Glenn Wheatley
Encyclopedia
Glenn Dawson Wheatley is an Australia
n artist manager and entertainment industry executive.
Wheatley began his career as a musician in Brisbane
in the mid-1960s and in the late 1960s became nationally famous as a member of leading pop-rock band The Masters Apprentices
. He was also the long time manager of Australian singer John Farnham
.
In 2007, he was found guilty of channeling more than $650,000 through tax fraud schemes.
Wheatley was sentenced to 15 months in prison.
in the Brisbane pop band Bay City Union, which was fronted by singer Matt Taylor
, who later achieved considerable fame in Australia as the lead singer of pioneering Australian eccentric blues
band Chain
.
player in a new lineup of the Melbourne-based pop-rock band The Masters Apprentices
, then one of Australia's most popular groups. Wheatley's four-year tenure with the group, which lasted until shortly before their demise in 1972, included the recording of many of their most successful songs including the hit singles "Turn Up Your Radio" (1970) and "Because I Love You" (1971), and the acclaimed 1971 LP Choice Cuts, which was recorded at Abbey Road Studios
in London
.
It was during Wheatley's tenure in the Masters that he learned at first hand about the highly exploitative nature of the Australian pop industry at that time. The band endured many "rip-offs" and in their later career they suffered greatly from poor management decisions and inadequate support from their record labels, problems which eventually led to the group's demise in 1972.
According to Wheatley's memoir, a key incident took place in late 1969 when the Masters took part in a nationwide package tour, "Operation Starlift". The concert at Brisbane Festival Hall
, drew a then record crowd of over 7000 people, breaking the venue's previous attendance record set by The Beatles
in 1964. After the concert Wheatley reflected on the event, and it became the turning point in his life and career, because it finally drove home just how badly the group were being ripped off.
Wheatley knew that patrons had paid A$5 per ticket, so the receipts for the night would have been around A$35,000, but the Masters Apprentices, like all the other acts, were on a fixed fee and received a mere $200 for the show; even the top-billed act John Farnham
probably only earned about $1000. Figuring that the performers were probably only paid about A$2000 in total, Wheatley realized that the promoters had walked away with upwards of A$30,000 for that concert alone.
After winning a national talent contest, the Hoadley's Battle of the Sounds
, the group was able to use their prize—free passage to the UK on a cruise liner—to travel to England
in early 1970. There they recorded two highly-regarded LPs, but lack of commercial success, limited work opportunities and continuing financial problems eventually led to their break-up 1972.
Wheatley remained in the UK for some time before moving to the United States
. During this period he worked for various management and booking agencies, learning the intricacies of management and agency work, contract negotiations and tour promotions.
(LRB), which comprised former members of several leading Australian pop bands of the Sixties
and early Seventies
. After establishing themselves in Australia, Wheatley boldly took the band to the United States, having learned firsthand of the futility of trying to break into the insular English music scene, where scores of other Australia bands had tried and failed to gain a foothold, with only The Seekers
achieving any ongoing success.
Thanks to Wheatley's contacts, experience and skill, as well as the redoubtable talent of the band itself, LRB became the first Australian band to achieve major and lasting chart and sales success in America, and under his guidance they became by far the most successful Australian band of the period.
as lead singer of Little River Band. Once again, Wheatley's skill and perseverance paid off; he mortgaged his own house to help pay for the recording of Farnham's 1986 "comeback" album Whispering Jack
, and the gamble paid off handsomely—it re-established Farnham as major singing star and the record became (and remains) the biggest-selling Australian album of all time.
). In 1987 he negotiated a series of acquisitions which resulted in the formation of Hoyts Media, a national FM radio network and from 1987 to 1989 he was managing director of Hoyts Media before resigning to pursue other business interests. He founded the artist agency TalentWorks in 1996, focusing on artist and sports management, music recording and publishing, tour promotion and event management.
Wheatley has been presented with the Advance Australia Award
for Outstanding Contribution in the Entertainment Industry and was the recipient of the 1988 Business Review Weekly
Australia's Business Award for Marketing. He has been a director and part owner of the Sydney Swans Football Club, and a board member of AUSMUSIC, Tourism Task Force (promoting Australia as a tourist destination) and the AIDS Trust of Australia.
. In the same year, Wheatley reached another milestone in his career, with a hugely successful trio tour, "The Main Event
" that starred Farnham, Olivia Newton-John
and Anthony Warlow
. The live album recorded at the Melbourne concert went on to become a multi-platinum seller and a televised recording of the show was the most watched Australian television show of the year.
