Johnny Young is an Australian singer, composer, record producer, disc jockey, television producer and host. Originally from Netherlands, his family settled in
Perth, Western AustraliaPerth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
in the early 1950s. Young had a career in the 1960s as a pop singer and had a number one hit with the double-A-side, "Step Back" and "Cara-lyn" in 1966. As a composer, he penned number one hits, "
The Real Thing"The Real Thing" is a song originally recorded by Australian singer Russell Morris in 1969. His version, which was produced by Ian "Molly" Meldrum and written by Johnny Young, was a huge hit in Australia and has become an Australian rock classic...
" and "The Girl That I Love" for
Russell MorrisRussell Norman Morris is an Australian singer-songwriter who had five Australian Top 10 singles during the late 1960s and early 1970s...
, "The Star" for
Ross D. Wylie and "I Thank You" for
Lionel RoseLionel Edmund Rose MBE was an Australian bantamweight boxer, the first Indigenous Australian to win a world title.-Early life:...
. He presented and produced the popular television show,
Young Talent TimeYoung Talent Time is an Australian television variety program screened on Network Ten, running from 1971 until 1988. The series features a core group of young performers in the vein of The Mickey Mouse Club, and a weekly junior talent quest. The "Young Talent Team" regularly performed popular...
, which screened on
Network TenNetwork Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
from 1971 to 1988 – it launched the careers of teen pop stars
Jamie RedfernJamie Redfern born 9 April 1957, is an Australian television presenter and pop singer. Redfern was a founding member of the Australian show Young Talent Time and currently presents Jamie Redfern's Rascals, which can be viewed on Aurora TV. He is also the director of the Australian Showbusiness...
,
Debra Byrne-Career:Byrne made her television debut on Brian and the Juniors, an early predecessor of Young Talent Time, which was hosted by a young Brian Naylor. She stayed with the show for 12 months. In 1971 she was cast as one of the original six Young Talent Time cast members...
,
Dannii MinogueDanielle Jane "Dannii" Minogue is an Australian singer-songwriter, actress, television personality, radio personality, fashion designer and model...
and
Tina ArenaFilippina Lydia "Tina" Arena is an Australian singer, songwriter and musical theatre actress. She has won several awards, most notably 6 ARIA Awards and in both 1996 and 2000 she received the World Music Award for the world's best selling Australian artist...
– typically each episode closed with a sing-along rendition of
The BeatlesThe 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...
song "
All My Loving"All My Loving" is a song by The Beatles, written by Paul McCartney , from the 1963 album With The Beatles. Though it was not released as a single in the United Kingdom or the United States, it drew considerable radio airplay, prompting EMI to issue it as the title track of an EP...
".
On 9 March
1990The 32nd Annual TV Week Logie Awards were presented on Friday 9 March 1990 at the Hyatt on Collins in Melbourne and broadcast on the Network Ten...
, Young was inducted into the
TV WeekTV Week is a weekly television magazine in Australia, first published as a Melbourne-only publication in December 1957 , and bearing a strong affiliation to television station GTV.The publication is still publishing weekly...
Logie Awards'
Hall of FameThe TV Week Logie Awards are the Australian television industry awards, which have been presented annually since 1959. Renamed by Graham Kennedy in 1960 after he won the first 'Star Of The Year' award, the name 'Logie' awards honours John Logie Baird, a Scotsman who invented the television as a...
. On 27 October 2010, he was inducted into the
Australian Recording Industry AssociationThe Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
(ARIA)
Hall of FameSince 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...
by Arena who performed his song, "The Star". He is the first, and so far only, person to be inducted in both halls.
