John Harley Weston

Last updated

John Harley Weston
JHWimageWikipedia.jpg
Background information
Birth nameJohn Higgins
Born (1967-04-24) 24 April 1967 (age 57)
Origin Glasgow, Scotland
Genres Rock/Folk music/Blues/Alt Country
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter and musician
Years active20
LabelsIndependent (Polydor, Festival)
Website http://www.johnharleyweston.com

John Harley Weston (born 24 April 1967) is a Scottish-born Australian based singer-songwriter, who also plays a variety of instruments including guitar, keyboards and piano accordion [1] and, in 2005, won the Australian National Songwriting Contest [2] (rock category) with the song "Last Days of Summer" from his 2004 album, Hope Harbour. [3]

Contents

Career

Born in Glasgow, John Higgins grew up in the East Ayrshire town of Stewarton and subsequently immigrated to the Tamborine Mountain region in the southeastern part of Australian state of Queensland. Using the performing name John Harley Weston, he has been a professional musician since 1990. He won the 2005 Australian National Songwriting Contest rock category with "Last Days of Summer", co-written with drummer/guitarist Tony Beard (who has worked with Crosby, Stills & Nash, Jeff Beck, Hall & Oates and Johnny Winter), [4] extending to its placement with a top 20 place at the Unisong International Songwriting Contest 2005–2006 [5] and receiving an Honourable Mention from the 13th annual Billboard World Songwriting Contest. In the same year, at singeruniverse.com, [6] Weston was voted one of the top 5 best vocalists in the Independent Music World by music publisher Dale Kawashima, former executive at Sony/ATV Music Publishing, Irving Azoff's Giant Records and Mercury Records.

Another song (on the same album), "Brothers and Sisters", produced by Sandy Jones at Foundry Music Lab [7] in Motherwell, Scotland, and Graeme Duffin (Wet Wet Wet guitarist). [8] about the conflict between Israel and Palestine held the number one spot on Ison Live Radio (ILR Australian Indie Radio Charts) for an entire six months in 2007. [9]

In 2008, Weston released the album Welcome Back to Reality. Two songs were chosen by Channel 7 Television Australia for their 2008 Beijing Olympic Games playlist [10] and featured on Channel 9 Television's 'The Voice' .

Readers of the Gold Coast Bulletin (a newspaper servicing Gold Coast, Queensland) nominated John Harley Weston for a Gold Coast Honours Award in Entertainment (2008) for his services to music and support of charities such as Cancer Council Queensland. [11]

In 2016 Weston released another album Music Man, produced again by Sandy Jones of Foundry Music Lab, Motherwell.

In 2022 Weston released the single, Voices, which includes references to Glasgow's George Square statues of Scottish poet Robert Burns, Scottish novelist, poet and playwright Sir Walter Scott and the 18th century and early 19th century movement known as Scottish Enlightenment.

In 1999, Weston wrote the song "Road To Victory" for the Brisbane Lions Aussie Rules football team (released via Festival Records Fido label now Mushroom Records).

Weston's music has been added to the National Library of Australia [12] and the National Film and Sound Archive a joint venture by Music Australia to create a database of all written and musical works released in Australia.

Solo career

As a solo artist, John Harley Weston has supported Indigo Girls at King Tut's Wah Wah Hut in Glasgow, Duran Duran at Glasgow Barrowlands, John Swan (Swanee) at St Bernards Hotel on Tamborine Mountain and Lighthouse Family also at King Tut's. John has also performed at the Queensland Premier's Australia Day Celebrations at The Piazza, South Bank Parklands, Brisbane as well as shows for Gold Coast City Council and the Gold Coast mayor Ron Clarke MBE, the Beaudesert Shire Mayor, Palazzo Versace's flagship hotel, Gold Coast Arts Centre (Unplugged in the Basement), [13] Brisbane's Acoustic in the Park Festival, [14] Ric's Bar, Brisbane, [15] The centre, Beaudesert [16] and other local venues in South East Queensland.