In 1999 Wheatley published his autobiography Paper Paradise which was based in part on a ribald memoir he had begun during his stint in The Masters, entitled "Who The Hell Is Judy In Sydney?".
In 2002 Wheatley promoted Farnham's last major nationwide tour, entitled "The Last Time". It was said to be the largest tour ever mounted by an Australian artist, beginning in November with the capital cities and ending in June 2003 with a tent tour of regional cities and towns.
Shortly after the eight-month tour, Wheatley made an appearance at the 2003 ARIA Awards
in Sydney to induct John Farnham into the ARIA Hall of Fame.
Wheatley also managed Australian Neighbours
actress and singer Delta Goodrem
, helping her to achieve major success, but Goodrem split with Wheatley under acrimonious circumstances in 2003.
In early 2007 he was managing Neighbours star Stephanie McIntosh
's venture into music.
He currently manages Melbourne
band Juke Kartel
"I'm ashamed of what I have done," Wheatley said in court. "It was something that I have regretted for a long, long time and I'm ashamed of what I've brought on my family, who have had to suffer a lot."
During the trial, many high-profile Australians wrote glowing character references for Wheatley, including singer John Farnham
, Sydney Swans
chairman Richard Colless, and entertainer Bert Newton
. One reference, from army general Peter Cosgrove
, described Wheatley as a "very honest and upright person".
However, Commonwealth prosecutor Richard Maidment, SC, said "The fraud that was instigated (by Wheatley) can be described as sustained and sophisticated. Tax fraud is not to be seen as a victimless crime." Wheatley was released from Beechworth Correctional Centre
on 19 May 2008, and was moved to home detention with electronic surveillance for the remainder of his sentence. Wheatley completed his detention on 18 October 2008 and immediately left for an overseas holiday.
On 14 May 2010, Wheatley was charged with drink driving after recording a blood alcohol level of 0.08 by a random breath testing unit in Rushcutters Bay, New South Wales
. He faced Waverley Court on 9 June 2010 and pleaded guilty. His licence was suspended for six months and he received an $850 fine.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n artist manager and entertainment industry executive.
Wheatley began his career as a musician in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
in the mid-1960s and in the late 1960s became nationally famous as a member of leading pop-rock band The Masters Apprentices
The Masters Apprentices
The Masters Apprentices were an Australian rock band fronted by mainstay Jim Keays on lead vocals, which formed in 1965 in Adelaide, South Australia, relocated to Melbourne in February 1967 and attempted to break into the United Kingdom market from 1970, before disbanding in 1972...
. He was also the long time manager of Australian singer John Farnham
John Farnham
John Peter Farnham, AO, formerly billed as Johnny Farnham , is an English-born Australian pop singer. He was a teen pop idol from 1964 to 1979, and has since forged a career as an adult contemporary singer. His career has mostly been as a solo artist although he briefly replaced Glenn Shorrock as...
.
In 2007, he was found guilty of channeling more than $650,000 through tax fraud schemes.
Wheatley was sentenced to 15 months in prison.
Bay City Union
Wheatley's first significant foray into music was as guitaristGuitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
in the Brisbane pop band Bay City Union, which was fronted by singer Matt Taylor
Matt Taylor (musician)
Matt Taylor is an Australian blues musician. He is best known for his work with long-lasting blues band Chain and for the hit song "I Remember When I Was Young".-Biography:...
, who later achieved considerable fame in Australia as the lead singer of pioneering Australian eccentric blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
band Chain
Chain (band)
Chain are an Australian blues band formed in Melbourne as The Chain in late 1968 with a lineup including guitarist, vocalist Phil Manning; they are sometimes known as Matt Taylor's Chain after lead singer-songwriter and harmonica player, Matt Taylor...
.
The Masters Apprentices
In early 1968 Wheatley was hired as the bassBass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
player in a new lineup of the Melbourne-based pop-rock band The Masters Apprentices
The Masters Apprentices
The Masters Apprentices were an Australian rock band fronted by mainstay Jim Keays on lead vocals, which formed in 1965 in Adelaide, South Australia, relocated to Melbourne in February 1967 and attempted to break into the United Kingdom market from 1970, before disbanding in 1972...
