Ian Meldrum
Encyclopedia
Ian Alexander "Molly" Meldrum AM
(born 29 January 1946) is an Australian popular music
critic, journalist, record producer (including as Willie Everfinish), and musical entrepreneur. He was the talent co-ordinator, on-air interviewer and music news presenter on the now defunct popular music program Countdown (1974–1987) and is widely recognised for his trademark Stetson
hat, commonly mistaken for an Akubra
, which he has regularly worn in public since the 1980s.
Meldrum has featured on the Australian music scene since the mid-1960s first with his writing for Go-Set
(1966–1974), a weekly teen newspaper, then his tenure with Countdown and subsequent media contributions. He produced top ten hits for Russell Morris
("The Real Thing
", "Part Three Into Paper Walls"), Ronnie Burns ("Smiley"), Colleen Hewett
("Day by Day
"), Supernaut
("I Like it Both Ways") and The Ferrets
("Don't Fall in Love").
Meldrum hosted the Australian leg of Live Aid
in July 1985, Oz for Africa
, and was made a Member of the Order of Australia, for service to the fostering of international relief and to youth in January 1986. Meldrum has earned a reputation as a champion of Australian popular music both in Australia and internationally, his contributions have been acknowledged with an Australian Recording Industry Association
(ARIA) Award
for "Special Achievement" in 1993
, and the "Ted Albert
Award" in 1994 at the Australasian Performing Right Association
(APRA) Awards
. Music journalists
, Toby Creswell
and Samantha Chenoweth describe him as "The single most important person in the Australian pop industry for forty years" in their 2006 book, 1001 Australians You Should Know.
in 1946, he was shifted around during childhood, he grew up with his grandmother in Quambatook
, where he attended the local school alongside future country music
artist, John Williamson
, and he also stayed with a series of aunts. He was raised with a religious Church of England
background, his later years of schooling were in Melbourne
, initially intending to become a disc jockey, Meldrum then started a law course at University of Melbourne
. By 1964, he had moved in with the family of his close friend Ronnie Burns—his two week stay became nine years—who is a noted Australian 1960s pop star first as a member of The Flies and then as a solo artist.
During The Beatles
' tour of Australia in June 1964, Meldrum was captured by TV cameras climbing atop the bonnet of their car shortly after arrival at Melbourne airport. Later, he and Burns were ejected from The Beatles' Melbourne concert for being "too enthusiastic". While on a surfing holiday at a Victorian coastal resort in Lorne
in 1964, Meldrum met and became friends with teenager Lynne Randell
, who became a pop star in the mid-1960s and later worked as Meldrum's personal assistant in the 1980s. Meldrum began his music career as a roadie
for his friends' band, The Groop
, which had early performances in Anglesea
.
was a weekly pop music newspaper started in February 1966 by Phillip Frazer
and his Monash University
mates. Meldrum started writing for the paper in July 1966 after befriending editor Frazer, his first story was on Burns, "Ronnie Meets the Barrett Brothers". Soon he was writing a weekly gossip column, and regular feature stories, he continued until the paper folded in August 1974. By social networking and building a list of industry contacts, Meldrum was able to cover many facets of the local scene, his gossip columns informed not only general readers but also other musicians and according to Frazer was the major reason people continued reading Go-Set
. His gossip columns' writing style tended to be "freeform ramblings, always in the first person, and nearly always concerning aspects of the music scene with which he had been involved". It was during this period that Meldrum was given his nickname, "Molly", by his friend and fellow Go-Set writer Stan Rofe
, a Melbourne radio DJ, it first appeared in print in 1968. While working for Go-Set he became editor and compiler of its monthly offshoot, Gas, which was aimed at younger teen girls and was first published in October 1968 with a feature on The Monkees
, its last issue was in March 1971.
The Groop
had landed a recording deal with CBS Records
, Meldrum followed them to Armstrong's Studios, in late 1966, to learn about the recording process. He learned production
and engineering
techniques from studio owner Bill Armstrong and in house engineer/producer, Roger Savage. Meldrum became involved with a number of artists releases, including The Masters Apprentices
' August 1967 single, "Living in a Child's Dream", Somebody's Image's first three singles, "Heat Wave
" (September), "Hush" (November) and "Hide and Seek" (April 1968). Besides producing, he was also Somebody's Image's manager from early 1967 and formed a friendship with lead singer, Russell Morris
.
Kommotion was a teen-oriented daily pop music show, which had premiered in December 1964 on ATV-0, later Channel Ten, it included performers miming to the latest overseas hits. In August 1966 producer, David Joseph, was fired and most of the cast walked out in support. Al Maricic took on the production of Kommotion with Meldrum reporting for Go-Set. Maricic asked Meldrum to join the show, originally declining, he was convinced by Frazer who reasoned it would be good for Go-Set. Meldrum's repertoire included miming to Peter and Gordon's "Lady Godiva
", The New Vaudeville Band
's "Winchester Cathedral
" and George Formby's "Why Don't Women Like Me?". Episodes of Kommotion were directed by Rob Weekes, fellow mimers included Grant Rule, Denise Drysdale
and Maggie Stewart—who later married Burns. Meldrum's stint with Kommotion ended in January 1967 after Actors Equity banned the practice of miming other artists' work. He moved on to another ATV-0 music show, Uptight, hosted by Ross D. Wylie, which was broadcast for four hours on Saturday mornings with live bands.
From January 1968, Meldrum relocated to London, reporting in Go-Set on The Groop's efforts to break into the United Kingdom market; and on the rock music scene. While there Meldrum extended his networking to the international scene, including meeting Apple Records
executive, Terry Doran, who introduced him to his idols, Paul McCartney
and John Lennon
. His writing style in Go-Set developed a 'camp
' form. Meldrum returned to Australia to attend his mother's funeral in May.
In September, he became the manager and producer of Morris, both had quit with Somebody's Image. Meldrum produced Morris' first solo single, a Johnny Young
-composed song "The Real Thing
". Young had written the song for Meldrum's friend Burns, but when Meldrum heard Young playing it backstage during a taping of the TV pop show Uptight, he determined to secure it for Morris, reportedly going to Young's home that night with a tape recorder and refusing to leave until Young had taped a "demo" version.
In collaboration with Armstrong's house engineer John Sayers, Meldrum radically transformed "The Real Thing" from Young's original vision of a simple acoustic chamber ballad backed by strings, into a heavily produced studio masterpiece, extending it to an unheard-of six minutes in length (with encouragement from Rofe) and overdubbing the basic track with many additional instruments, vocals and sound effects. To achieve this, they used the services of his friends from The Groop as the backing band, with contributions from vocalist Maureen Elkner, The Groop's lead singer Ronnie Charles, guitarist Roger Hicks
from Zoot
—who played the song's distinctive acoustic guitar intro—and arranger John Farrar
. The single is reported to have cost A$10,000—the most expensive ever made in Australia up to that time—and features one of the earliest uses of the studio technique known as "phasing" on an Australian recording. "The Real Thing", released in March 1969, became a national number one hit for Morris in mid-year and is widely considered to be one of the finest Australian pop-rock recordings. In May 2001, the Australasian Performing Right Association
(APRA), as part of its 75th Anniversary celebrations, named "The Real Thing" as one of their Top 30 Australian songs
of all time. "The Real Thing" was followed by a second number one hit, "Part Three Into Paper Walls", with Meldrum producing, he now encouraged Morris to promote "The Real Thing" with a tour in the United States but Morris disagreed and they separated in late 1969.