Early life
Johnny Young was born as Johnny Benjamin de Jong on 12 March 1947 in
RotterdamRotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
, The Netherlands. Fokke Jan de Jong (22 March 1914–1989), was in the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army and served in
IndonesiaIndonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
after World War II. Young's mother, Anna W (20 July 1913–1989), had an affair with a musician and Young was conceived. Young was raised as the youngest son of Fokke and Anna, his half-siblings are Cornellia (born 13 February 1936), Antonia (born 22 August 1937) and Ferdinand (born 13 November 1944). Their father was still in Indonesia until Young was two years old. The family migrated to Western Australia and settled in the Perth Hills suburb of
Kalamunda-Transport:Kalamunda Road serves as a major access road for Perth Airport, and provides the foothills suburbs with access to the Perth central business district....
, in the early 1950s. Fokke worked as a welder on industrial projects including Kwinana Oil Refinery, his mother was in a choir and inspired his early interest in music.
Anna took Young to Saturday morning radio shows for children and he would sing along. He performed solo songs wearing a specially made jacket. After leaving school, he worked as a trainee disc jockey and started singing at local dances. From the age of 14, for 18 months he was lead vocalist of The Nomads, later known as The Strangers (not the Melbourne group,
The StrangersThe Strangers was a Melbourne based Australian band that existed from 1961 to 1975. The band started out playing instrumental songs in a style similar to The Shadows with influences from Cliff Richard. The original lineup included Peter Robinson , Graeme Thompson , Laurie Arthur and Fred Weiland...
), which comprised Young, John Eddy (guitar), Warwick Findlay (drums), Don Prior (bass guitar) and Tony Summers (guitar).
Pop singer
At eighteen-years-old, Young was host of
TVW-7TVW is a television station broadcasting in Perth, Western Australia, wholly owned by the Seven Network. It was the first television station in Western Australia, commencing service on 16 October 1959. It broadcasts analogue on VHF 7 and digital on VHF 6 from Bickley located in the Perth Hills...
Perth television pop music show
Club Seventeen in early 1965. As Johnny Young & the Strangers he released two singles, "Club Seventeen"/"Oh Johnny, No" and "No Other Love"/"Heigh Ho", both on the 7-Teen label. Young then signed with Clarion Records, a Perth based label run by Martin Clarke. In a interview Clarke said "We just got together and he said he wanted to make a national hit and branch out, he was very ambitious." Clarke, armed with his recordings of Young, went to Sydney and secured a deal with Festival Records to have the Clarion label manufactured and distributed throughout Australia.
The following year he formed Johnny Young & Kompany, as lead vocalist he was backed by Eddy (guitar), Findlay (drums), Summers (guitar) and Jim Griffiths (bass). After performing as supporting act to
The EasybeatsThe Easybeats were an Australian rock and roll band. They formed in Sydney in late 1964 and broke up at the end of 1969. They are regarded as the greatest Australian pop band of the 1960s, and were the first Australian rock and roll act to score an international pop hit with their 1966 single...
in early 1966, Young recorded "Step Back", which was co-written by The Easybeats' members Stevie Wright and George Young (no relation). The single was released in May 1966 as a double-A-side with his cover version of "Cara-Lyn", originally by
The StrangelovesThe Strangeloves were the creation of an American songwriting/production team in the 1960s who were from New York, but pretended to be from Australia. Their biggest hits were "I Want Candy," "Cara-Lin" and "Night Time"....
. The release peaked at number one on the
Go-SetGo-Set was the first Australian pop music newspaper, published weekly from 2 February 1966 to 24 August 1974, and was founded in Melbourne by Phillip Frazer, Peter Raphael and Tony Schauble...
National Top 40 in November. It was one of the biggest-selling Australian singles of the 1960s, behind
Normie RoweNorman John "Normie" Rowe AM was a major male solo performer of Australian pop music in the 1960s. Known for his bright and edgy tenor voice and dynamic stage presence, many of Rowe's most successful recordings were produced by Pat Aulton, house producer for the Sunshine Records, Spin Records and...
's "Que Sera Sera"/"Shakin' All Over". In October, his EP
Let It Be Me went to number four on
Go-Set National Top 40.