, then one of Australia's most popular groups. Wheatley's four-year tenure with the group, which lasted until shortly before their demise in 1972, included the recording of many of their most successful songs including the hit singles "Turn Up Your Radio" (1970) and "Because I Love You" (1971), and the acclaimed 1971 LP Choice Cuts, which was recorded at Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios is a recording studio located at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music company EMI, its present owner...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
It was during Wheatley's tenure in the Masters that he learned at first hand about the highly exploitative nature of the Australian pop industry at that time. The band endured many "rip-offs" and in their later career they suffered greatly from poor management decisions and inadequate support from their record labels, problems which eventually led to the group's demise in 1972.
According to Wheatley's memoir, a key incident took place in late 1969 when the Masters took part in a nationwide package tour, "Operation Starlift". The concert at Brisbane Festival Hall
Brisbane Festival Hall
Brisbane Festival Hall was an indoor arena, located in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.The Festival Hall was originally known as Brisbane Stadium, which was built in 1910. In 1958, the venue was demolished and a new building constructed, by then leading Queensland Construction Company E.J.Taylor &...
, drew a then record crowd of over 7000 people, breaking the venue's previous attendance record set by The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
in 1964. After the concert Wheatley reflected on the event, and it became the turning point in his life and career, because it finally drove home just how badly the group were being ripped off.
Wheatley knew that patrons had paid A$5 per ticket, so the receipts for the night would have been around A$35,000, but the Masters Apprentices, like all the other acts, were on a fixed fee and received a mere $200 for the show; even the top-billed act John Farnham
John Farnham
John Peter Farnham, AO, formerly billed as Johnny Farnham , is an English-born Australian pop singer. He was a teen pop idol from 1964 to 1979, and has since forged a career as an adult contemporary singer. His career has mostly been as a solo artist although he briefly replaced Glenn Shorrock as...
probably only earned about $1000. Figuring that the performers were probably only paid about A$2000 in total, Wheatley realized that the promoters had walked away with upwards of A$30,000 for that concert alone.
Managing
Tired of their ongoing management problems, in late 1969 the band sacked their manager of the time, Darryl Sambell (who also managed Farnham) and Wheatley took over day-to-day business affairs and bookings. The group also set up its own Melbourne-based booking agency, Drum, which soon boasted a roster of several dozen local groups, as well as promoting several international tours.After winning a national talent contest, the Hoadley's Battle of the Sounds
Hoadley's Battle of the Sounds
Hoadley's Battle of the Sounds was an annual national rock/pop band competition held in Australia from 1966 to 1972.-History:Australia's Battle of the Sounds was originally established by Australian tabloid magazine Everybody’s in 1965 as a talent quest for new unsigned bands in Sydney, Melbourne...
, the group was able to use their prize—free passage to the UK on a cruise liner—to travel to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in early 1970. There they recorded two highly-regarded LPs, but lack of commercial success, limited work opportunities and continuing financial problems eventually led to their break-up 1972.
Wheatley remained in the UK for some time before moving to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. During this period he worked for various management and booking agencies, learning the intricacies of management and agency work, contract negotiations and tour promotions.
Little River Band
In 1975 he set up The Wheatley Organization and became the manager of a new Australian 'supergroup', Little River BandLittle River Band
Little River Band is an Australian rock band, formed in Melbourne in early 1975.The group chose the name after passing a road sign leading to the Victorian township of Little River, near Geelong, on the way to a performance. Little River Band enjoyed sustained commercial success in not only...
(LRB), which comprised former members of several leading Australian pop bands of the Sixties
1960s
The 1960s was the decade that started on January 1, 1960, and ended on December 31, 1969. It was the seventh decade of the 20th century.The 1960s term also refers to an era more often called The Sixties, denoting the complex of inter-related cultural and political trends across the globe...
and early Seventies
1970s
File:1970s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: US President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office after the Watergate scandal in 1974; Refugees aboard a US naval boat after the Fall of Saigon, leading to the end of the Vietnam War in 1975; The 1973 oil...
. After establishing themselves in Australia, Wheatley boldly took the band to the United States, having learned firsthand of the futility of trying to break into the insular English music scene, where scores of other Australia bands had tried and failed to gain a foothold, with only The Seekers
The Seekers
The Seekers are an Australian folk-influenced pop music group which were originally formed in 1962. They were the first Australian popular music group to achieve major chart and sales success in the United Kingdom and the United States...
achieving any ongoing success.
