Lucky Starr (singer)

Last updated • 5 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Lucky Starr
Birth nameLeslie William Morrison
Also known asLes Starr
Born (1940-12-29) 29 December 1940 (age 83)
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Genres
  • Rock and roll
  • pop
  • country
Occupations
  • Singer
  • musician
  • television presenter
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • rhythm guitar
Years active1957–present
Labels Festival

Leslie William Morrison (born 29 December 1940), known professionally as Lucky Starr, is an Australian pioneer rock and roll, pop and country music singer, guitarist and television presenter. His most popular single, "I've Been Everywhere", appeared in early 1962, which peaked at number one in Sydney. Starr became well known through his many TV appearances on shows such as Bandstand and Six O'Clock Rock , in which he briefly hosted taking over from Johnny O'Keefe, he was the first star to entertain troops in Vietnam.

Contents

Early life

Lucky Starr was born as Leslie William Morrison in 1940. [1] [2] His father was a motor mechanic and his mother was a housewife, and he had a younger sister and an adopted older sister (who was his cousin but adopted into the family when her parents passed away). [1] He attended Canterbury High School before starting an apprenticeship as an electrician. [2] [3]

Career

The Hepparays

Two-and-a-half years later he began his rock and roll career in 1957 as Les Starr, lead singer and rhythm guitarist, of the Hepparays in Sydney. [4] [5] Other members were Tony Caperero on lead guitar, Bruce Gurr on piano, Dave Taylor played bass guitar and Owen Smith provided drums and percussion. [4] Starr recalled how, "the guitarist in his band taught him [how to play] in five months." [6] After winning several talent quests, "someone idly punned that he was 'a lucky Starr'." [1]

Late in 1959, as Lucky Starr, he signed as a solo artist to Festival Records, [3] and in December he released a four-track extended play, Sentimental Journey. [7] For his early work he used the Hepparays as his backing band. [6] He followed with four singles in the next year. [4]

Television performing and presenting

He was a regular performer on television music and variety shows, Bandstand and Six O'Clock Rock , and took over from Johnny O'Keefe as host of the latter for a brief period in 1960, while O'Keefe was touring the United States. [4]

Controversy

In May 1960, Morrison, aged 19, was involved in a romance with touring Mouseketeer, Cheryl Holdridge, who was under 16. [4] [8] [9] In May 1963, he recalled, "We corresponded when she went back to the States, and I decided then to follow her, somehow. Once, in 1961, I waited up all night to phone her when she was recovering from a tonsils operation. But we are not 'in love' any more, I guess." [1]

Albums and singles

Starr released his cover version of the novelty, tongue-twisting single, "I've Been Everywhere", in early 1962, it was written by Geoff Mack, which name-drops numerous Australian towns. [4] It peaked at number one in Sydney in April. [4] "Spinner" from The Biz described the track, "It's a hard hitting novelty number with a slight C and W flavour. Full of gimmicks it features high velocity lyrics in which Lucky recites 120 towns in the Commonwealth... [He] sings each verse in one breath and you'll wonder how he does it when you hear it." [10] Adapted to American towns, it became a United States country music hit for Hank Snow after being released in September of that year. [4]

Starr released a compilation album, I've Been Everywhere, in June 1962, which included his early singles and their B-sides. [11] "Spinner" opined, "[it shows his] versatility to the foil, which is evident in the tracks, 'Candy Pink Lips', 'Suspense' and "Sweet Georgia Brown'. Other tracks include: 'Heart-Break', 'Way Down Yonder in New Orleans', 'I See You as an Angel' and others. In our opinion this LP is worthy of a place in the libraries of both young and the young at heart alike — it's a beauty." [11] According to the journalist, "[he] has worked at his profession perfecting his musicianship, taking voice training, learning acting and dancing — in a word, learning enough to make the most of his 'break' when it came." [11] In July of that year he issued a four-track EP, Lucky's Been Everywhere, with his four versions of "I've Been Everywhere": the Australian one, the US one, the British one and a newly-written New Zealand one. [12]

Touring the US

During 1963, he travelled to the US where "[he] played the Nevada circuit, opening in mid-1963 at the Mapes Hotel Casino Room, Las Vegas." [4] According to The Australian Women's Weekly 's Robin Adair the tour was organised by US entertainer, Norman Kaye (of the Mary Kaye Trio). [1] Starr signed with local label, Dot Records, which released a lone single, "Poor Little Jimmy Brown", however "proposed American movie roles and major record deals never happened." [4] He returned late that year to Australia and appeared in Once Upon a Surfie, a Christmas-themed surfing musical alongside "Dig Richards, Jackie Weaver, Bryan Davies, Jay Justin, Rob EG, Jan Green and The Delltones." [4]