Johnny Young & Kompany moved to Melbourne in mid-1966, Mick Wade (ex-The Vibrants) joined on guitar and organ. Young was interviewed by
Go-Set writer,
Ian "Molly" MeldrumIan Alexander "Molly" Meldrum AM is an Australian popular music critic, journalist, record producer , and musical entrepreneur...
for their 13 July issue. Later that year Young compered the short-lived television pop show
Too Much and in 1967 he hosted
The Go!! ShowThe Go!! Show was a top rating Australian popular music television series which aired on ATV-0 Melbourne from 1964 to 1967, and was produced by DYT Productions at the Channel 0 studios in Nunawading, Victoria....
, following the resignation of
Ian TurpieIan "Turps" Turpie is an Australian television celebrity, best known for hosting the long-running game show The Price Is Right before being replaced by Larry Emdur.-Early life:...
. In January the band released covers of the Everly Brothers' hits "
When Will I Be Loved?"When Will I Be Loved" is a popular song, written by Phil Everly of the Everly Brothers and a #8 hit single for that duo in the summer of 1960. The track had been recorded in 1959 while the Everly Brothers were contracted to Cadence Records; by 1960 they had moved to Warner Brothers and recording...
" /"Kiss Me Now" as another double-A-sided single which peaked at number three. He disbanded Kompany to go solo and supported
Roy OrbisonRoy Kelton Orbison was an American singer-songwriter, well known for his distinctive, powerful voice, complex compositions, and dark emotional ballads. Orbison grew up in Texas and began singing in a rockabilly/country & western band in high school until he was signed by Sun Records in Memphis...
,
The Walker BrothersThe Walker Brothers were an American 1960s and 1970s pop group, comprising Scott Engel , John Walker , and Gary Leeds...
,
The Mixtures-Biography:Australian musicians Terry Dean and Rod De Clerk met in Tasmania in 1965. They then met Laurie Arthur, a member of The Strangers, and the three decided to form a band together after a jam session. They quickly signed to EMI that same year and released three singles. They went through...
and
The Yardbirds- Current :* Chris Dreja - rhythm guitar, backing vocals * Jim McCarty - drums, backing vocals * Ben King - lead guitar * David Smale - bass, backing vocals...
at the
Festival Hall, MelbourneFestival Hall is a concert and sporting venue, located at 300 Dudley Street, West Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is one of Melbourne's larger concert venues and has hosted a variety of local and international acts over many years....
on
Australia DayAustralia Day is the official national day of Australia...
(26 January). While touring in Brisbane he met
Barry GibbBarry Alan Crompton Gibb, CBE , is a singer, songwriter and producer. He was born in the Isle of Man to English parents. With his brothers Robin and Maurice, he formed The Bee Gees, one of the most successful pop groups of all time. The trio got their start in Australia, and found their major...
of The Bee Gees and provided Gibb with airfare to Sydney for a television spot. Another hit for Young was his slower version of
The BeatlesThe 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...
' track "
All My Loving"All My Loving" is a song by The Beatles, written by Paul McCartney , from the 1963 album With The Beatles. Though it was not released as a single in the United Kingdom or the United States, it drew considerable radio airplay, prompting EMI to issue it as the title track of an EP...
" which reached number four nationally in May; it later became his
signature songA signature song is the one song that a popular and well-established singer or band is most closely identified with or best known for, even if they have had success with a variety of songs...
.
Young won a
LogieThe TV Week Logie Awards are the Australian television industry awards, which have been presented annually since 1959. Renamed by Graham Kennedy in 1960 after he won the first 'Star Of The Year' award, the name 'Logie' awards honours John Logie Baird, a Scotsman who invented the television as a...
for 'Best Teenage Personality' in 1967 for his work on
The Go!! Show. On 9 August
Go-Set published its annual pop poll and Young was voted third 'Most Popular Male' behind Ronnie Burns and Rowe. However the show was axed by mid-year and he relocated to London where he shared a flat with Gibb. In July, he released "Lady", written by Gibb especially for him, which reached the Top 40. "Craise Finton Kirk", written by Barry and
Robin GibbRobin Hugh Gibb, CBE is a British singer and songwriter. He is best known as a member of the Bee Gees, co-founded with his twin brother Maurice , and elder brother Barry....
