many top selling albums for Hadley Records. Max, along with his brothers, appeared with some of the greats of Australian country music, including Slim Dusty, Rick and Thel Carey, Chad Morgan, Reg Lindsay, Buddy Williams, Gordon Parsons, Athol McCoy, Kevin Shegog, Jimmy Little and Tim McNamara.

Max married Ellen Costello in Ulverstone, Tasmania in 1968 at the age of eighteen. That same year, The Singing Kettles were invited to entertain Australian and American troops in Vietnam. Upon returning, Max, Bill and Ross moved to Tamworth in New South Wales to further their careers. In August 1970, The Singing Kettles moved to Sydney and became one of the most popular groups in Australian country music, playing all the major Leagues and RSL clubs.

Tragically, Max Kettle passed away at Liverpool Hospital in Sydney on Friday 22 January 1971, from a massive asthma attack . Max left behind his wife Ellen, son Grady and daughter Lesa (who was born after his death). Australian country music lost a brilliant young musician and singer at just twenty-one years of age.

Paul Lester

Country music pioneer Paul Lester lost his battle with cancer at the Rockhampton Base Hospital, Queensland, on November 9, 2001.

Born Kevin Flight and raised in Ridgley (near Burnie), Paul began his musical career playing guitar in Pegus’s Orchestra, a local dance band. He also played lead guitar for the popular, Burnie based, Chubby Brain entertainment group.

In the late 50’s he changed his name to Paul Lester ( after his idol - Les Paul). He joined the Rick and Thel Carey Show as lead guitarist and played on many of their recordings. Paul had a very distinctive style and excelled at both electric and acoustic guitars.

As well as touring with the Careys, Paul traveled with the legendary Brian Young Show.

In the 1960’s Hedley Charles produced a Paul Lester recording session at Radio 7BU on the Rev Records label. Sunset Records produced a very popular single where Paul sang I’ve Got A Tangled Mind.

Dudley "Dud" Higgs was born into a large timber milling family in Deloraine in 1929. His dad ran one of the first mills in Tasmania, at Western Creek and also loved music, playing guitar and violin.

Although Dud was first heard singing behind the chook house from when he was three it wasn’t until he was 12 that he first started playing guitar.

Although he wrote over 1000 songs Dud only produced one album, "Tassie Sunset".

His songs were recorded by many artists including Buddy Williams, Rocky Page and Frank Sargent.

Eric Scott of Hadley Records recorded 22 of Dudley’s songs including 12 for Buddy Williams alone and Rocky Page’s biggest hit - 100,000 Acres.

Jack Munting

The "Senior Citizen of Tasmanian Country Music", Jack Munting, recently celebrated sixty years in country music. Jack’s career began in 1942, when he purchased his first guitar, a Gibson that he still plays today. His first performance was at Tasmania's Perth Hospital in 1942. Jack performed live on Launceston radio 7EX for some time before joining the Navy in 1945. He took out second place in the Australian Amateur Hour in 1946 whilst still in the Navy. After leaving the Navy in 1947, Jack settled in Launceston.

Just after his discharge from the forces the manager of radio station 7EX gave Jack a 3 month trial as a radio compare. The unashamedly country and western show was titled Down The Hillbilly Trail. This went on to become the longest running live artist show in Australian country music.

Jack estimated that he sang more than 10,000 songs over the 15 year span of the show. In 1957 he first recorded with Festival Records in Sydney, a song medley titled Down The Steven Foster Trail, that proved to be Jack’s biggest seller. His biggest show was on the 1968 Showcase with Hector Crawfords’ 40 piece orchestra. Jack was delighted to be honored with inclusion into the Hands of Fame at the 1992 Tamworth Country Music Festival after 50 years service to country music and was this year awarded the Dudley Higgs Memorial Shield for services to Tasmanian country music.

Jack Munting is showing no signs of slowing down, he is still in high demand at festivals, cabarets and charity shows.

Graeme Hesketh was born in Launceston on August the 20th. 1933.

