Lonnie Lee
Encyclopedia
Lonnie Lee is an Australian singer. He was raised on sheep property in Rowena, New South Wales
and has been performing since the mid 1950s. At the peak of his career, Lee had eight national #1 hits and produced five Gold Records
. His last #1 hit was 'Sad Over Someone' (1969).
Lee got his first break in 1956 with a performance on radio 2UW's talent search, Alan Toohey's Amateur Hour where he came second. In February 1957, he won an MGM contest for 'Australia's own Elvis Presley' and in 1959 recorded his first record for Leedon Records
called Ain't it so, which he wrote with Johnny O'Keefe
and which became his first national hit. He also formed started Sydney's first Rockabilly trio. At this time, Lee made his first of many television appearances on the ABC's
rock and roll
television show Six O'Clock Rock
as well as Bandstand
compered by Brian Henderson
.
Other hits were Starlight Starbright (1959), Yes Indeed I Do (1960), I Found A New Love, Defenceless (1960). In 1961 and 1962 he made Sit Around And Talk, When The Bells Stop Ringing, Sitting By The River and Don't You Know Pretty Baby.
His last #1 record was in 1969 with his own song Sad Over Someone
Lee's recording career achieved a number of notable firsts including
In 1961 Lee was awarded a commercial radio award, the 'Golden Microphone Award' as Australia's Most Popular Recording Star.
During the 1960s and 1970s, he toured the UK and US before settling in the US from 1971 recording and writing songs. His song writing included work with Roy Orbison
, Cher
, Florence Henderson
and Glen Campbell
. In 1984 Lee returned to Australia where he re-introduced the classic Rock'n'Roll with his show ' Lonnie Lee's Rock'n'Remember Show'. He brought many of that era's stars out from their regular jobs and back onto the stage. The live show was a great success and Lonnie even had a weekly radio show of the same name. In 1984 he enticed a Sydney promoter to bring his friend Fabian
to Australia for a series of concerts and performed himself on these.
As well as performing with his band The Leemen since his return to Australia in 1984, he started his own record company Starlite Records to release his back catalogue and new material. Since then he has written many songs and released over 20 CDs.
Today he performs across Australia as Australia's most unique and raw example of a 1950's rockabilly
singer. His shows have always been very different to other performers of his era and this continues through today.
In October 2007 he toured with fellow performers Crash Craddock, Bobby Vee
and Lesley Gore
from that original Rock'n'Roll era and many still say he was the stand out on that tour. It was an historic tour as 49 years before, he had toured with Crash with The Everley Brothers and other US stars of the time.
In 2008 he launched another show titled, Lonnie Lee's CRY!. It features 20 plus songs made popular by Johnnie Ray
the first big pop star who many including Tony Bennett
say was the father of Rock'n'Roll. The show features Lonnie, his band The Leemen together with a big band.
This takes Lonnie full circle from his teenager years in the early 1950’s when he listened and sang along to these songs on the radio.
The show is not a clone show and he does not try to be Johnnie Ray
. He makes all the songs his own with all the influences that makes Lonnie Lee what he is today.
Lonnie, who takes on the role of a crooner
and a singer of pop standards and the show, receive rave reviews his management hope to take it internationally.
As well as this show he still continues to perform with his band as Lonnie Lee and the Leemen in the show The Best of Lonnie Lee.
Like other today performers, he has web sites on My Space , Facebook
and YouTube
Rowena, New South Wales
Rowena is a small town in the far north-west of New South Wales, Australia, and lies in the Walgett Shire. It serves an agricultural community which consists of both dry and irrigated cropping as well as grazing. At the 2006 census, Rowena had a population of 201 people.A public school, which...
and has been performing since the mid 1950s. At the peak of his career, Lee had eight national #1 hits and produced five Gold Records
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
. His last #1 hit was 'Sad Over Someone' (1969).
Lee got his first break in 1956 with a performance on radio 2UW's talent search, Alan Toohey's Amateur Hour where he came second. In February 1957, he won an MGM contest for 'Australia's own Elvis Presley' and in 1959 recorded his first record for Leedon Records
Leedon Records
Leedon Records was an Australian record label active from 1958 to 1969. It was founded by American entrepreneur Lee Gordon in early 1958.-Establishment and early releases:...
called Ain't it so, which he wrote with Johnny O'Keefe
Johnny O'Keefe
John Michael O'Keefe, known as Johnny O'Keefe was an Australian rock and roll singer whose career began in the 1950s. Some of his hits include "Wild One" , "Shout!" and "She's My Baby"...
and which became his first national hit. He also formed started Sydney's first Rockabilly trio. At this time, Lee made his first of many television appearances on the ABC's
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
television show Six O'Clock Rock
Six O'Clock Rock
Six O'Clock Rock was an Australian Rock and Roll television show which showed on ABC Television from 28 February 1959 to 1962 and was broadcast at 6PM on Saturday evenings....
as well as Bandstand
Bandstand (Australia)
Bandstand was an Australian musical/variety television show which screened from November 1958 to 1972. It was produced at the studios of TCN-9 in Sydney and eventually became a national program as Nine Network expanded into other Australian cities in the early 1960s.Bandstand was created by Nine...
compered by Brian Henderson
Brian Henderson
Brian Weir Henderson AM is a New Zealand-born Australian television personality and news-reader.-Career:Henderson hosted the Australian version of Bandstand from 1958 until 1972...