, was released in August and peaked at number 14. It was followed by "Every Christian Lion Hearted Man Will Show You", written by Barry, Robin and
Maurice GibbMaurice Ernest Gibb, CBE was a musician, singer-songwriter and record producer. He was born on the Isle of Man, the twin brother of Robin Gibb, and younger brother to Barry. He is best known as a member of the singing/songwriting trio the Bee Gees, formed with his brothers...
, but did not chart. Young briefly returned to Perth in September and teamed up with drummer Danny Finley (ex-MPD Ltd), they both flew to London to form Danny's Word with Rob Alexander on guitar, Mike Manners on organ and Peter Piper on bass guitar. Young returned to Australia in January 1968 and released, "Unconscientious Objector". In April he became a drive time radio DJ for Melbourne's 3XY and released his last Top 40 single, "It's a Sunny Day". Subsequent singles did not reach the Top 40, Young became a news and gossip writer for
Go-Set from December 1968 to August 1969.
Songwriter
While sharing a flat with Barry Gibb in London in late 1967, Young was encouraged to write songs, Gibb taught him that "there are no rules in song-writing, there is a structure, but what you need to do is find the 'hook', and it could be in the melody, the chorus, the words or even an identifiable riff, and that can be the difference in writing a hit record." During 1968, back in Australia, Young wrote "
The Real Thing"The Real Thing" is a song originally recorded by Australian singer Russell Morris in 1969. His version, which was produced by Ian "Molly" Meldrum and written by Johnny Young, was a huge hit in Australia and has become an Australian rock classic...
" as a reaction against Coca-Cola's jingle, "Coke is the real thing", with the idea that it would be a ballad for his friend and fellow pop star Burns. Young was practising the song in a dressing room during taping of TV pop music show,
Uptight, when fellow
Go-Set writer, Meldrum, heard it. Meldrum was also manager for a newly solo artist,
Russell MorrisRussell Norman Morris is an Australian singer-songwriter who had five Australian Top 10 singles during the late 1960s and early 1970s...
(ex-Somebody's Image), and wanted the song. Morris recorded the song with Meldrum producing, it became a seminal Australian psychedelic pop song in 1969. It peaked at number one in May and was number one on
Go-Set Top Records for the Year of 1969. It was later covered by
Kylie MinogueKylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...
and by
Midnight OilMidnight Oil , were an Australian rock band from Sydney originally performing as Farm from 1972 with drummer Rob Hirst, bass guitarist Andrew James and keyboard player/lead guitarist Jim Moginie...
. Young's next song for Morris, "The Girl That I Love", was released as a double-A-side with "Part Three into Paper Walls" (co-written by Morris and Young) and reached number one in October.
TV pop music show,
Uptight, was hosted by
Ross D. Wylie who recorded the Young-penned, "The Star" – it was later covered by Herman's Hermits as "Here Comes the Star" – which replaced "The Girl That I Love" at number one in November. It had been written to describe the loneliness associated with fame in show business. Young also wrote and produced hits for Burns including "Smiley", which peaked at number two in February 1970. It described their mutual friend, Rowe, who had been conscripted to serve in the
Vietnam WarThe Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. Rowe recorded his own version on
Missing in Action (2007). Young wrote "I Thank You" for former boxing champion
Lionel RoseLionel Edmund Rose MBE was an Australian bantamweight boxer, the first Indigenous Australian to win a world title.-Early life:...
which reached number one in March. It was used by comedy duo,
Roy and HGRoy & HG is an Australian comedy duo, comprising Greig Pickhaver in the role of "H [Harry] G Nelson" and John Doyle as "'Rampaging' Roy Slaven". Their act is an affectionate but irreverent parody of Australia's obsession with sport. Their characters based on archetypes in sports journalism: Nelson...