Meldrum also produced several other hits—including Burns' top ten single "Smiley" in December 1969—while continuing to write for Go-Set and a variety of magazines. Meldrum made his first of many visits to Egypt
and by December, had travelled on to UK, and through Doran, began working for Apple Corps
as a publicist, which enabled him to score a scoop interview with Lennon and Yoko Ono
, in which Lennon first revealed publicly that The Beatles were breaking up. Meldrum left UK in 1970 to travel to US, reporting on the Los Angeles and New York music scenes and further establishing contacts.
After returning to Australia in late 1970, Meldrum continued writing for the music press, including Go-Set as well as venturing back into television as a music reporter on Happening '70, hosted by Wylie, on ATV-0; then a short-lived TV children's show, Do It; followed by Anything Can Happen on Channel Seven
where he met producer Michael Shrimpton and reunited with Weekes from his Kommotion days. In October 1971, Elton John
toured Australia for the first time and all concerts were exclusively reviewed by Go-Set—Meldrum had met John in London and they formed an enduring friendship. By September 1972, Meldrum was assistant editor for Go-Set working with national editor Ed Nimmervoll
who had started at the paper in 1967.
Meldrum produced the soundtrack for Godspell - Original Australian Cast including the hit single, "Day by Day
" for Colleen Hewett
in 1972. He remained with Go-Set until its last issue on 24 August 1974. Most of his work was typed up by his secretary, Glenys Long, with Meldrum pacing the office as he dictated—sometimes typewriters were thrown or a person was shoved inside a filing cabinet. After Go-Set, Meldrum wrote columns for Listener-In TV and then TV Week
as their rock music reporter.
, formulating the concept for a new weekly pop music show aimed at the teenage market and decided they needed a talent scout, Meldrum walked in and was given the job. The trio approached the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
(ABC), with their idea based on the British show Top of the Pops
and on Kommotion. Countdown premiered on 8 November, with Meldrum as the show's talent coordinator. He did not originally appear in the series, which had a different guest host each week. Shrimpton decided an editorial was needed, so Meldrum provided a weekly Rock Report from mid-1975 which was renamed "Humdrum" by guest host John Paul Young
, and by year's end he had become the face of the series. "Humdrum" saw Meldrum provide a visual form to his Go-Set gossip column, he would interview celebrities, detail events and new releases for the week. Joining Shrimpton and Weekes as a producer was Rule, also from Kommotion.
Originally broadcast weekly, at 6:30pm on a Friday evening for 25 minutes, Countdown was fortunate to have begun just before the introduction of colour television in Australia in March 1975. Equally crucial to its success was the move in January to the 6pm Sunday timeslot, with the show being extended to 60 minutes. Its reach was further enhanced by the fact that a midday Saturday timeslot was used to repeat the previous week's show. The combination of the ABC's nationwide reach, the novelty of colour broadcasting and the show's dual timeslot enabled Countdown to reach an unprecedented number of viewers. It soon became the most successful and popular music program ever made in Australia and exerted a massive influence on Australian music over the next decade. The advent of colour TV also coincided with a major change in the direction of Australian popular music, and it was vital in making national successes of bands such as Skyhooks and Sherbet
. Countdown benefited from the fact that it appeared just as the music video genre was taking off. Indeed, the show was instrumental in popularising the use of purpose-made promotional videos—which had previously only been a minor part of pop show programming—and its extensive use of film-clips and videos by both established and emerging overseas acts (who at that time toured Australia only rarely) made Countdown an important venue for breaking new songs and new groups. Meldrum produced, Supernaut, the debut album for Western Australia's Supernaut
in 1976 and its related hit single, "I Like It Both Ways".
One new group Meldrum broke nationally was The Ferrets
, he had them signed to Mushroom Records
and started producing their debut album Dreams of a Love on 19 July 1976. After nearly a year, production was still incomplete, so The Ferrets took over (assisted by recording engineers Tony Cohen
and Ian MacKenzie) and completed on 15 August 1977 with Meldrum attributed as Willie Everfinish. Meldrum had carefully crafted their first single's A side "Lies" taking weeks but the B side "Don't Fall in Love" was rushed in three hours. The Ferrets premiered on Countdown and used "Don't Fall in Love" which reached #2 on the Australian Kent Music Report
Singles Chart. Many customers wanted a copy of The Ferrets' album, however there was concern at Mushroom Records as Meldrum had not organised an album cover: a white hand stamped cardboard sleeve was issued with a promise of the album artwork to follow.
The series is credited with giving early exposure to, and generating breakthrough Australian hits for, a number of major international acts including ABBA
, Meat Loaf
, Blondie
, Boz Scaggs
, Cyndi Lauper
, Madonna
and Michael Jackson
, sometimes years before they became international stars. Meldrum made many overseas trips and became personally friendly with many of the top pop and rock stars of the period, enabling Countdown to gain international exclusives. Meldrum's on-screen performances were sometimes criticised for rambling and incomprehensible commentaries and interview questions. When giving album reviews he would often hold the album awkwardly in front of camera with the lights glaring off the surface making it difficult to see the cover. In an early "Humdrum" segment, Meldrum told viewers to "Go out and buy it" when reviewing an album, Shrimpton was furious, ABC policy prohibited direct endorsements and so "do yourself a favour" became Meldrum's catch phrase recommendation.
In the early 1980s, Midnight Oil
was scheduled to appear on an episode of Countdown, but on the day of the show they were "bumped" from the line-up. Countdown required artists to mime their songs during 'live' performances, Midnight Oil and manager Gary Morris insisted they perform completely live and have their sound engineer supervising—neither side backed down. According to Shrimpton, the band had arrived late for rehearsal, and due to the show's very tight schedule and budget there was a strict policy that latecomers were not allowed to appear, and as such they were told they could not perform that day. In response, the group declared that they would never appear on the show, a promise they faithfully kept.
After Randell's marriage had failed, she returned to Australia in 1980 and became Meldrum's personal assistant until 1986. On 13 April 1980, the TV Week/Countdown Rock Music Awards for 1979 were broadcast as a revamped version of the previously existing TV Week King of Pop Awards with the 'King of Pop' title replaced by 'Most Popular Male' and 'Queen of Pop' replaced by 'Most Popular Female'. Countdown, with Meldrum organising the ceremonies, presented music awards during 1980–1987, initially in conjunction with TV Week, they were a combination of popular-voted and peer-voted awards.