Starr issued another solo album, The Silver Spade Digs Lucky, in 1964. [4] He subsequently toured "the USA, New Zealand, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Taiwan, Japan, Vietnam and Italy." [4] According to Daily Mercury 's correspondent, "[he was] the first Australian performer to entertain the troops in Vietnam; in fact paying his own way there and made five subsequent trips into the war zone." [13] During the late 1960s Starr performed as a country musician "and took his travelling show around the Australian bush." [4] In 1980 he was inducted into the Australian Country Music Hall of Fame with their Hands of Fame. [2]

21st century

In September 2015, Starr released a re-working of "I've Been Everywhere" titled, "We're Going Everywhere... On the Old Hume Highway". He has two children and a grandchild. As of July 2015 he was still performing regularly. [13] As from October 2023 Starr was performing on the nostalgia circuit as the Good Old Days of Rock'n'roll, with fellow veterans, Digger Revell, Little Pattie and Dinah Lee. [14]

Discography

Albums

(FL 30807)

(1971) [RCA Victor) (SP-152)

(1974) [RCA Camden] (VCL1-0015)

(1976) [RCA Australia] (VAL1-0111)

(1977) [RCA Australia] (SCD 499060)

(1978) [RCA Victor] (VAL1-0165)

(2022) [New Note Music]

Extended plays

Singles

Awards

Mo Awards

The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards (commonly known informally as the Mo Awards), were annual Australian entertainment industry awards. They recognise achievements in live entertainment in Australia from 1975 to 2016. [15]

YearNominee / workAwardResult (wins only)
2008Lucky StarrHall of Fameinducted

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I've Been Everywhere</span> 1959 song written by Geoff Mack

"I've Been Everywhere" is a song written by Australian country singer Geoff Mack in 1959, and popularised by Lucky Starr. A version of the song with different lyrics was popularised by Hank Snow in 1962.

Albert Geoffrey McElhinney OAM, better known by his stage name Geoff Mack, was an Australian country singer, songwriter and aircraft mechanic. As a songwriter, he wrote the song "I've Been Everywhere" which was an Australian hit for Lucky Starr in April 1962 and became popular in North America when adapted for Hank Snow in November. More than 130 cover versions have been recorded.

Barry John Stanton was an English-Australian rock and roll musician. He performed on pop music programs, Six O'Clock Rock, Bandstand, Johnny O'Keefe Show, Sing Sing Sing, Saturday Date, and Woody's Teen Time. He issued a compilation album, A Tribute to the King Rare Songs 1957-1965, in 1988.

The Hepparays was an Australian rock n roll music group which formed in 1957 with Tony Caperero on lead guitar, Bruce Gurr on piano, Lucky Starr on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Dave Taylor played bass and Owen Smith played drums and percussion. Starr had met his band mates on the train on his way to work at a power station. Their initial gigs were playing instrumentals in a gym while people exercised.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnny O'Keefe</span> Australian rock and roll singer (1935–1978)

John Michael O'Keefe was an Australian rock and roll singer whose career began in the early 1950s. A pioneer of Rock music in Australia, his hits include "Wild One" (1958), "Shout!" and "She's My Baby". Often referred to by his initials "J.O'K." or by his nickname "The Wild One", O'Keefe was the first Australian rock n' roll performer to tour the United States, and the first Australian artist to make the local Top 40 charts. He had twenty-nine Top 40 hits in Australia between 1958 and 1973. In his twenty-year career, O'Keefe released over 50 singles, 50 EPs and 100 albums. O'Keefe was also a radio and television entertainer and presenter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lonnie Lee</span> Musical artist

Lonnie Lee is an Australian singer, who has fronted Lonnie Lee and the Leeman and Lonnie Lee and the Leedons. He is a pioneer of Australian rockabilly music and has worked in the industry for 60 years. At the peak of his career, Lee had eight top 100 singles, which included three top 20s, "Ain't It So", "Starlight Star Bright" and "I Found a New Love" (September). He achieved five gold records. Although Lee released his last single, "Sad Over Someone" in 1969, continued to tour and perform into the 2000s and released his last album in 2019 called Back to Base X,

<i>Bandstand</i> (TV program) 1958 Australian TV series or program

Bandstand is an Australian live pop music, variety television program screened from November 1958 to June 1972. Featuring both local and international music artists, and produced in-house at the studios of the Nine Network in Willoughby, New South Wales, it was originally broadcast only in New South Wales, It became a national program in the early 1960s as the network expanded into other Australian states. The host of Bandstand for its entire existence was radio presenter and television newsreader Brian Henderson.