, for their calls of football grand finals in the 1990s. On 11 July 1970,
Go-Set pop poll voted Young as most popular 'Composer' of the year and in 1971 he finished second behind Morris.
Young Talent Time
In 1970, Young formed a production company with Kevin Lewis (former Festival Records executive), Lewis-Young Productions, which developed the pop music television show
Happening '70 – hosted by Wylie – for the ATV-0 channel, it was subsequently followed by
Happening '71 and
Happening '72. Lewis-Young Productions also developed
Young Talent TimeYoung Talent Time is an Australian television variety program screened on Network Ten, running from 1971 until 1988. The series features a core group of young performers in the vein of The Mickey Mouse Club, and a weekly junior talent quest. The "Young Talent Team" regularly performed popular...
from April 1971, a children's variety show and talent quest with Young as host. Regular cast members were known as the Young Talent Team, the show was a launching pad for several Australian performers including
Jamie RedfernJamie Redfern born 9 April 1957, is an Australian television presenter and pop singer. Redfern was a founding member of the Australian show Young Talent Time and currently presents Jamie Redfern's Rascals, which can be viewed on Aurora TV. He is also the director of the Australian Showbusiness...
,
Debra Byrne-Career:Byrne made her television debut on Brian and the Juniors, an early predecessor of Young Talent Time, which was hosted by a young Brian Naylor. She stayed with the show for 12 months. In 1971 she was cast as one of the original six Young Talent Time cast members...
,
Dannii MinogueDanielle Jane "Dannii" Minogue is an Australian singer-songwriter, actress, television personality, radio personality, fashion designer and model...
and
Tina ArenaFilippina Lydia "Tina" Arena is an Australian singer, songwriter and musical theatre actress. She has won several awards, most notably 6 ARIA Awards and in both 1996 and 2000 she received the World Music Award for the world's best selling Australian artist...
. The directors were Garry Dunstan and Terry Higgins. Each episode typically ended with Young and the team singing "All My Loving" as a lullaby. Young established the Johnny Young Talent School for performance arts in 1979, some of its students became contestants and regulars on
Young Talent Time. 2004
Australian IdolAustralian Idol is a Logie Award-winning Australian singing competition, which began its first season on July 2003 and ended its run in November 2009. As part of the Idol franchise, Australian Idol originated from the reality program Pop Idol, which was created by British entertainment executive...
runner-up
Anthony CalleaAnthony Cosmo Callea is an Australian singer-songwriter who rose to prominence in the 2004 season of Australian Idol when he became runner up. He was signed to Sony Music Australia until 2009 and is now an independent artist...
trained with the school, as did the 2008 winner, Wes Carr.
As well as producing the television series, Lewis-Young Productions distributed related merchandise including records on their own label (L&Y), books and magazines, a board game and a set of chewing gum cards. In 1972,
Caravan Holiday, a short film, featured the original six Young Talent Team members with cameos by pop star
Johnny FarnhamJohn 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...
and long term judge Evie Hayes. Young was cast in multiple roles as a Service Station Attendant, Farmer, Speed Boat Attendant and Camping Park Manager.
In 1989, Ten Network (formerly ATV-0), axed
Young Talent Time quoting poor ratings against the popular variety series
Hey Hey Its Saturday. Young had committed to building his own television studios to film
Young Talent Time and was forced to sell his family home to finance the debts. During the year his stepfather died and, with his mother, he tracked down his biological father. Soon after his mother also died, and his marriage was in trouble. On 9 March
1990The 32nd Annual TV Week Logie Awards were presented on Friday 9 March 1990 at the Hyatt on Collins in Melbourne and broadcast on the Network Ten...