The following year, on 16 March 1981, Meldrum co-hosted the 1980 awards ceremony with international guests Suzi Quatro
and Jermaine Jackson
. Big winners were Cold Chisel
with seven awards, which were not collected; they performed the last live number, "My Turn to Cry", to close the show and then trashed their instruments and the set. The performance was seen as being directed at TV Week, Countdown and Meldrum as being hangers-on. Sponsors TV Week withdrew their support for the awards and Countdown held its own awards ceremonies thereafter.
In February 1985, after Meldrum was announced as King of Moomba
, he quipped "I was at the cricket the other day and the boys in Bay 13 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground were all yelling out 'Moomba' and 'hail the king'... not to mention a few 'hail the queen'". On 13 July, Meldrum compered the 1985 Oz for Africa
concert—Australian leg of the global Live Aid
program running for four hours—which was broadcast in Australia on both Seven Network
and Nine Network
and on MTV in the US. During December, he used his industry contacts to organise a charity single for research on Fairy penguins
, he produced the recording of a cover
of Lennon, Ono & Plastic Ono Band's "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
" by The Incredible Penguins
with Angry Anderson
(Rose Tattoo
), Brian Canham (Pseudo Echo
), Scott Carne (Kids in the Kitchen
), John Farnham
, Venetta Fields
, Bob Geldof
, Steve Gilpin
(ex-Mi-Sex
), Colin Hay
(Men at Work
), Hewett, Jim Keays
(ex-The Masters Apprentices), Brian Mannix
(Uncanny X-Men
), Wendy Stapleton
(Wendy & the ) and Chris Stockley (ex-Axiom
, The Dingoes
). On Australia Day
1986 Meldrum was made a Member of the Order of Australia
for service to the fostering of international relief and to youth.
In 1986, Shrimpton, Rule and Meldrum created another series, The Meldrum Tapes, for ABC with an international or local artist interviewed in depth for 55 minutes—eventually 24 shows were made—which were later broadcast by MTV.
Meldrum was noted for several on-screen gaffes, although the most "famous" of all never actually appeared on screen. In a much retold incident, a clearly anxious Meldrum gushed during an interview on 13 November 1977 with Prince Charles
, "I saw your Mum in London in a carriage!" to which the Prince icily replied, "Are you referring to Her Majesty the Queen?" Although this incident is often related by Meldrum in interviews, it was never broadcast.
Despite such episodes of ineptitude, Meldrum became a major star in his own right and was a champion of local talent and regularly used the show to pressure radio stations to play more Australian music. As a result of his efforts, Countdown was in a position to make overnight hits with songs and performers it featured, and through the late 1970s and early 1980s it was a key factor in determining the direction of Australian popular music.
The final episode of Countdown aired on 19 July 1987, followed by the 1986 Countdown Awards, Meldrum appeared at the end of the show wearing his cowboy hat. He saluted the music industry and fans, then bared his shaved head in imitation of Midnight Oil's Peter Garrett
and expressed regret that they had never appeared on the show.
, Jo Beth Taylor
and Indecent Obsession
. Meldrum presented a regular music segment, titled "Molly's Melodrama", for the popular Australian variety show, Hey Hey It's Saturday
from 1988. He travelled extensively, conducting interviews for the segment; one of these was a one-on-one with each member of The Rolling Stones
.
Meldrum attended the Australian Recording Industry Association
(ARIA) ARIA Music Awards
on 29 March 1988
as a presenter. A fracas developed between band manager Gary Morris, accepting awards for Midnight Oil, and Meldrum. Morris felt that foreign artists such as Bryan Ferry
should not present awards to local artists and made fun of Ferry's deliberately crumpled suit. Meldrum objected to Morris' disrespect to Ferry and he and Morris became embroiled. In 1993
, Meldrum received an ARIA 'Special Achievement Award' for services to the music industry.
According to Google Books and Angus & Robertson
, Meldrum co-wrote his autobiography
, Some of My Best Friends Aren't: The Molly Meldrum Story with journalist
Jeff Jenkins in 2000, published by Random House
Australia. However, The Age
reported on 4 June 2007 that the book had still not appeared.
A televised roast
, in 2003, for the openly gay Meldrum, Molly: Toasted and Roasted, was characterised by Meldrum as a "gay bashing
" due to its excessive homophobic
slurs. Footy Show
star Sam Newman
received boos from the audience during his speech. Meldrum became a judge on 2004's Popstars Live
, a reality program on Channel Seven
, alongside fellow judges, Christine Anu
and John Paul Young
.
Meldrum's trademark cowboy hat headwear, enthusiasm for popular music, and sometimes incoherent interviewing style remain well known. By visiting Egypt over 27 times since 1969, he has become an amateur Egyptologist and collector. That his extensive general knowledge extended beyond popular music was perhaps less well-known until, as a contestant on a celebrity edition Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
, he won $500,000 for a charity, the equal biggest win on the Australian version of the program until October 2005, although he only got the $500,000 by phoning a friend, Red Symons
of Skyhooks fame. He appeared on the fourth series of the Australian version of Dancing with the Stars
in 2006, where he dressed as a pharaoh
to dance to "Walk Like an Egyptian
" by The Bangles
—he was voted off after the first round. He was also on an episode of Deal or No Deal
(Dancing with the Deals) on 13 February 2006.
Meldrum is a prominent supporter of the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL)
and the Melbourne Storm
in the National Rugby League (NRL)
.
In September 2006, Molly's interview with Prince Charles
on Countdown was listed at #41 in TV Week's
'Top 50 most memorable moments on Australian television' list. Molly made a cameo appearances in Remembering Nigel (2007) and Ricky! the movie (2010). Meldrum is listed as coauthor of Jeff Jenkin's 2007 book Molly Meldrum presents 50 years of rock in Australia where he provided comments on various Australian rock acts from 1958 to 2007. During September–October 2009, Meldrum appeared in Hey Hey Its Saturday reunion specials on the Nine Network
despite working for rival Seven Network. In early December, Meldrum interviewed UK singer and Britain's Got Talent
runner-up, Susan Boyle
. After signing with Seven to continue on Sunrise, Weekend Sunrise and Sunday Night he was unavailable for the 2010 season of Hey Hey It's Saturday. In February, Meldrum was appointed King of Moomba – his second appointment – with Kate Ceberano
as Queen of Moomba.
's one-hit wonder "Shaddap You Face
" video-clip as an accordion player. A second younger brother, Brian, is a successful racing and golf journalist and editor. Although one of the first openly gay TV stars in Australia; according to Meldrum, "I had girlfriends. I was engaged a few times", one engagement was to Joy. Since 1986, he has lived in Richmond
in an Egyptian-themed house, Luxor: his long-term partner, Rui, is a chef.