Thanks to Wheatley's contacts, experience and skill, as well as the redoubtable talent of the band itself, LRB became the first Australian band to achieve major and lasting chart and sales success in America, and under his guidance they became by far the most successful Australian band of the period.
John Farnham
After the split of LRB in the mid-1980s, Wheatley returned to Australia and began managing an old friend, singer John Farnham, who had been a leading star in the 1960s but was reduced to playing club gigs before replacing Glenn ShorrockGlenn Shorrock
Glenn Barrie Shorrock is an English-born Australian singer-songwriter. He was a founding member of pop groups The Twilights, Axiom and Little River Band as well as being a solo performer....
as lead singer of Little River Band. Once again, Wheatley's skill and perseverance paid off; he mortgaged his own house to help pay for the recording of Farnham's 1986 "comeback" album Whispering Jack
Whispering Jack
Whispering Jack is the twelfth studio album by Australian adult contemporary pop singer John Farnham. It was produced by Ross Fraser, and released on 20 October 1986, which peaked at #1 on the Australian Kent Music Report Album Charts...
, and the gamble paid off handsomely—it re-established Farnham as major singing star and the record became (and remains) the biggest-selling Australian album of all time.
Business and community
Wheatley became involved in FM radio broadcasting in 1980 when he was a founding director of Melbourne based EON-FM (now 3MMM FMTriple M
The Triple M Network is an active rock radio network in Australia owned by media company Austereo, who also own the Today Network.- History :...
). In 1987 he negotiated a series of acquisitions which resulted in the formation of Hoyts Media, a national FM radio network and from 1987 to 1989 he was managing director of Hoyts Media before resigning to pursue other business interests. He founded the artist agency TalentWorks in 1996, focusing on artist and sports management, music recording and publishing, tour promotion and event management.
Wheatley has been presented with the Advance Australia Award
Advance Australia Award
The Advance Australia Foundation was established in 1980. The AAF recognised "individuals or groups who have made outstanding contributions to the growth and enhancement of Australia, the Australian people and the Australian way of life"....
for Outstanding Contribution in the Entertainment Industry and was the recipient of the 1988 Business Review Weekly
Business Review Weekly
BRW is an Australian weekly business magazine published by the Fairfax Media group. It regularly compiles lists which rank corporations and individuals according to various criteria, similar to Fortune magazine in the United States.BRW provides news and commentary on the economy, business and...
Australia's Business Award for Marketing. He has been a director and part owner of the Sydney Swans Football Club, and a board member of AUSMUSIC, Tourism Task Force (promoting Australia as a tourist destination) and the AIDS Trust of Australia.
Recent years
In 1998 the Masters Apprentices were inducted into the ARIA Hall of FameARIA Hall of Fame
Since 1988 the Australian Recording Industry Association has inducted artists into its ARIA Hall of Fame. While most have been recognised at the annual ARIA Music Awards, in 2005 ARIA sought to create a separate standalone "ARIA Icons: Hall of Fame" event as only one or two acts could be inducted...
. In the same year, Wheatley reached another milestone in his career, with a hugely successful trio tour, "The Main Event
The Main Event (concert tour)
The Main Event Tour was a 1998 joint concert tour by Australian singers John Farnham, Olivia Newton-John and Anthony Warlow.-Description:The overture would start with the percussionist on the timpani, and the Drummer . Then the brass would come in, and the last four bars of "You're the Voice"...
" that starred Farnham, Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John AO, OBE is a singer and actress. She is a four-time Grammy award winner who has amassed five No. 1 and ten other Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 singles and two No. 1 Billboard 200 solo albums. Eleven of her singles and 14 of her albums have been certified gold by the RIAA...
and Anthony Warlow
Anthony Warlow
Anthony Warlow is an Australian opera and musical theatre performer, noted for his character acting and considerable vocal range ....
. The live album recorded at the Melbourne concert went on to become a multi-platinum seller and a televised recording of the show was the most watched Australian television show of the year.
In 1999 Wheatley published his autobiography Paper Paradise which was based in part on a ribald memoir he had begun during his stint in The Masters, entitled "Who The Hell Is Judy In Sydney?".
In 2002 Wheatley promoted Farnham's last major nationwide tour, entitled "The Last Time". It was said to be the largest tour ever mounted by an Australian artist, beginning in November with the capital cities and ending in June 2003 with a tent tour of regional cities and towns.