, Young was inducted into the
TV WeekTV Week is a weekly television magazine in Australia, first published as a Melbourne-only publication in December 1957 , and bearing a strong affiliation to television station GTV.The publication is still publishing weekly...
Logie Awards'
Hall of FameThe TV Week Logie Awards are the Australian television industry awards, which have been presented annually since 1959. Renamed by Graham Kennedy in 1960 after he won the first 'Star Of The Year' award, the name 'Logie' awards honours John Logie Baird, a Scotsman who invented the television as a...
for "an outstanding and sustained contribution to Australian television."
From 24 October 2006, weekly magazine
New IdeaNew Idea is a long-running Australian weekly magazine published by Pacific Magazines and aimed at women.-History:The magazine was first published in 1902 by Fitchett Bros. Southdown Magazines purchased Fitchett Bros...
featured articles on Byrne's autobiography,
Not Quite Ripe, which alleged that from the age of 12 she was introduced to sex, drugs and alcohol on
Young Talent Time. The claims were vigorously denied by Young, he stated that Byrne was already 14 when she started and that drugs were not available on set, "Any drug-taking Debra did, she certainly didn't do it on our show." He said no-one on the show was aware of her affair with "Michael", a boom operator ten years her senior. According to Byrne the pair had run off together for a weekend when she was 15. A producer for the show had "Michael" replaced as boom operator. Byrne also claimed that her parents knew of her relationship with "Michael".
In 2009, Young indicated that he was in talks with Network Ten to create an updated version of
Young Talent TimeYoung Talent Time is an Australian television variety program screened on Network Ten, running from 1971 until 1988. The series features a core group of young performers in the vein of The Mickey Mouse Club, and a weekly junior talent quest. The "Young Talent Team" regularly performed popular...
. The new series will launch in early 2012 and will be hosted by
Rob MillsRob Mills is an Australian singer best known as one of the finalists from Australian Idol 2003. He was a co-host on the late-night quiz show The Mint as well as a regular singer on the game show The Singing Bee both on the Nine Network...
, with Young serving as executive producer and judge.
Philippines controversy
In the early 1990s, Young learned that Terry Higgins, a former
Young Talent Time studio director, had contracted
HIVHuman immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
. By 1993, Young had financially supported Higgins who sought alternative
Ozone therapyOzone in the stratosphere deflects harmful solar radiation, but ground level ozone has well-studied and cumulative deleterious health effects. The use of ozone therapy is advocated as a form of alternative medicine but there is no scientific evidence supporting its use in treatment of specific...
. Young was arrested in the
PhilippinesThe Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
under charges of involvement in running an illegal
AIDSAcquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
clinic after accompanying Higgins there. Young was tested for AIDS and threatened with deportation. Subsequently all charges were dropped, but Young's public image was damaged by media coverage of rumours regarding his sexuality. ABC Television produced an episode on
Australian StoryAustralian Story is a national weekly documentary series, produced and broadcast on ABC Television.Since 1996 Australian Story has featured many Australians from diverse backgrounds and reputations...
in February 2000 in which he discussed the events and their effect on his life and career. A year after seeking the Ozone therapy, Higgins died with Young still supporting him.
Later career
After
Young Talent Time, Young continued in entertainment, he worked as a radio
disc jockeyA disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
and occasionally performed live. In 1999 he produced
Cavalcade of Stars for
FoxtelFoxtel is an Australian pay television company, operating cable, direct broadcast satellite television and IPTV services. It was formed in 1995 through a joint venture established between Telstra and News Corporation....
including repackaging segments of
Young Talent Time and showcasing new Australian bands. On 24 December he married Rose McKimmie and they lived in a rural cottage in Victoria.