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
(born 29 January 1946) is an Australian popular music
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
critic, journalist, record producer (including as Willie Everfinish), and musical entrepreneur. He was the talent co-ordinator, on-air interviewer and music news presenter on the now defunct popular music program Countdown (1974–1987) and is widely recognised for his trademark Stetson
Stetson
Stetsons are the brand of hat manufactured by the John B. Stetson Company of St. Joseph, Missouri.Stetson eventually became the world’s largest hat maker, producing over 3.3 million hats a year in a factory spread over . Today Stetson remains a family-owned concern...
hat, commonly mistaken for an Akubra
Akubra
Akubra is an Australian brand of bush hat, whose wide-brimmed styles are a distinctive part of Australian culture, especially in rural areas. The name is believed to be derived from an Aboriginal word for head covering....
, which he has regularly worn in public since the 1980s.
Meldrum has featured on the Australian music scene since the mid-1960s first with his writing for Go-Set
Go-Set
Go-Set was the first Australian pop music newspaper, published weekly from 2 February 1966 to 24 August 1974, and was founded in Melbourne by Phillip Frazer, Peter Raphael and Tony Schauble...
(1966–1974), a weekly teen newspaper, then his tenure with Countdown and subsequent media contributions. He produced top ten hits for Russell Morris
Russell Morris
Russell Norman Morris is an Australian singer-songwriter who had five Australian Top 10 singles during the late 1960s and early 1970s...
("The Real Thing
The Real Thing (Russell Morris song)
"The Real Thing" is a song originally recorded by Australian singer Russell Morris in 1969. His version, which was produced by Ian "Molly" Meldrum and written by Johnny Young, was a huge hit in Australia and has become an Australian rock classic...
", "Part Three Into Paper Walls"), Ronnie Burns ("Smiley"), Colleen Hewett
Colleen Hewett
Colleen Hewett is an Australian actress and popular singer. She is perhaps best known to international audiences for her 1984 guest role in the television series Prisoner as Sheila Brady.-Pop singer:...
("Day by Day
Day by Day (Godspell song)
"Day by Day" is a song from the 1971 Stephen Schwartz and John-Michael Tebelak musical Godspell.Day by Day is the third song in the show’s score and it is also reprised as the closing number for the 1973 film version...
"), Supernaut
Supernaut (band)
Supernaut were an Australian glam/punk rock band from Perth, Australia formed in 1974 and disbanded in 1980.-History:Formed in 1974 in Perth, Western Australia, Supernaut had a short but successful career which yielded two straight top twenty singles and gold album status for their self titled...
("I Like it Both Ways") and The Ferrets
The Ferrets (band)
The Ferrets were an Australian pop / rock band from Melbourne and Sydney, which formed in 1975 and disbanded in 1979. Their second single, "Don’t Fall in Love", was released in 1977 and peaked at No. 2 on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart...
("Don't Fall in Love").
Meldrum hosted the Australian leg of Live Aid
Live Aid
Live Aid was a dual-venue concert that was held on 13 July 1985. The event was organized by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise funds for relief of the ongoing Ethiopian famine. Billed as the "global jukebox", the event was held simultaneously in Wembley Stadium in London, England, United Kingdom ...
in July 1985, Oz for Africa
Oz for Africa
Oz for Africa was an Australian concert held on 13 July 1985 at the Sydney Sports and Entertainment Centre. It was broadcast locally and internationally as part of the worldwide Live Aid performances to raise money for famine relief in Africa. The concert featured 17 bands performing some of their...
, and was made a Member of the Order of Australia, for service to the fostering of international relief and to youth in January 1986. Meldrum has earned a reputation as a champion of Australian popular music both in Australia and internationally, his contributions have been acknowledged with an Australian Recording Industry Association
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
(ARIA) Award
ARIA Music Awards
The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Australian Recording Industry Association...
for "Special Achievement" in 1993
ARIA Music Awards of 1993
The Seventh Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards was held on 14 April 1993 at the Entertainment Centre in Sydney. Host, Richard Wilkins, was assisted by presenters, James Reyne, Elle Macpherson, Billy Birmingham, Tim Finn, Neil Finn and Daryl Somers to distribute 24 awards...
, and the "Ted Albert
Ted Albert
Edward 'Ted' Albert was an early pioneer in Australian independent record production and founder of Albert Productions...
Award" in 1994 at the Australasian Performing Right Association
Australasian Performing Right Association
The Australasian Performing Right Association is a copyright collective representing New Zealand and Australian composers, lyricists and music publishers. The association's head offices located in Sydney Australia, and it has branch offices in Auckland, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth...
(APRA) Awards
APRA Awards
The APRA Music Awards are several award ceremonies run in Australia and New Zealand by Australasian Performing Right Association to recognise songwriting skills, sales and airplay performance by its members annually....
. Music journalists
Music journalism
Music journalism is criticism and reportage about music. It began in the eighteenth century as comment on what is now thought of as 'classical music'. This aspect of music journalism, today often referred to as music criticism , comprises the study, discussion, evaluation, and interpretation of...
, Toby Creswell
Toby Creswell
Toby Creswell is an Australian music journalist and pop-culture writer. He was editor of Rolling Stone and a founding editor of Juice. In 1986 he co-wrote, with Martin Fabinyi, his first book Too Much Ain't Enough a biography of pub rocker and former Cold Chisel vocalist Jimmy Barnes...
and Samantha Chenoweth describe him as "The single most important person in the Australian pop industry for forty years" in their 2006 book, 1001 Australians You Should Know.
Early years
Ian Meldrum was born in Orbost, VictoriaOrbost, Victoria
Orbost is a town in the Shire of East Gippsland, Victoria, Australia, located east of Melbourne and south of Canberra where the Princes Highway crosses the Snowy River. It is about from the town of Marlo on the coast of Bass Strait. At the 2006 census, Orbost had a population of 2452...
in 1946, he was shifted around during childhood, he grew up with his grandmother in Quambatook
Quambatook, Victoria
Quambatook is a town in northern Victoria, Australia. The town is located on the Avoca River in the Shire of Gannawarra Local Government Area, from the state capital, Melbourne. At the 2006 census, Quambatook had a population of 253....
, where he attended the local school alongside future country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
artist, John Williamson
John Williamson (singer)
John Robert Williamson AM is an Australian country music singer-songwriter. Williamson has released over thirty-two albums, ten videos, five DVDs, and two lyric books...
, and he also stayed with a series of aunts. He was raised with a religious Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
background, his later years of schooling were in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, initially intending to become a disc jockey, Meldrum then started a law course at University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
. By 1964, he had moved in with the family of his close friend Ronnie Burns—his two week stay became nine years—who is a noted Australian 1960s pop star first as a member of The Flies and then as a solo artist.