Judith Anne Stone AM is an Australian retired pop and country music singer and musician. For much of the 1960s she was a regular performer on television music variety program Bandstand and appeared on Six O'Clock Rock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lee Gordon (promoter)</span> American entrepreneur and rock and roll promoter

Lee Gordon was an American entrepreneur and rock and roll promoter who worked extensively in Australia in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Gordon's jazz and rock 'n' roll tours had a major impact on the Australian music scene and he also played a significant role in the early career of pioneering Australian rock'n'roll singer Johnny O'Keefe, serving as his manager.

John Howard Chester is an Australian singer-songwriter, who started his career in October 1959 with a group known as The Jaywoods, singing rock music and in 1969, changed to country music. He toured nationally with the Beatles, Roy Orbison, the Everly Brothers, Kenny Rogers, Johnny Cash, Tammy Wynette and Charley Pride. During his career, he has led various groups including Johnny Chester and The Chessmen, Johnny Chester and Jigsaw, Johnny Chester and Hotspur. With Jigsaw, he had five top 30 hit singles, "Gwen (Congratulations)" (1971), "Shame and Scandal", "Midnight Bus", "World's Greatest Mum" and "She's My Kind of Woman" (1974).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Delltones</span> Australian rock n roll band formed in 1958

The Delltones were an Australian rock 'n' roll band, which formed in 1958. They started as a doo-wop, harmony quartet with Warren Lucas, Brian Perkins, Noel Widerberg and Ian "Peewee" Wilson. In July 1962 Noel Widerberg died in a car accident in Brighton-le-Sands in Sydney, and three weeks later the group's single, "Get a Little Dirt on Your Hands", reached the top five on the local charts. Widerberg's position was filled by Col Loughnan. The group disbanded in 1973.

Bryan Davies is a British-born Australian pop music singer and entertainer. He appeared on 1960s TV pop shows, Sing! Sing! Sing! and Bandstand. From March 1962, at age 17, he became the youngest person in Australia to host their own TV show, The Bryan Davies Show. The singer issued two albums, On My Way (1965) and Together by Myself (1968). His most popular singles were, "Dream Girl" and "Five Foot Two Eyes of Blue" (October), which both reached the top 4 on the Sydney charts.

Johnny Rebb, born Donald James Delbridge, was an Australian singer.

Diane Marie Jacobs, known as Dinah Lee, is a New Zealand singer who performed 1960s pop and adult contemporary music. Her debut single from early 1964, "Don't You Know Yockomo?", achieved No. 1 chart success in New Zealand and in the Australian cities of Brisbane and Melbourne. It was followed in September by her cover version of Jackie Wilson's, "Reet Petite", which also reached No. 1 in New Zealand and peaked at No. 6 in Melbourne. The Australian release was a double A-sided single with "Do the Blue Beat". On her early singles she was backed by fellow New Zealanders, Max Merritt & His Meteors. Lee appeared regularly on both New Zealand and Australian TV variety programs, including Johnny O'Keefe's Sing, Sing, Sing and Bandstand. She toured supporting Johnny O'Keefe, as well as Ray Columbus & the Invaders and P.J. Proby. According to Australian rock music journalist, Ed Nimmervoll, in the 1960s, "Lee was the most successful female singer in both her New Zealand homeland and Australia ... on stage and on record Dinah had all the adventure and exuberance for the time the boys had".

<i>Rock n Roll</i> (1959 film) 1959 Australian film

Rock 'n' Roll is a 1959 Australian rock and roll concert film filmed at Sydney Stadium during the Lee Gordon's Rock 'n' Roll Spectacular shows, directed by Lee Robinson. Performers include Johnny O'Keefe, The Delltones, The Devils and Johnny Devlin. All acts are from either Australia or New Zealand. American singer Fabian's performance was also shot, but this was cut from the Australian version of the film as the producers did not wish to pay the fee his management requested. They did, however, discreetly keep the Fabian sequence intact in some versions of the film that were sent to New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dig Richards</span> Musical artist

Digby George "Dig" Richards was an Australian rock and roll singer, songwriter, instrumentalist, musical theatre actor and television presenter, active during the late 1950s and early 1960s as lead singer with the R'Jays. Richards was the first Australian rock and roll artist to record a 12" LP record in Australia, with the self-titled album Dig Richards, released in November 1959. From 1971 he performed as a solo country music artist. According to the Kent Music Report he had four Top 30 national hit singles, "(My) Little Lover" / "Quarrels ", "A Little Piece of Peace", "People Call Me Country" / "The Dancer", and "Do the Spunky Monkey". On 17 February 1983 Digby Richards died of pancreatic cancer, aged 42. He was survived by his wife, Sue and two children.