In December 2000, Young relocated to Perth to become the breakfast host on Perth AM station 6IX. During 2001 to 2004, he periodically performed with Rowe,
Buddy EnglandBuddy England , was a former member of The Seekers, replacing Bruce Woodley and stayed with them from 1973–1977. He was also a member of the Mixtures from June 1969 – March 1970....
(ex-
The SeekersThe 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...
, The Mixtures) and Marcie Jones (
Marcie and The CookiesMarcie & The Cookies were an Australian musical ensemble, made up of Marcie Jones and the three Cook sisters. The all girl, vocal only group, were a rarity in Australia’s “mod” music scene of the 1960s, dominated as it was by all male rock bands and solo artists.-Personnel:* Marcie Jones *...
) as the 'Legends of Sixties Rock' at venues across Australia – all four had appeared on
The Go-Show. While living in Perth, Young established a new outlet for his Johnny Young Talent School franchise. In 2001, the 30th anniversary of
Young Talent Time was celebrated by Network Ten with a special documentary,
Young Talent Time Tells All, which was followed on 4 November by a reunion party for former cast members. Young attended with his daughter Anna – who had appeared on the show. Back in Perth, Young hosted
The Pet Show on
ABC televisionABC Television is a service of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation launched in 1956. As a public broadcasting broadcaster, the ABC provides four non-commercial channels within Australia, and a partially advertising-funded satellite channel overseas....
in 2006.
On 27 October 2010, Johnny Young was inducted into the
Australian Recording Industry AssociationThe Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
(ARIA)
Hall of FameSince 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...
. On news of his impending induction Young said "I have always felt like the luckiest kid on the block to be able to continue working in the music industry for 50 years in so many areas when basically I am just a rock and roller. To receive this honor is the cherry on an amazing cake. I am very grateful to all those who supported and encouraged me." Young was inducted by Tina Arena, a former Young Talent Team member, who performed his song, "Here Comes the Star" as a musical tribute. Contemporary pop group,
Short StackShort Stack is a band from Budgewoi Short Stack is a band from Budgewoi Short Stack is a band from Budgewoi (on the 'Central Coast', New South Wales, Australia. The band consists of members, Shaun Diviney (lead vocals, electric guitar), Andy Clemmensen (backing vocals, bass), and Bradie Webb...
performed Young's version of "Cara-Lyn"
Personal life
Young was raised as the son of Fokke Jan de Jong and his wife Anna, they already had three children Cornelia, Antonia and Ferdinand. His mother had an affair while her husband was stationed in Indonesia, Young's biological father was a singer. When Young was in his 40s he met him and found that he had three other half-siblings. His first marriage, from early 1970s, was to Cathy and they had two daughters.
Both his mother and step-father died in 1989 and his marriage to Kathy ended by 1995. Young married Rose McKimmie on 24 December 1999 in Bali, they lived in a cottage about an hour-and-half from Melbourne. Young has three children, Craig, Anna and Fleur; seven grand children, 2 boys and 5 girls; and one great grand daughter.
Anna is a singing and dancing teacher for seniors at The Johnny Young Talent School after studying at Melbourne Conservatorium of Music and performing in musical theatre.
Albums
- Young Johnny (Johnny Young & Kompany) - Festival (1966)
- Johnny Young's Golden LP (Johnny Young & Kompany) - Clarion (MCL 32124) (1966)
- It's a Wonderful World - Clarion (MCL 32234) (1967)
- Surprises - Clarion (MCL 32752) (1968)
- The Young Man and His Music - Festival (L 34343) (1971)
- A Musical Portrait - L&Y (L 25071) (1973)
- The Best of Johnny Young - Calendar (L-15086) (1974)
EPs
- Let It Be Me (Johnny Young & Kompany) - Clarion (MCX 11205) (1966)
- Kiss Me Now (Johnny Young & Kompany) - Clarion (MCX 11246) (1966)
- All My Loving - Clarion (MCX 11251) (April 1967)
- Craise Finton Kirk - Clarion (MCX 11379) (1968)
Singles
External links