During The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' tour of Australia in June 1964, Meldrum was captured by TV cameras climbing atop the bonnet of their car shortly after arrival at Melbourne airport. Later, he and Burns were ejected from The Beatles' Melbourne concert for being "too enthusiastic". While on a surfing holiday at a Victorian coastal resort in Lorne
Lorne, Victoria
Lorne is a seaside town on Louttit Bay in Victoria, Australia. It is situated about the Erskine River and is a popular destination on the Great Ocean Road tourist route...
in 1964, Meldrum met and became friends with teenager Lynne Randell
Lynne Randell
Lynne Randell was an Australian pop singer. For three years in the mid-1960s she was Australia's most popular female performer and had hits with "Heart" and "Goin' Out of My Head" in 1966, and "Ciao Baby" in 1967. In 1967, Randell toured the United States with The Monkees and performed on-stage...
, who became a pop star in the mid-1960s and later worked as Meldrum's personal assistant in the 1980s. Meldrum began his music career as a roadie
Road crew
The road crew are the technicians or support personnel who travel with a band on tour, usually in sleeper buses, and handle every part of the concert productions except actually performing the music with the musicians...
for his friends' band, The Groop
The Groop
The Groop were an Australian folk, R&B and rock band formed in 1964 in Melbourne, Australia and had their greatest chart success with their second line-up of Max Ross on bass, Richard Wright on drums and vocals, Don Mudie on lead guitar, Brian Cadd on keyboards and vocals, and Ronnie Charles on...
, which had early performances in Anglesea
Anglesea, Victoria
Anglesea is a town in Victoria, Australia. It is located on the Great Ocean Road in the Surf Coast Shire local government area. At the 2006 census, Anglesea had a population of 2,290....
.
Go-Set years: 1966–74
Go-SetGo-Set
Go-Set was the first Australian pop music newspaper, published weekly from 2 February 1966 to 24 August 1974, and was founded in Melbourne by Phillip Frazer, Peter Raphael and Tony Schauble...
was a weekly pop music newspaper started in February 1966 by Phillip Frazer
Phillip Frazer
Phillip Frazer, is a writer, editor and publisher. He was a founder of the teen pop newspaper, Go-Set in 1966 which was published weekly until 1974, introducing Australia's first national pop record charts and featuring many notable contributors...
and his Monash University
Monash University
Monash University is a public university based in Melbourne, Victoria. It was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. Monash is a member of Australia's Group of Eight and the ASAIHL....
mates. Meldrum started writing for the paper in July 1966 after befriending editor Frazer, his first story was on Burns, "Ronnie Meets the Barrett Brothers". Soon he was writing a weekly gossip column, and regular feature stories, he continued until the paper folded in August 1974. By social networking and building a list of industry contacts, Meldrum was able to cover many facets of the local scene, his gossip columns informed not only general readers but also other musicians and according to Frazer was the major reason people continued reading Go-Set
Go-Set
Go-Set was the first Australian pop music newspaper, published weekly from 2 February 1966 to 24 August 1974, and was founded in Melbourne by Phillip Frazer, Peter Raphael and Tony Schauble...
. His gossip columns' writing style tended to be "freeform ramblings, always in the first person, and nearly always concerning aspects of the music scene with which he had been involved". It was during this period that Meldrum was given his nickname, "Molly", by his friend and fellow Go-Set writer Stan Rofe
Stan Rofe
Stan 'The Man' Rofe was Melbourne's first and most influential rock'n'roll disc jockey. He is remembered as playing the first rock and roll music on Melbourne radio 3KZ in 1956 and as a champion of Australian music, a pioneer who played songs other DJs were too scared to play.-Career:Stan Rofe...
, a Melbourne radio DJ, it first appeared in print in 1968. While working for Go-Set he became editor and compiler of its monthly offshoot, Gas, which was aimed at younger teen girls and was first published in October 1968 with a feature on The Monkees
The Monkees
The Monkees are an American pop rock group. Assembled in Los Angeles in 1966 by Robert "Bob" Rafelson and Bert Schneider for the American television series The Monkees, which aired from 1966 to 1968, the musical acting quartet was composed of Americans Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork,...
, its last issue was in March 1971.
The Groop
The Groop
The Groop were an Australian folk, R&B and rock band formed in 1964 in Melbourne, Australia and had their greatest chart success with their second line-up of Max Ross on bass, Richard Wright on drums and vocals, Don Mudie on lead guitar, Brian Cadd on keyboards and vocals, and Ronnie Charles on...
had landed a recording deal with CBS Records
CBS Records
CBS Records is a record label founded by CBS Corporation in 2006 to take advantage of music from its entertainment properties owned by CBS Television Studios. The initial label roster consisted of only three artists; rock band Señor Happy and singer/songwriters Will Dailey and P.J...
, Meldrum followed them to Armstrong's Studios, in late 1966, to learn about the recording process. He learned production
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
and engineering
Audio engineering
An audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
techniques from studio owner Bill Armstrong and in house engineer/producer, Roger Savage. Meldrum became involved with a number of artists releases, including The Masters Apprentices
The Masters Apprentices
The Masters Apprentices were an Australian rock band fronted by mainstay Jim Keays on lead vocals, which formed in 1965 in Adelaide, South Australia, relocated to Melbourne in February 1967 and attempted to break into the United Kingdom market from 1970, before disbanding in 1972...
' August 1967 single, "Living in a Child's Dream", Somebody's Image's first three singles, "Heat Wave
(Love is Like a) Heat Wave
" Heat Wave" is a 1963 hit single penned by the Holland–Dozier–Holland songwriting team and made popular by Motown girl group Martha and the Vandellas. It was originally released in July 1963, on the Motown subsidiary label Gordy, peaking at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Billboard Hot...
" (September), "Hush" (November) and "Hide and Seek" (April 1968). Besides producing, he was also Somebody's Image's manager from early 1967 and formed a friendship with lead singer, Russell Morris
Russell Morris
Russell Norman Morris is an Australian singer-songwriter who had five Australian Top 10 singles during the late 1960s and early 1970s...
.
Kommotion was a teen-oriented daily pop music show, which had premiered in December 1964 on ATV-0, later Channel Ten, it included performers miming to the latest overseas hits. In August 1966 producer, David Joseph, was fired and most of the cast walked out in support. Al Maricic took on the production of Kommotion with Meldrum reporting for Go-Set. Maricic asked Meldrum to join the show, originally declining, he was convinced by Frazer who reasoned it would be good for Go-Set. Meldrum's repertoire included miming to Peter and Gordon's "Lady Godiva
Lady Godiva
Godiva , often referred to as Lady Godiva , was an Anglo-Saxon noblewoman who, according to legend, rode naked through the streets of Coventry in order to gain a remission of the oppressive taxation imposed by her husband on his tenants...
", The New Vaudeville Band
The New Vaudeville Band
The New Vaudeville Band was a group created by songwriter Geoff Stephens in 1966 to record his novelty composition "Winchester Cathedral", a song inspired by the dance bands of the 1920s and a Rudy Vallee megaphone style vocal...