He took up guitar playing as a teenager and showed tremendous talent right from the start, he was always one of the first to welcome any traveling show to Tasmania, and was soon doing guest spots around the State. Later he moved to Melbourne and was working as a pump attendant at a service station in Dandenong when he received a call from country and western star, Athol McCoy. Athol had seen Graeme playing on a previous Tasmanian visit, needed a lead guitarist and wanted Graeme.

Well the story goes that when Graeme asked his boss for time off to tour with the Athol McCoy Show his boss flatly refused and he and Graeme had an all-in row. Graeme told him he was going anyway, tipped a couple of oil bottles on the driveway and walked out.

Hesketh then worked with McCoy on a very successful and extended tour followed by recording sessions for Hadley Records. This was followed by a 14 year time out from Hesketh until he reappeared at Tamworth in 1977. He joined New Parnell's Country Gold five-piece band and also worked at the Hadley Studios recording sessions for Buddy Williams on RCA Records. He then moved to Kootingal, near Tamworth, and was working on recording an album, Trucks and Trains when on November 9. 2000, he died from a heart attack.

Glen Green - Singer/songwriter/musician was born in Launceston on February 26th. 1950

Glen learnt to play cornet in a Longford band before he played guitar. After learning to play guitar Glen played in rock bands in Northern Tasmanian venues. In 197? he moved to Tamworth and teamed up with Eric Newton playing in various bands. Glen toured with Brian Young on his "fly-in tours" as well as touring with Rick and Thel Carey for 3 years, playing bass and lead guitars (the guitar in the photo belonged to Thel Carey).

When he first moved to Tamworth from Tasmania Glen entered a talent quest where he played Rex Dallas's guitar as he didn't have one of his own. His disappointment in coming second was short as second prize was a brand new guitar. Glen was employed as a copywriter for 2TM where he met up with Jazzer Smith. He also played in the Country Muster band as well as his own band, the Country Gypsies. Tragically, Glen was killed at the peak of his career, taken in a car crash along with Eric Newton. They were returning home from a gig on November 22nd. 1981.

Beau Chatwin

Lawrence Wilfred "Beau" Chatwin was born in Wynyard on the 12th of December 1930.

Although he always had a love for country music he purchased his first guitar (a Martin D18) relatively late in life at the age of 30. He was actively involved in the Chubby Brain Show, a country and western show broadcast over 7BU Burnie and appeared with The Happy Wanderers, entertaining at various centers along the coast. Beau first visited Tamworth in 1974 and then for many years he made the blackwood bases for the Tamworth Gold Guitars. As a member of the North West Country Music Club he was involved in the Heybridge Country Music Festival. Beau had great pleasure in aiding new, up and coming country artists so it is fitting that the club now presents a perpetual trophy each year in his memory for the Best New Talent.

Beau died suddenly in the Burnie Hospital on March 14th 1991.

James Russell "Jazzer" Smith was born in Fern Tree, Tasmania to Annie Jean and James Henry Robert Smith on September 4th. 1939.

He was a gifted communicator and developed his love of writing into a career. without any formal qualifications - and learnt to play drums. With Jas. R. Smith written across his bass drum and being "a bit of a jazzer", the name stuck throughout his life.

Jazzer was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma in 1970 but continued to work, play music and support his family. He had three musical phases starting with Al Hudson’s ballroom dance band - then rock ‘n’ roll, and later country. Jazzer worked in the newspaper and radio industry at the Hobart Mercury, Saturday Evening Mercury, 7HO and 3DB, Melbourne. He was editor of the Professional Musician, Journal of Australian Music and Musicians (JAMM), Across Country and in 1981, relocated to Tamworth as editor of Australasian Country Capital News. He wrote the book of Australian Country Music in 1984 and in 1987 was awarded a Golden Guitar for services to Australian country music. Jazzer passed away on May 30th. 1987. He was a man who loved life and people around him responded warmly to this charismatic character.

An inspiration to countless others battling illness - and even those blessed with the best of health - Jazzer Smith was a unique individual, equally proud of his Tasmanian heritage as he was of his five children whom he loved dearly, Jimmy, Steve, Rick, Tanya and Carly.

Richard Scott (TBC)

This site was last updated 08/04/04