[citation needed] Given the severe head injuries he had sustained in the car crash, it is also possible that O'Keefe was suffering from undiagnosed neurological trauma which may have affected his personality and contributed to his later mental health and drug issues, and these problems were undoubtedly exacerbated by his heavy drug and alcohol use. Sing, Sing, Sing was eventually cancelled in October 1965.In January 1967, O'Keefe compered a new TV show called Where The Action Is. Johnny was stationed at Richmond approximately 50 kilometres (31mi) North-West of Sydney, and served his six-month period in two blocks, from DecemberFebruary 1952 and DecemberFebruary 1953. [45], The King of Pop Awards were voted by the readers of TV Week. JOK at one stage employed low pressure in the car tyres as this made them squeal when turning corners.Johnny O'Keefe insisted on driving himself and this almost cost him his life. It was produced and broadcast by the newly opened Channel TEN-10 and filmed at various outdoor locations around Sydney, and O'Keefe released a 'spin-off' album also titled Where The Action Is during the year, but the series was not successful and budget problems and low ratings led to its cancellation in November 1967. Casch recalled that he actually played behind Jerry Lee Lewis, whose own backing musicians were so daunted by the Dee Jays' performance that they got too drunk to play.Their first EP, Shakin' At The Stadium, included JOK's signature tune "Wild One", co-written by O'Keefe with Greenan, Owens and top Sydney DJ Tony Withers. Wild One (Real Wild Child) 2. Further improvemen. ": Temporary Autonomous Zones and Reclaiming the Streets', a clip from the film featuring O'Keefe performing 'Swanee River', "O'Keefe, John Michael (Johnny) (19351978)", "Wauchope Chamber of Commerce and Industry, The Timbertown", Cox, Peter (1996), "The Ambonese Connection: Lou Casch, Johnny O'Keefe and the Development of early Australian rock and roll" , "Johnny O'Keefe arrives in Sydney on a Fokker Friendship Airlines of NSW, the Greenans flew back to Sydney some days later. In 1952 he enrolled in a part-time economics degrees course at the University of Sydney, but soon abandoned it and enrolled in a short course at the College of Retailing in Sydney, after which he went to work in his father's furniture store in Pitt Street, Sydney.He had already begun performing at dances and 'socials' while at high school, but his interest in music blossomed after he left school. His father Alderman Ray O'Keefe was Mayor of Waverley Council in the early 1960s'She's My Baby' was added to the National Film and Sound Archive's Sounds of Australia registry in 2007. O'Keefe is one of five children. [28], During the late 1960s and into the 1970s, O'Keefe's personal life became increasingly busy. [citation needed] According to Lou Casch, they backed acts including Chuck Berry, The Everly Brothers, Fabian, Tab Hunter, Jimmie Rodgers and Ricky Nelson, and on his 1960 tour, Nelson was booed by fans of O'Keefe's whom he had reputedly planted in the audience. Anxious not to lose face, Taylor auditioned O'Keefe and signed him to the label.O'Keefe's debut single (issued as a 78rpm record), "You Hit The Wrong Note, Billy Goat" b/w "The Chicken Song", was released in July 1957 but it failed to chart and sold poorly, as did the follow-up, "Love Letters In The Sand" which O'Keefe later described as the worst record of his career.By this time O'Keefe had become a close friend of Lee Gordon and their popularity really took off when O'Keefe and the Dee Jays were installed as the featured support act for Gordon's famous "Big Show" concert bills at the Sydney Stadium. About 20 kilometres north of Kempsey, the Plymouth ploughed into a gravel truck. In early 1959 ABC hired Johnny O'Keefe & The Dee Jays as the resident band for its new one-hour live television show Six O'Clock Rock which featured local artists. During these appearances, O'Keefe would sing his specialty, Johnny Ray's "Cry", while wearing a pair of trick glasses which would squirt water over the audience. Norton left soon after the band formed and he was replaced by Indonesian-born guitarist Lou Casch.Casch was a remarkable figure and his contribution to O'Keefe's sound, both live and on record, was