's "Winchester Cathedral
Winchester Cathedral (song)
"Winchester Cathedral" is a song released in late 1966 by Fontana Records, whereupon it shot to the No. 1 spot in Canada on the RPM 100 national singles charts and shortly thereafter in the U.S. on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It was released by The New Vaudeville Band, a novelty group established...
" and George Formby's "Why Don't Women Like Me?". Episodes of Kommotion were directed by Rob Weekes, fellow mimers included Grant Rule, Denise Drysdale
Denise Drysdale
Denise Anne Christina Drysdale, is an Australian television personality and comedian. She is often affectionately called Ding-Dong.-Childhood:...
and Maggie Stewart—who later married Burns. Meldrum's stint with Kommotion ended in January 1967 after Actors Equity banned the practice of miming other artists' work. He moved on to another ATV-0 music show, Uptight, hosted by Ross D. Wylie, which was broadcast for four hours on Saturday mornings with live bands.
From January 1968, Meldrum relocated to London, reporting in Go-Set on The Groop's efforts to break into the United Kingdom market; and on the rock music scene. While there Meldrum extended his networking to the international scene, including meeting Apple Records
Apple Records
Apple Records is a record label founded by The Beatles in 1968, as a division of Apple Corps Ltd. It was initially intended as a creative outlet for the Beatles, both as a group and individually, plus a selection of other artists including Mary Hopkin, James Taylor, Badfinger, and Billy Preston...
executive, Terry Doran, who introduced him to his idols, Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
and John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
. His writing style in Go-Set developed a 'camp
Camp (style)
Camp is an aesthetic sensibility that regards something as appealing because of its taste and ironic value. The concept is closely related to kitsch, and things with camp appeal may also be described as being "cheesy"...
' form. Meldrum returned to Australia to attend his mother's funeral in May.
In September, he became the manager and producer of Morris, both had quit with Somebody's Image. Meldrum produced Morris' first solo single, a Johnny Young
Johnny Young
Johnny Young is an Australian singer, composer, record producer, disc jockey, television producer and host. Originally from Netherlands, his family settled in Perth, Western Australia in the early 1950s...
-composed song "The Real Thing
The Real Thing (Russell Morris song)
"The Real Thing" is a song originally recorded by Australian singer Russell Morris in 1969. His version, which was produced by Ian "Molly" Meldrum and written by Johnny Young, was a huge hit in Australia and has become an Australian rock classic...
". Young had written the song for Meldrum's friend Burns, but when Meldrum heard Young playing it backstage during a taping of the TV pop show Uptight, he determined to secure it for Morris, reportedly going to Young's home that night with a tape recorder and refusing to leave until Young had taped a "demo" version.
In collaboration with Armstrong's house engineer John Sayers, Meldrum radically transformed "The Real Thing" from Young's original vision of a simple acoustic chamber ballad backed by strings, into a heavily produced studio masterpiece, extending it to an unheard-of six minutes in length (with encouragement from Rofe) and overdubbing the basic track with many additional instruments, vocals and sound effects. To achieve this, they used the services of his friends from The Groop as the backing band, with contributions from vocalist Maureen Elkner, The Groop's lead singer Ronnie Charles, guitarist Roger Hicks
Roger Hicks (rock musician)
Roger Hicks is an Australian rock musician active for a few years in the late 1960s. Early in life, he also trained as a classical guitarist.He performed in the groups Zoot throughout 1968 and early 1969 and "The Brisbane Avengers", and also composed and performed the acoustic guitar introduction...
from Zoot
Zoot (band)
Zoot are a pop/rock band formed in Adelaide, South Australia in 1965 as Down the Line. They changed their name to Zoot in 1967 and by 1968 had relocated to Melbourne...
—who played the song's distinctive acoustic guitar intro—and arranger John Farrar
John Farrar
John Farrar is a music producer, songwriter, music arranger, singer and guitarist who is best known for his work with Olivia Newton-John with whom he wrote and produced many hit songs....
. The single is reported to have cost A$10,000—the most expensive ever made in Australia up to that time—and features one of the earliest uses of the studio technique known as "phasing" on an Australian recording. "The Real Thing", released in March 1969, became a national number one hit for Morris in mid-year and is widely considered to be one of the finest Australian pop-rock recordings. In May 2001, the Australasian Performing Right Association
Australasian Performing Right Association
The Australasian Performing Right Association is a copyright collective representing New Zealand and Australian composers, lyricists and music publishers. The association's head offices located in Sydney Australia, and it has branch offices in Auckland, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth...
(APRA), as part of its 75th Anniversary celebrations, named "The Real Thing" as one of their Top 30 Australian songs
APRA Top 30 Australian songs
APRA's Top 30 Australian songs between 1926 and 2001 was a list created by the Australasian Performing Right Association to celebrate its 75th anniversary...
of all time. "The Real Thing" was followed by a second number one hit, "Part Three Into Paper Walls", with Meldrum producing, he now encouraged Morris to promote "The Real Thing" with a tour in the United States but Morris disagreed and they separated in late 1969.
Meldrum also produced several other hits—including Burns' top ten single "Smiley" in December 1969—while continuing to write for Go-Set and a variety of magazines. Meldrum made his first of many visits to Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and by December, had travelled on to UK, and through Doran, began working for Apple Corps
Apple Corps
Apple Corps Ltd. is a multi-armed multimedia corporation founded in January 1968 by the members of The Beatles to replace their earlier company and to form a conglomerate. Its name is a pun. Its chief division is Apple Records, which was launched in the same year...
as a publicist, which enabled him to score a scoop interview with Lennon and Yoko Ono
Yoko Ono
is a Japanese artist, musician, author and peace activist, known for her work in avant-garde art, music and filmmaking as well as her marriage to John Lennon...
, in which Lennon first revealed publicly that The Beatles were breaking up. Meldrum left UK in 1970 to travel to US, reporting on the Los Angeles and New York music scenes and further establishing contacts.
After returning to Australia in late 1970, Meldrum continued writing for the music press, including Go-Set as well as venturing back into television as a music reporter on Happening '70, hosted by Wylie, on ATV-0; then a short-lived TV children's show, Do It; followed by Anything Can Happen on Channel Seven
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
where he met producer Michael Shrimpton and reunited with Weekes from his Kommotion days. In October 1971, Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
toured Australia for the first time and all concerts were exclusively reviewed by Go-Set—Meldrum had met John in London and they formed an enduring friendship. By September 1972, Meldrum was assistant editor for Go-Set working with national editor Ed Nimmervoll
Ed Nimmervoll
Edward Francis "Ed" Nimmervoll is an Australian rock music journalist, author and historian. He worked on rock magazines Go-Set and Juke both as a journalist and as an editor...
who had started at the paper in 1967.
Meldrum produced the soundtrack for Godspell - Original Australian Cast including the hit single, "Day by Day
Day by Day (Godspell song)
"Day by Day" is a song from the 1971 Stephen Schwartz and John-Michael Tebelak musical Godspell.Day by Day is the third song in the show’s score and it is also reprised as the closing number for the 1973 film version...
