Rock The House

JOHN PAUL YOUNG is Australia’s reigning King of Pop – he took the crown in 1978, the last year the title was awarded. As his great mate Ian “Molly” Meldrum says, it’s a title he deserves. Working closely with the legendary songwriting and production team Vanda & Young, JPY dominated the pop charts in the ’70s, scoring 12 Top 40 hits, including the classics ‘Love Is In The Air’ (which peaked at #3 in 1977 and 1992), ‘Yesterday’s Hero’ and ‘I Hate The Music’. ‘Love Is In The Air’ also hit the Top 10 in the US and UK, and JPY had five Top 10 hits in South Africa, including two number one singles. JPY, aka “Squeak”, was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2009. And in 2012 he was awarded the Order of Australia (OAM) for his services to charity and the music industry. He released his memoir, JPY, The Autobiography, in 2019.

ROSS WILSON was still in high school when he formed his first band in 1964, The Pink Finks, who had a hit in Melbourne with their cover of ‘Louie Louie’. Since then, Ross has been at the forefront of the Australian music scene. In Daddy Cool, he wrote and sang the longest-running local chart-topper of all time, ‘Eagle Rock’, which spent 10 weeks at number one. After DC, Ross produced the first three Skyhooks albums, before forming Mondo Rock, who had nine Top 40 hits, including the classics ‘Come Said The Boy’, ‘Cool World’ and ‘State Of The Heart’. Ross’s songs have been covered by John Farnham (‘A Touch of Paradise’), Joe Cocker (his final single was a cover of ‘I Come In Peace’, written by Ross and The Angels’ Rick Brewster) and The Wiggles (their version of ‘Eagle Rock’ featured Ross as “King Mondo”). Ross is also one of the few artists to have twice been inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame (solo in 1989, and with Daddy Cool in 2006). When Mondo Rock are inevitably inducted, he will be our first triple Hall of Famer.

GLENN SHORROCK is the only Australian artist to have had Top 10 hits with three bands and as a solo artist. His career highlights include six Top 10 hits in the US with Little River Band, fronting the first Australian-based band to have a gold album in the US, working with Sir George Martin, and touring as a backing singer with Cliff Richard. He also wrote LRB’s only Australian number one single, ‘Help Is On Its Way’. When Glenn moved from Adelaide to Melbourne with The Twilights, his dad said, “Good luck, son. I’ll see you when you get back.” More than 50 years later, Glenn is still on the road. As well as LRB, Glenn has had Top 10 hits with The Twilights (including ‘Needle In A Haystack’ and ‘What’s Wrong With The Way I Live’), Axiom and solo. He’s been inducted twice into the ARIA Hall of Fame – solo in 1991 and with LRB in 2004. Glenn released his autobiography in 2018, Now, Where Was I?

RUSSELL MORRIS is proof that some rock lives do have a second act. At the age of 64, Russell scored his first Top 10 album – 46 years after his first release. It’s been a remarkable career. After three singles with Melbourne band Somebody’s Image in the ’60s, including a hit cover of ‘Hush’, Russell launched his solo career with the iconic ‘The Real Thing’, written by Johnny Young and produced by Ian “Molly” Meldrum. Some more unforgettable hits followed, including ‘Part Three Into Paper Walls’, ‘The Girl That I Love’, ‘Sweet, Sweet Love’ and ‘Wings Of An Eagle’. Following his Aussie blues trilogy – 2012’s Sharkmouth, 2014’s Van Diemen’s Land and 2015’s Red Dirt – Red Heart – Russell released a new solo album in 2019, Black and Blue Heart, which entered the Australian charts at #12. Russell was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2008 and was the second inductee into the Australian Songwriters Hall of Fame, in 2005.

KATE CEBERANO is the only artist to have won ARIA Awards, Countdown Awards, a Logie and Dancing With The Stars. Kate was still a teenager when her recording career started with I’m Talking in the ’80s. After one celebrated album, 1986’s Bear Witness (one of The 100 Best Australian Albums), Kate embarked on a chart-topping solo career. Her biggest hit, ‘Bedroom Eyes’, was 1989’s highest-selling Australian single. In 2014, Kate became the first woman to be inducted into the Australian Songwriters Hall of Fame, and she was honoured with the Order of Australia (AM) in 2016. Kate’s most recent releases include the 2019 album Tryst with Paul Grabowsky, and the single ‘Monument City Lights, 1973’ with Steve Kilbey and Sean Sennett. Kate’s memoir, I’m Talking, was released in 2014.

BRIAN CADD made his chart debut in 1967 with Melbourne band The Groop, who cracked the Top 10 with Brian’s classic ‘Woman You’re Breaking Me’. Brian then teamed up with best mate Glenn Shorrock to form Axiom, who had Top 10 entries with ‘Arkansas Grass’ and ‘A Little Ray of Sunshine’. A string of solo hits followed, including ‘Ginger Man’ and the Alvin Purple theme. Brian has also written hits for other Aussie acts, including The Masters Apprentices’ ‘Elevator Driver’, Robin Jolley’s ‘Marshall’s Portable Music Machine’ and John Farnham’s ‘Don’t You Know It’s Magic’. Internationally, Brian’s songs have been recorded by Ringo Starr, Joe Cocker, Glen Campbell, The Pointer Sisters, Bonnie Tyler, Charlie Daniels, Cilla Black and Gene Pitney. Brian was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2007. And in 2018, he was honoured with the Order of Australia (AM). Brian released an acclaimed new album, Silver City, in 2019, showcasing his Americana influences. His life story, From This Side of Things, was published in 2010.

Presented by Phil Bathols and Tim Woods.