Shortly after the eight-month tour, Wheatley made an appearance at the 2003 ARIA Awards
ARIA Music Awards of 2003
The 17th Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards were held on 21 October 2003 at the Sydney Superdome.-ARIA Awards:*Album of the Year**Powderfinger – Vulture Street...
in Sydney to induct John Farnham into the ARIA Hall of Fame.
Wheatley also managed Australian Neighbours
Neighbours
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...
actress and singer Delta Goodrem
Delta Goodrem
Delta Lea Goodrem is an Australian singer-songwriter, pianist, and actress. Signed to Sony at the age of 15, Goodrem rose to prominence in 2002, starring in the Australian soap opera Neighbours as Nina Tucker. Goodrem has achieved eight number-one singles and three number-one albums in her home...
, helping her to achieve major success, but Goodrem split with Wheatley under acrimonious circumstances in 2003.
In early 2007 he was managing Neighbours star Stephanie McIntosh
Stephanie McIntosh
Stephanie McIntosh is an Australian actress and singer. She is known for her role as Sky Mangel in the Australian soap opera Neighbours and her music career, which began with the release of her debut album Tightrope in September 2006.-Background:McIntosh attended Firbank and then Melbourne Girls...
's venture into music.
He currently manages Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
band Juke Kartel
Juke Kartel
Juke Kartel is a rock band from Melbourne, Australia. The band formed in Melbourne, Australia in the early 2000s, and since October 2007 their line-up has consisted of vocalist Toby Rand, guitarist and piano Todd Burman, guitarist and back up vocalist Dale Winters, drummer Jason Pinfold with...
Criminal convictions
In July 2007, Glenn Wheatley pleaded guilty to charges of tax evasion, and faced the possibility of up to 16 years in jail. On the 19th of July 2007, he was sentenced in the County Court to 30 months jail, with a minimum of 15 months to be served. His legal team is considering appealing the duration of the sentence."I'm ashamed of what I have done," Wheatley said in court. "It was something that I have regretted for a long, long time and I'm ashamed of what I've brought on my family, who have had to suffer a lot."
During the trial, many high-profile Australians wrote glowing character references for Wheatley, including singer John Farnham
John Farnham
John Peter Farnham, AO, formerly billed as Johnny Farnham , is an English-born Australian pop singer. He was a teen pop idol from 1964 to 1979, and has since forged a career as an adult contemporary singer. His career has mostly been as a solo artist although he briefly replaced Glenn Shorrock as...
, Sydney Swans
Sydney Swans
The Sydney Swans Football Club is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney...
chairman Richard Colless, and entertainer Bert Newton
Bert Newton
Albert Watson "Bert" Newton, AM, MBE is an Australian television personality, known for hosting television series such as In Melbourne Tonight, Good Morning Australia and 20 to 1. Newton has also hosted the Logie Awards on numerous occasions through his career.-Early life:Newton was born in...
. One reference, from army general Peter Cosgrove
Peter Cosgrove
General Peter John Cosgrove AC, MC is a retired Australian Army officer. He was the Chief of the Defence Force from 3 July 2002 to 3 July 2005, when he retired from active service...
, described Wheatley as a "very honest and upright person".
However, Commonwealth prosecutor Richard Maidment, SC, said "The fraud that was instigated (by Wheatley) can be described as sustained and sophisticated. Tax fraud is not to be seen as a victimless crime." Wheatley was released from Beechworth Correctional Centre
Beechworth Correctional Centre
The Beechworth Correctional Centre is a minimum security prison, located in Beechworth, Victoria, Australia. It was opened in January 2005 as a replacement for the now-closed HM Prison Beechworth....
on 19 May 2008, and was moved to home detention with electronic surveillance for the remainder of his sentence. Wheatley completed his detention on 18 October 2008 and immediately left for an overseas holiday.
On 14 May 2010, Wheatley was charged with drink driving after recording a blood alcohol level of 0.08 by a random breath testing unit in Rushcutters Bay, New South Wales
Rushcutters Bay, New South Wales
Rushcutters Bay is a harbourside eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Rushcutters Bay is located 3 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Sydney....
. He faced Waverley Court on 9 June 2010 and pleaded guilty. His licence was suspended for six months and he received an $850 fine.
Further reading
- Clark, John. Whispering Jack: The John Farnham Story. (1989)
- Wheatley, Glenn. Paper Paradise: Confessions of a Rock 'n' Roll Survivor. (Bantam Books, 1999)