" for Colleen Hewett
Colleen Hewett
Colleen Hewett is an Australian actress and popular singer. She is perhaps best known to international audiences for her 1984 guest role in the television series Prisoner as Sheila Brady.-Pop singer:...
in 1972. He remained with Go-Set until its last issue on 24 August 1974. Most of his work was typed up by his secretary, Glenys Long, with Meldrum pacing the office as he dictated—sometimes typewriters were thrown or a person was shoved inside a filing cabinet. After Go-Set, Meldrum wrote columns for Listener-In TV and then TV Week
TV Week
TV Week is a weekly television magazine in Australia, first published as a Melbourne-only publication in December 1957 , and bearing a strong affiliation to television station GTV.The publication is still publishing weekly...
as their rock music reporter.
Countdown years: 1974–87
In 1974, Shrimpton and Weekes were meeting at the Botanical Hotel in South YarraSouth Yarra, Victoria
South Yarra is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 4 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area are the Cities of Stonnington and Melbourne...
, formulating the concept for a new weekly pop music show aimed at the teenage market and decided they needed a talent scout, Meldrum walked in and was given the job. The trio approached the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
(ABC), with their idea based on the British show Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
and on Kommotion. Countdown premiered on 8 November, with Meldrum as the show's talent coordinator. He did not originally appear in the series, which had a different guest host each week. Shrimpton decided an editorial was needed, so Meldrum provided a weekly Rock Report from mid-1975 which was renamed "Humdrum" by guest host John Paul Young
John Paul Young
John Paul Young is an Australian pop singer who had a 1978 worldwide hit with "Love Is in the Air"...
, and by year's end he had become the face of the series. "Humdrum" saw Meldrum provide a visual form to his Go-Set gossip column, he would interview celebrities, detail events and new releases for the week. Joining Shrimpton and Weekes as a producer was Rule, also from Kommotion.
Originally broadcast weekly, at 6:30pm on a Friday evening for 25 minutes, Countdown was fortunate to have begun just before the introduction of colour television in Australia in March 1975. Equally crucial to its success was the move in January to the 6pm Sunday timeslot, with the show being extended to 60 minutes. Its reach was further enhanced by the fact that a midday Saturday timeslot was used to repeat the previous week's show. The combination of the ABC's nationwide reach, the novelty of colour broadcasting and the show's dual timeslot enabled Countdown to reach an unprecedented number of viewers. It soon became the most successful and popular music program ever made in Australia and exerted a massive influence on Australian music over the next decade. The advent of colour TV also coincided with a major change in the direction of Australian popular music, and it was vital in making national successes of bands such as Skyhooks and Sherbet
Sherbet (band)
Sherbet was one of the most prominent and successful Australian rock bands of the 1970s. Their biggest singles were "Summer Love" and "Howzat" , both reaching number one in Australia. "Howzat" was also a top 5 hit in the UK. Though the band's success in the U.S...
. Countdown benefited from the fact that it appeared just as the music video genre was taking off. Indeed, the show was instrumental in popularising the use of purpose-made promotional videos—which had previously only been a minor part of pop show programming—and its extensive use of film-clips and videos by both established and emerging overseas acts (who at that time toured Australia only rarely) made Countdown an important venue for breaking new songs and new groups. Meldrum produced, Supernaut, the debut album for Western Australia's Supernaut
Supernaut (band)
Supernaut were an Australian glam/punk rock band from Perth, Australia formed in 1974 and disbanded in 1980.-History:Formed in 1974 in Perth, Western Australia, Supernaut had a short but successful career which yielded two straight top twenty singles and gold album status for their self titled...
in 1976 and its related hit single, "I Like It Both Ways".
One new group Meldrum broke nationally was The Ferrets
The Ferrets (band)
The Ferrets were an Australian pop / rock band from Melbourne and Sydney, which formed in 1975 and disbanded in 1979. Their second single, "Don’t Fall in Love", was released in 1977 and peaked at No. 2 on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart...
, he had them signed to Mushroom Records
Mushroom Records
Mushroom Records is an Australian recoJrd company formed by Michael Gudinski and Ray Evans in Melbourne in 1972. After its sale in 1998, it merged into Festival Mushroom Records. From 2005 to 2009, it is one of the record labels operated by Warner Bros...
and started producing their debut album Dreams of a Love on 19 July 1976. After nearly a year, production was still incomplete, so The Ferrets took over (assisted by recording engineers Tony Cohen
Tony Cohen
Tony Cohen is an acclaimed Australian record producer and sound engineer based in Melbourne, best known for his work with The Birthday Party and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds in the 1980s...
and Ian MacKenzie) and completed on 15 August 1977 with Meldrum attributed as Willie Everfinish. Meldrum had carefully crafted their first single's A side "Lies" taking weeks but the B side "Don't Fall in Love" was rushed in three hours. The Ferrets premiered on Countdown and used "Don't Fall in Love" which reached #2 on the Australian Kent Music Report
Kent Music Report
The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent from May 1974 through to 1998...
Singles Chart. Many customers wanted a copy of The Ferrets' album, however there was concern at Mushroom Records as Meldrum had not organised an album cover: a white hand stamped cardboard sleeve was issued with a promise of the album artwork to follow.
The series is credited with giving early exposure to, and generating breakthrough Australian hits for, a number of major international acts including ABBA
ABBA
ABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog...
, Meat Loaf
Meat Loaf
Michael Lee Aday , better known by his stage name, Meat Loaf, is an American hard rock musician and actor...
, Blondie
Blondie (band)
Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s...
, Boz Scaggs
Boz Scaggs
William Royce "Boz" Scaggs is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. He gained fame in the 1970s with several Top 20 hit singles in the United States, along with the #2 album, Silk Degrees. Scaggs continues to write, record music and tour.-Early life and career:Scaggs was born in Canton,...
, Cyndi Lauper
Cyndi Lauper
Cynthia Ann Stephanie "Cyndi" Lauper is an American singer, songwriter, actress and LGBT rights activist. She achieved success in the mid-1980s with the release of the album She's So Unusual and became the first female singer to have four top-five singles released from one album...
, Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
and Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
, sometimes years before they became international stars. Meldrum made many overseas trips and became personally friendly with many of the top pop and rock stars of the period, enabling Countdown to gain international exclusives. Meldrum's on-screen performances were sometimes criticised for rambling and incomprehensible commentaries and interview questions. When giving album reviews he would often hold the album awkwardly in front of camera with the lights glaring off the surface making it difficult to see the cover. In an early "Humdrum" segment, Meldrum told viewers to "Go out and buy it" when reviewing an album, Shrimpton was furious, ABC policy prohibited direct endorsements and so "do yourself a favour" became Meldrum's catch phrase recommendation.