Lorraine May Chapman, professionally known as Laurel Lea, was an Australian popular singer of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Lea appeared regularly on TV series, Bandstand, Six O'Clock Rock and Saturday Date. In 1974 and 1975 she toured throughout Australia with contemporaries Johnny O'Keefe, Johnny Devlin, Lonnie Lee and Barry Stanton. On 31 January 1992 Lea died of leukaemia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kelly Green (musician)</span> Australian singer (born 1947)

Kelly Green is an Australian singer. Born in the United Kingdom, she migrated to Australia in 1956, her singing career began in Sydney at the age of 15. Green grew up in a musical family – her father, Norman Sherratt, was a guitarist and her older twin sisters, Christine and Norma, were also singers. In the early 1960s Green appeared regularly on popular Australian music television shows, Bandstand, Six O'Clock Rock, and Sing, Sing, Sing, building a fan base. During April and May 1968, Green was the lead singer for the first Perth-based entertainment troupe to visit allied forces in Vietnam during the war there.

Leo de Kroo is an Australian pop and country music singer, and an accomplished luthier. For much of the 1960s he was a regular performer on Bandstand, a pop music TV show, hosted by Brian Henderson. De Kroo was one half of The De Kroo Bros. As The De Kroo Bros, they also appeared on other pop music shows.

Digger Revell and the Denvermen were an Australian rock 'n' roll and instrumental surf band, which formed in 1961. Lead singer Digger Revell was joined by the Denvermen, Phil Bower on drums, Allan Crowe on bass guitar, Les Green on lead guitar and Tex Ihasz on rhythm guitar. They had top 40 hits on the Kent Music Report singles chart with "Surfside", "Blue Mountains", "Avalon Stomp" and "My Little Rocker's Turned Surfie" (1964). The group disbanded in 1965 and Revell had a solo career.

References

General
Specific
  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "How Lucky Starr Reached Stardom". The Australian Women's Weekly . Vol. 30, no. 51. Australia. 22 May 1963. p. 3 (Teenagers' Weekly). Retrieved 21 March 2018 via National Library of Australia.
  2. 1 2 3 "Lucky Starr 1980". The Australian Country Music Hands of Fame. Australian Country Music Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 16 February 2011. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  3. 1 2 Baker, Ainslie (11 November 1959). "Listen Here with Ainslie Baker". The Australian Women's Weekly. Teenagers' Weekly. Vol. 27, no. 23. p. 7. Retrieved 20 March 2018 via National Library of Australia. Note: includes a photo of Starr.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 McFarlane, Ian (1999). "Encyclopedia entry for 'Lucky Starr'". Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop. St Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin. ISBN   1-86508-072-1. Archived from the original on 3 August 2004.
  5. Spencer et al, (2007) "Starr, Lucky" entry
  6. 1 2 Feitz, Marie; Crosby, Gail; Pugsley, Loretta (23 September 1959). "Interview with Lucky Starr". The Biz . p. 4. Retrieved 20 March 2018 via National Library of Australia.
  7. Baker, Ainslie (16 December 1959). "The Sapphires Are Soaring". The Australian Women's Weekly. Teenagers' Weekly. Vol. 27, no. 28. p. 7. Retrieved 20 March 2018 via National Library of Australia.
  8. Forever Hold Your Banner High, by Jerry Bowles, 1976, pg 65 ISBN   0-385-11622-5
  9. "Mouseketeer Cheryl dies at 64, linked to Lucky Starr, Presley". The Canberra Times . Fairfax Media. 12 January 2009. Retrieved 8 February 2010.
  10. Spinner (4 April 1962). "Entertainments Turntable Talk". The Biz. No. 2911. p. 9. Retrieved 20 March 2018 via National Library of Australia.
  11. 1 2 3 Spinner (6 June 1962). "Entertainments Turntable Talk". The Biz. No. 2920. p. 8. Retrieved 21 March 2018 via National Library of Australia.
  12. Baker, Ainslie (25 July 1962). "Local Boys Still on Top: e.g., Rob!". The Australian Women's Weekly. Teenagers Weekly. Vol. 30, no. 8. p. 11. Retrieved 21 March 2018 via National Library of Australia.
  13. 1 2 "Singer who made 'I've Been Everywhere' famous to visit". Daily Mercury . 8 July 2015. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  14. Leeson, Josh (28 October 2023). "Little Pattie, Dinah Lee, Lucky Starr and Mre Reunite for Good Old Days Of Rock'n'roll" . Newcastle Herald . Newcastle, NSW . Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  15. "MO Award Winners". Mo Awards. Archived from the original on 7 March 2022. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  16. Who's who of Australian rock / compiled by Chris Spencer, Zbig Nowara & Paul McHenry. National Library of Australia. September 2002. ISBN   9781865038919 . Retrieved 8 February 2010.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)