In the early 1990s, Weston was signed (under his birth name John Higgins) to Polygram Records Vertigo label (now Mercury Records) as lead singer and co-songwriter with Scottish band Frontier [17] Frontier released two singles in 1992, original song "Lonely Heart" (produced by Steely Dan producer Gary Katz) and a cover of the Graham Parker song "The Sun is Gonna Shine Again" (produced by Kenny McDonald). Frontier supported Wet Wet Wet during 1992 UK stadium tour which included gigs at Wembley arena. They also supported the band Gun in the same year on their UK university tour, including venues such as London Astoria.

During his solo career, and as lead singer with Scottish band Frontier, John Harley Weston has worked with producers, engineers and session players such as Gary Katz (Steely Dan), Sandy Jones (see link 8) and Graeme Duffin (Wet Wet Wet), Ian Kewley (Paul Young), Dave Bascombe (Peter Gabriel, Tears for Fears), Kenny McDonald (Texas), Steve Jackson (Bryan Adams), Adam Mosely (Rush), Tony Philips (Seal) and session players Paul "Wix" Wickens (keyboard player for Paul McCartney, Bon Jovi, Bob Dylan), Tony Beard (drummer for Crosby, Stills & Nash, Jeff Beck, Hall & Oates and Johnny Winter, (see link 4)) Graham Broad (drummer for Van Morisson, George Michael, Go West) and Donny Little (guitarist for Paulo Nutini). [18] [19]

Weston has recorded at Rockfield Studios in Monmouth, Wales, Peter Gabriel's Real World Studios in Box, Wiltshire, England, George Martin's Air Studios in London, Jacobs Studio in Surrey, England, [20] Jimmy Page's Old Mill Studio, Parklane Studios in Glasgow, [21] Pete Townshend's Eel Pie Studios on the River Thames in London, Rooster 2 [22] in London, Swanyard Studio, London, [23] Red Zeds in Brisbane (Australia).

John Harley Weston is endorsed by Takamine Guitars, [24] D'Addario Guitar Strings [25] and Neumann Microphones.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queensland</span> State of Australia

Queensland is a state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous of the Australian states. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south, respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and the Pacific Ocean; to the state’s north is the Torres Strait, separating the Australian mainland from Papua New Guinea, and the Gulf of Carpentaria to the north-west. With an area of 1,723,030 square kilometres (665,270 sq mi), Queensland is the world's sixth-largest subnational entity; it is larger than all but 16 countries. Due to its size, Queensland's geographical features and climates are diverse, and include tropical rainforests, rivers, coral reefs, mountain ranges and white sandy beaches in its tropical and sub-tropical coastal regions, as well as deserts and savanna in the semi-arid and desert climatic regions of its interior.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gold Coast, Queensland</span> Australian coastal city

The Gold Coast, also known by its initials, GC, is a coastal city and region in the state of Queensland, Australia, located approximately 66 kilometres (41 mi) south-southeast of the centre of the state capital, Brisbane. It is Queensland’s second-largest city after Brisbane, as well as Australia’s sixth-largest city and the most populous non-capital city, with a population over 600,000. The city’s central business district is located roughly in the centre of the Gold Coast in the suburb of Southport. The urban area of the Gold Coast is concentrated along the coast, sprawling almost 60 kilometres, joining up with the Greater Brisbane metropolitan region to the north and to the state border with New South Wales to the south. Nicknames of the city include the ‘Glitter Strip’ and the ‘Goldy’. The demonym of a Gold Coast resident is Gold Coaster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brisbane</span> Capital city of Queensland, Australia

Brisbane is the capital of the state of Queensland and the third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of over 2.7 million.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1982 Commonwealth Games</span> Multi-sport event in Brisbane, Australia

The 1982 Commonwealth Games were held in Brisbane, Australia, from 30 September to 9 October 1982. The Opening Ceremony was held at the QEII Stadium, in the Brisbane suburb of Nathan. The QEII Stadium was also the athletics and archery events venue. Other events were held at the purpose-built Sleeman Sports Complex in Chandler.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Popular entertainment in Brisbane</span>

In 1975, Brisbane's first FM radio station began broadcasting from a studio at the University of Queensland Student Union. 4ZZ became a catalyst for the development of original music in the city. Bands such as The Saints, The Go-Betweens, gerrymander and the boundaries, The Riptides and The Laughing Clowns established an ecosystem for alternative music that continues to flourish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brisbane Roar FC</span> Australian football club