.
Other hits were Starlight Starbright (1959), Yes Indeed I Do (1960), I Found A New Love, Defenceless (1960). In 1961 and 1962 he made Sit Around And Talk, When The Bells Stop Ringing, Sitting By The River and Don't You Know Pretty Baby.
His last #1 record was in 1969 with his own song Sad Over Someone
Lee's recording career achieved a number of notable firsts including
- the first Australian to have a full colour album cover;
- the first Australian to record a stereo album;
- the first Australian to have a double sided #1 record; and
- the first Australian to have a #1 from an album
In 1961 Lee was awarded a commercial radio award, the 'Golden Microphone Award' as Australia's Most Popular Recording Star.
During the 1960s and 1970s, he toured the UK and US before settling in the US from 1971 recording and writing songs. His song writing included work with Roy Orbison
Roy Orbison
Roy 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...
, Cher
Cher
Cher is an American recording artist, television personality, actress, director, record producer and philanthropist. Referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes and a Cannes Film Festival Award among others for her work in...
, Florence Henderson
Florence Henderson
Florence Agnes Henderson is an American actress and singer. She is perhaps best known for her role of Carol Brady on the ABC sitcom The Brady Bunch from 1969 to 1974...
and Glen Campbell
Glen Campbell
Glen Travis Campbell is an American country music singer, guitarist, television host and occasional actor. He is best known for a series of hits in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as for hosting a variety show called The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour on CBS television.During his 50 years in show...
. In 1984 Lee returned to Australia where he re-introduced the classic Rock'n'Roll with his show ' Lonnie Lee's Rock'n'Remember Show'. He brought many of that era's stars out from their regular jobs and back onto the stage. The live show was a great success and Lonnie even had a weekly radio show of the same name. In 1984 he enticed a Sydney promoter to bring his friend Fabian
Fabian
-People:*Fabian Månsson, , Swedish socialist*Fabian , , 1950s American teen idol and singer*Fabian Bachrach, an American photographer*Fabian Cancellara, , Swiss professional road cyclist...
to Australia for a series of concerts and performed himself on these.
As well as performing with his band The Leemen since his return to Australia in 1984, he started his own record company Starlite Records to release his back catalogue and new material. Since then he has written many songs and released over 20 CDs.
Today he performs across Australia as Australia's most unique and raw example of a 1950's rockabilly
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
singer. His shows have always been very different to other performers of his era and this continues through today.
In October 2007 he toured with fellow performers Crash Craddock, Bobby Vee
Bobby Vee
Robert Thomas Velline , known as Bobby Vee, is an American pop music singer. According to Billboard magazine, Vee has had 38 Hot 100 chart hits, 10 of which hit the Top 20.-Career:...
and Lesley Gore
Lesley Gore
Lesley Gore is an American singer. She is perhaps best known for her 1963 pop hit "It's My Party", which she recorded at the age of 16. Following the hit, she became one of the most recognized teen pop singers of the 1960s.- Biography :Gore was born in New York City, New York. She was raised in...
from that original Rock'n'Roll era and many still say he was the stand out on that tour. It was an historic tour as 49 years before, he had toured with Crash with The Everley Brothers and other US stars of the time.
In 2008 he launched another show titled, Lonnie Lee's CRY!. It features 20 plus songs made popular by Johnnie Ray
Johnnie Ray
Johnnie Ray was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Popular for most of the 1950s, Ray has been cited by critics as a major precursor of what would become rock and roll, for his jazz and blues-influenced music and his animated stage personality.-Early life:John Alvin Ray was born in...
the first big pop star who many including Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett is an American singer of popular music, standards, show tunes, and jazz....
say was the father of Rock'n'Roll. The show features Lonnie, his band The Leemen together with a big band.
This takes Lonnie full circle from his teenager years in the early 1950’s when he listened and sang along to these songs on the radio.
The show is not a clone show and he does not try to be Johnnie Ray
Johnnie Ray
Johnnie Ray was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Popular for most of the 1950s, Ray has been cited by critics as a major precursor of what would become rock and roll, for his jazz and blues-influenced music and his animated stage personality.-Early life:John Alvin Ray was born in...
. He makes all the songs his own with all the influences that makes Lonnie Lee what he is today.
Lonnie, who takes on the role of a crooner
Crooner
Crooner is an American epithet given to male singers of pop standards, mostly from the Great American Songbook, either backed by a full orchestra, a big band or by a piano. Originally it was an ironic term denoting an emphatically sentimental, often emotional singing style made possible by the use...
and a singer of pop standards and the show, receive rave reviews his management hope to take it internationally.
As well as this show he still continues to perform with his band as Lonnie Lee and the Leemen in the show The Best of Lonnie Lee.
Like other today performers, he has web sites on My Space , Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
and YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....