considerable. Sing! It was also recorded by Jerry Lee Lewis, Everlife, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Glamour Camp, Marshall Crenshaw, Brian Setzer, Wakefield and Jet. Unfortunately though this was to be first of many such "breakdowns" O'Keefe would subsequently endure numerous spells in psychiatric hospital (including Hydebray alcohol rehabilitation hospital), and his drug problems dogged him until the end of his life . [39], In 1986, the Seven Network produced the successful 'docu-drama' mini-series based on his life, Shout! O'Keefe's last public appearance was on Seven Network's Sounds program, taped on 30 September 1978. In 1959, Lee Gordon contracted O'Keefe to perform and be filmed in his film 'RocknRoll', a live filming of one Lee Gordon's 'Rock'n'Roll Spectacular' shows that travelled nationally during that year. O'Keefe, whose hits include Wild One also a global smash for Iggy Pop in 1986 Shout and She's My Baby, was Australia's first rock'n'roll star, enjoying success here and overseas. There was little or no rock music scene in Australia, and certainly no Australian rock recordings, prior to 1957, when Bill Haley toured the country. 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. The King of Pop award started in 1967 and ran through to 1978. Australian rock historian Ian McFarlane succinctly described O'Keefe's qualities in his article on the singer in the Encyclopedia of Australian Rock & Pop:"J.O'K was the first to admit that he was a limited singer, but he possessed an incredible drive, a fierce ambition to succeed, a tireless facility for self-promotion, a tremendous flair for showmanship and a larrikin spirit that was irrepressible.". "O'Keefe was the promoter, singer, bouncer, door attendant, sold the ice creams, mixed the drinks and cleaned the halls, while working during the days at his father's furniture store. He returned to the US in March 1960 to complete his contract, but after one final session at Goldstar on the 17th of that month which produced 'Don't You Know' and 'Take My Hand', Liberty did not renew his contract and he returned to Australia. My parents had landed in New York on the eve of the depression; my father's hope was that I would never have to live through one myself. Being unable to read or memorise the script, the young O'Keefe improvised his part.The young O'Keefe was intelligent and perceptive, with a great sense of humour, although his school grades fluctuated due to his misbehaviour and the fact that he was easily distracted; Sydney radio personality Gary O'Callaghan, who was a classmate, later recalled that O'Keefe was often in trouble. By this time O'Keefe had become a close friend of the music concert promoter, Lee Gordon, and their popularity really took off when O'Keefe and the Dee Jays were installed as the featured support act for Gordon's famous "Big Show" concert bills at the Sydney Stadium. Limited Credits Liner Notes - Toby Creswell Notes with 24 page booklet. O'Keefe died in 1978 from a drug overdose. [35] It fared well against stiff competition from the better-known James Taylor-Carly Simon version, which was rush-released in Australia to compete with it, but many of O'Keefe's supporters claim that O'Keefe's version was deliberately ignored by some commercial radio stations, in favour of its US rival. A local band, the Dee Jays with vocalist Johnny O'Keefe, was chosen as the supporting act. Lawdy,. Johnny O'Keefe, Soundtrack: Adventures in Babysitting. Haley was impressed by O'Keefe, giving him a song to record ("You Hit The Wrong Note, Billy Goat") and recommending him to Ken Taylor, A&R manager of leading local record company Festival Records. O'Keefe continued to issue singles, including a cover of the Harry Vanda-George Young song "Saturday Night", originally recorded by The Easybeats.On 14 February 1975 (St Valentine's Day) at the Masonic Hall, Waverley, O'Keefe married for the second time to Maureen Joan Maricic, a 29-year-old fashion consultant. It was also reported that he was deeply depressed by the death of his idol Elvis Presley in August 1977, and that he had repeatedly remarked to friends "I'll be next".O'Keefe's last public appearance was on Seven Network's Sounds program, taped on 30 September 1978.Johnny O'Keefe died six days