Brisbane Roar Football Club is an Australian professional soccer club based in Brisbane, Queensland. It competes in the country's premier men's competition, A-League Men, with Ruben Zadkovich as current manager.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kate Miller-Heidke</span> Australian singer (born 1981)

Kate Melina Miller-Heidke is an Australian singer and songwriter. Although classically trained, she has generally followed a career in alternative pop music. She signed to Sony Australia, Epic in the US and RCA in the UK, but since 2014 has been an independent artist. Four of her solo studio albums have peaked in the top 10 of the ARIA Albums Chart, Curiouser, Nightflight, O Vertigo! and Child in Reverse. Her most popular single, "The Last Day on Earth", reached No. 3 on the ARIA Singles Chart after being used in promos for TV soap, Neighbours, earlier in that year. At the ARIA Music Awards Miller-Heidke has been nominated 17 times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Commonwealth Games</span> Multi-sport event on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia

The 2018 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XXI Commonwealth Games and also known as Gold Coast 2018, were an international multi-sport event for members of the Commonwealth that was held on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, between 4 and 15 April 2018. It was the fifth time Australia had hosted the Commonwealth Games and the first time a major multi-sport had an equal number of events for male and female athletes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniel Marquis</span> Australian photographer (1829–1879)

Daniel Marquis was a Scottish photographer who worked in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. He was born in Glasgow where he trained and worked as a photographer from 1855 or earlier. In 1864 he emigrated to the British colony of Queensland and established a studio in Brisbane. There he photographed the colonists, the buildings and townscapes and, most notably, an extensive series of portraits of Indigenous people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Violent Soho</span> Australian rock band

Violent Soho were an Australian alternative rock band that was formed in 2004 in the Brisbane suburb of Mansfield, Queensland, originally under the name of "showroom". For the majority of the band's existence, the line-up was composed of Luke Boerdam, James Tidswell, Luke Henery and Michael Richards. Their sound has been compared to that of 1980s and 1990s alternative rock bands such as the Pixies, Mudhoney,Smashing Pumpkins, and Nirvana. Although being largely described as grunge, the band self described themselves as a "stoner pop" band. The band's third studio album, Hungry Ghost, was certified Gold in Australia in September 2014. Their fourth album, Waco, debuted at number 1 on the Australian ARIA Charts in 2016. The band's fifth album, Everything Is A-OK, was released on 3 April 2020 and also debuted at number 1 on the ARIA charts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colony of Queensland</span> British crown colony (1859–1901)

The Colony of Queensland was a colony of the British Empire from 1859 to 1901, when it became a State in the federal Commonwealth of Australia on 1 January 1901. At its greatest extent, the colony included the present-day State of Queensland, the Territory of Papua and the Coral Sea Islands Territory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sam Johnson (rugby union)</span> Scotland international rugby union & league player

Sam Johnson is a rugby union player who plays for Brive in France. A centre, Johnson represented Scotland at international level, although born and raised in Australia. He previously played for Glasgow Warriors and is a centurion for the club.

Steve Anderson is a former Assistant Coach of Glasgow Rugby, now known as the Glasgow Warriors; a former rugby league coach of various clubs including assistant coach Australian Kangaroos; a former High Performance Manager of the Scottish and Irish Rugby Unions; and now head coach, High Performance, Rugby Australia

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Halfway (band)</span> Australian alt-country band

Halfway is a rock band from Brisbane, Australia. As of 2023 the group have released eight studio albums, most recently On the Ghostline, with Hands of Lightning, released in August 2022. Previous to this the band released, Restless Dream (2021), which was a collaboration between Halfway and Aboriginal Australian elder, Bob Weatherall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amy Shark</span> Australian indie pop musician (born 1986)

Amy Louise Billings, known professionally as Amy Shark, is an Australian indie pop singer-songwriter-guitarist and producer from the Gold Coast, Queensland. During 2008 to 2012, her early solo material was released and performed under the name Amy Cushway. Her 2016 single "Adore" peaked at number 3 on the ARIA Singles Chart and was also listed at number 2 on the Triple J Hottest 100, 2016. Her album Love Monster debuted at number 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart. Shark has won 8 ARIA Music Awards from 29 nominations, including winning Best Pop Release three times: in 2017 for her extended play, Night Thinker, 2018 for Love Monster and 2020 for "Everybody Rise".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sam Virgo</span> Australian rules footballer