later, on 6 October 1978, from a heart attack induced by an accidental overdose of prescribed drugs. Another night saw a crew cut disc jockey Bob Rogers handing out records while being filmed for a documentary. [citation needed] It was an era in which many major artists mimed songs at outdoor locations, such at Manly Beach's Fairy Bower in 1967. Director: Uwe Boll | Stars: Michael Par, Wilson Bethel, Mitch Eakins, Erik Eidem. The first major biography on O'Keefe was published in 1982, and several others have been written since including The Wild One by Damian Johnstone and Johnny O'Keefe - The Facts written in 2008 by Lonnie Lee and released by Starlite Records. Eventually JOK was replaced by a more sedate Johnny Rebb and the Rebels at The Leichhardt Dance. [18], At the time Casch joined the band, they were promoting their own dances at local venues such as the Balmain Workingmen's Institute and Stone's Cabaret. It was this incident, according to Casch, that inspired O'Keefe's signature tune, "Wild One". At that time the NZBC had a monopoly on radio, they had only one J.O'K. He died in 1978. He was also a keen swimmer, surfer and sailor and often sailed with the Vaucluse Juniors sailing club. He grew up with four siblings named Sophie, Philip, Vanessa, and Roger. He had twenty-nine Top 40 hits in Australia between 1958 and 1973. I Ain't A Gonna Do It (Missing Lyrics) 4. They're both green, they both have fun exploring different comic tropes and clichs, and they both like to break the fourth wall in the middle of their stories - it was only natural that they cross paths eventually. 4 in November. 1933). He realised immediately that this was the style of music he wanted to perform, and from this point on he dedicated himself single-mindedly to becoming a rock 'n' roll singer and a star. JOHNNY O'KEEFE was an Australian Rock and Roll singer whose career began in the 1950s. This was the band that supported a tour by Little Richard and his band. His second Leedon single was a cover of The Isley Brothers' "Shout!" The court heard Mr O'Keefe suffered from bipolar disorder and was in a "hypomanic" state during the incident, in which he admitted to spitting, slapping and kicking Dr Lavee. This became his first hit in March 1958, peaking at No. Rock Rock Rock - A Decade Of Australian Hits 1960-1970 incl Johnny Farnham, JO'K. [citation needed], In October 2010, his 1958 album, Wild One, was listed in the top40 in the book, 100 Best Australian Albums. O'Keefe issued three more singles during 1958: "Over The Mountain" b/w Lawdy Miss Clawdy", "So Tough" b/w That'll Be Alright" (a cover of The Cuff Links song which reached No. The TV show ran until 1962 when Johnny left to tour America (with limited success).Overwork led to Johnny being instructed by his doctors to take a rest, but he was soon back on television with another show Sing! Rock n Roll Music 7.. 1 hit in August 1960 with "Don't You Know"/"Come on And Take My Hand", and the next single, "Ready For You"/"Save The Last Dance For Me", reached No. He stayed in London and in 1987 was appointed professor of cognitive neuroscience at University College. Collection of various track : HO , O, G and standard gauge. JOK was more at ease with tough wild kids.At a packed 1959 Sydney Stadium big show starring American Lloyd Price backed by various Australian acts, JOK saved the show. O'Keefe's debut single (issued as a 78rpm record), "You Hit The Wrong Note, Billy Goat" b/w "The Chicken Song", was released in July 1957 but it failed to chart and sold poorly, as did the follow-up, a cover of Pat Boones "Love Letters in the Sand" which O'Keefe later described as the worst record of his career. Sing! We have estimated Johnny O'Keefe's net worth , money, salary, income, and assets. Johnny O'Keefe, Australia's first and most enduring rock star, died in St Vincent's Hospital last night. Andrew O'Keefe's photo. His breakthrough came with his third release, a song called "I'm the Wild One." This seminal Australian rock song was covered in 1987 by Iggy Pop as "Real Wild Child." O'Keefe would be known as The Wild One throughout his career. Their skill and energy and O'Keefe's frantic performances also saw them upstage many of the visiting performers. 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