Samantha Virgo is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Brisbane and Gold Coast in the AFL Women's. She was selected in the All-Australian team in 2017, and co-captained Gold Coast from 2020 to 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leah Kaslar</span> Australian rules footballer

Leah Kaslar is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Brisbane and Gold Coast in the AFL Women's (AFLW), captaining both teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jamie Stanton</span> Australian rules footballer

Jamie Stanton is an Australian rules footballer playing for the Gold Coast Suns in the AFL Women's (AFLW). She previously played for the Brisbane Lions from 2017 to 2018 and the North Melbourne Football Club in 2019. Stanton was the inaugural Gold Coast Club Champion in 2020 and is a dual Gold Coast leading goalkicker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony</span>

The opening ceremony for the 2018 Commonwealth Games took place on the evening of Wednesday 4 April in the Carrara Stadium, Gold Coast. As mandated by the Commonwealth Games Charter, the proceedings of the ceremony combined the formal opening of the sporting event with an artistic performance to showcase the host nation's culture. The 2018 Games were formally opened by Charles, Prince of Wales. Jack Morton Worldwide was given the contract to produce the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2018 Commonwealth Games. The theme of the opening ceremony was Hello Earth and directed by David Zolkwer.

Gold Coast Arena is a planned multipurpose arena with a retractable roof located on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.

References

  1. "Australian Government Cultural Portal – short biography". Acn.net.au. Archived from the original on 7 August 2008. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  2. "2005 Results | Australian Songwriters Association". Archived from the original on 13 September 2009. Retrieved 22 March 2009.
  3. John Harley Weston (28 May 2007). "John Harley Weston CH9 TV interview incl John 'Swanee' Swan & Kirk Lorange". YouTube. Archived from the original on 20 December 2021. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  4. "Blues artist Johnny Winter biography – mentions his drummer Tony Beard". Johnnywinter.net. Archived from the original on 3 April 2009. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  5. "Diese Website steht zum Verkauf! – Informationen zum Thema unisong". Unisong.com. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  6. "Lisa Torres: Best Vocalist of the Month Winner". Singeruniverse.com. 6 October 2005. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  7. "foundrymusiclab". Foundrymusiclab.com. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  8. "Other Pursuits". Home.planet.nl. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  9. "Isonlive Radio ILR Australian Indie Radio Charts – song 'Brothers and Sisters held #1 spot for entire 6 months of 2007". Isonliveradio.com. Archived from the original on 19 October 2006. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  10. "Singer scores Games gig Olympics | goldcoast.com.au | Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia". Archived from the original on 14 February 2012. Retrieved 22 March 2009.
  11. "Gold Coast Bulletin – Breaking News and Headlines from Gold Coast and Queensland – Gold Coast Bulletin". Goldcoastbulletin.com.au. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  12. "Hope Harbour : [album]". Trove.nla.gov.au. 28 April 2019. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  13. "Gold Coast Ads Company – #1 Digital Advertising Agency". Gcac.com.au. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  14. "Brisbane Festival". Brisbanefestival.com.au. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  15. "Ric's Cafe Bar". Ricsbar.com.au. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  16. "Live at the Centre: Home". Liveatthecentre.com.au. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  17. "Frontier – Listen and Stream Free Music, Albums, New Releases, Photos, Videos". Myspace. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  18. "BJ Cunningham songwriter guitarist sound engineer music record producer". Cunninghamsongs.com. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  19. "About". Johnharleyweston.com. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  20. "Want your own website? | 123 Reg". Archived from the original on 11 August 2018. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  21. "Parklane Recording Studio, Glasgow, Scotland". Parklanerecordingstudios.com. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  22. "Recording Studio – Rooster Recording Studios – West London". Roosterstudios. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  23. "Swanyard Recording Studio, London, England". Swanyard.demon.co.uk. Archived from the original on 28 November 2002. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  24. LTD, BubbleUp. "Takamine". Takamine Guitars. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  25. "D'Addario Strings : Artist Details – John Harley Weston – Artist Details". Daddario.com. Retrieved 28 April 2019.