In the early 1980s, Midnight Oil
Midnight Oil
Midnight Oil , were an Australian rock band from Sydney originally performing as Farm from 1972 with drummer Rob Hirst, bass guitarist Andrew James and keyboard player/lead guitarist Jim Moginie...
was scheduled to appear on an episode of Countdown, but on the day of the show they were "bumped" from the line-up. Countdown required artists to mime their songs during 'live' performances, Midnight Oil and manager Gary Morris insisted they perform completely live and have their sound engineer supervising—neither side backed down. According to Shrimpton, the band had arrived late for rehearsal, and due to the show's very tight schedule and budget there was a strict policy that latecomers were not allowed to appear, and as such they were told they could not perform that day. In response, the group declared that they would never appear on the show, a promise they faithfully kept.
After Randell's marriage had failed, she returned to Australia in 1980 and became Meldrum's personal assistant until 1986. On 13 April 1980, the TV Week/Countdown Rock Music Awards for 1979 were broadcast as a revamped version of the previously existing TV Week King of Pop Awards with the 'King of Pop' title replaced by 'Most Popular Male' and 'Queen of Pop' replaced by 'Most Popular Female'. Countdown, with Meldrum organising the ceremonies, presented music awards during 1980–1987, initially in conjunction with TV Week, they were a combination of popular-voted and peer-voted awards.
The following year, on 16 March 1981, Meldrum co-hosted the 1980 awards ceremony with international guests Suzi Quatro
Suzi Quatro
Susan Kay "Suzi" Quatro is an American singer-songwriter, bass player, and actor.She scored a string of hit singles in the 1970s that found greater success in Europe and Australia than in her homeland, and had a recurring role on the popular American sitcom Happy Days.-Music:Quatro began her...
and Jermaine Jackson
Jermaine Jackson
Jermaine La Jaune Jackson is an American singer, bassist, composer, a member of The Jackson 5, older brother of American pop stars Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson and occasional film director...
. Big winners were Cold Chisel
Cold Chisel
Cold Chisel is a rock band that originated in Adelaide, Australia. It is one of the most acclaimed Australian rock bands of all time, with a string of hits throughout the 1970s and 1980s and huge sales that continue to this day, although its success and acclaim was almost completely restricted to...
with seven awards, which were not collected; they performed the last live number, "My Turn to Cry", to close the show and then trashed their instruments and the set. The performance was seen as being directed at TV Week, Countdown and Meldrum as being hangers-on. Sponsors TV Week withdrew their support for the awards and Countdown held its own awards ceremonies thereafter.
In February 1985, after Meldrum was announced as King of Moomba
Moomba
Moomba is Australia's largest free community festival and one of the longest running festivals in Australia. Held annually in the city of Melbourne, Australia, Moomba is celebrated during the Labour Day long weekend , and has been celebrated since 1955...
, he quipped "I was at the cricket the other day and the boys in Bay 13 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground were all yelling out 'Moomba' and 'hail the king'... not to mention a few 'hail the queen'". On 13 July, Meldrum compered the 1985 Oz for Africa
Oz for Africa
Oz for Africa was an Australian concert held on 13 July 1985 at the Sydney Sports and Entertainment Centre. It was broadcast locally and internationally as part of the worldwide Live Aid performances to raise money for famine relief in Africa. The concert featured 17 bands performing some of their...
concert—Australian leg of the global Live Aid
Live Aid
Live Aid was a dual-venue concert that was held on 13 July 1985. The event was organized by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise funds for relief of the ongoing Ethiopian famine. Billed as the "global jukebox", the event was held simultaneously in Wembley Stadium in London, England, United Kingdom ...
program running for four hours—which was broadcast in Australia on both Seven Network
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
and Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
and on MTV in the US. During December, he used his industry contacts to organise a charity single for research on Fairy penguins
Little Penguin
The Little Penguin is the smallest species of penguin. The penguin, which usually grows to an average of in height and in length , is found on the coastlines of southern Australia and New Zealand, with possible records from Chile.Apart from Little Penguins, they have several common names...
, he produced the recording of a cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of Lennon, Ono & Plastic Ono Band's "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
"Happy Xmas " is a song written by John Lennon and Yoko Ono and released in 1971 as a single by John & Yoko/Plastic Ono Band with the Harlem Community Choir....
" by The Incredible Penguins
The Incredible Penguins
The Incredible Penguins were an Australian supergroup formed in 1985, which reached the top ten on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart with their cover of "Happy Xmas " in December. Contributors included Angry Anderson , Bob Geldof, Brian Mannix , Scott Carne , Colleen Hewett, and John...
with Angry Anderson
Angry Anderson
Gary Stephen "Angry" Anderson AM is an Australian rock singer, television presenter/reporter, actor and conservative political activist. He is best known as the vocalist with the hard rock band Rose Tattoo since 1976 but he is also recognised for his acting roles and his charity work...
(Rose Tattoo
Rose Tattoo
Rose Tattoo is an Australian rock and roll band, now led by Angry Anderson, that was formed in Sydney in 1976. Their sound is hard rock mixed with blues rock influences, with songs including "Bad Boy for Love", "Rock 'n' Roll Outlaw", "Nice Boys", "We Can't Be Beaten" and "Scarred for Life"...
), Brian Canham (Pseudo Echo
Pseudo Echo
Pseudo Echo are an Australian New Wave band formed in 1982 in Melbourne. The original line-up consisted of Brian Canham , Pierre Gigliotti , Tony Lugton and Anthony Argiro . A later line-up included James Leigh and his brother, Vince Leigh...
), Scott Carne (Kids in the Kitchen
Kids in the Kitchen
Kids in the Kitchen was a band from Melbourne, Australia that enjoyed considerable local success during the 1980s. The band stood squarely within the New Romantic movement that dominated mid-1980s pop, showing influences of "New-Rom" groups such as Ultravox in its use of synthesisers, its...
), John Farnham
John Farnham
John Peter Farnham, AO, formerly billed as Johnny Farnham , is an English-born Australian pop singer. He was a teen pop idol from 1964 to 1979, and has since forged a career as an adult contemporary singer. His career has mostly been as a solo artist although he briefly replaced Glenn Shorrock as...
, Venetta Fields
Venetta Fields
Venetta Fields is an American singer best known as session musician for leading rock and pop acts of the 1970s including Pink Floyd, Barbra Streisand, Steely Dan and the Rolling Stones...
, Bob Geldof
Bob Geldof
Robert Frederick Zenon "Bob" Geldof, KBE is an Irish singer, songwriter, author, occasional actor and political activist. He rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Irish rock band The Boomtown Rats in the late 1970s and early 1980s alongside the punk rock movement. The band had hits with his...
, Steve Gilpin
Steve Gilpin
Steve Gilpin was a New Zealand-born vocalist best known for his work in the rock band Mi-Sex.Born in Wellington, New Zealand, Gilpin began his career as a cabaret singer in hotels. His star rose in 1972 when he was the winner of television talent show New Faces. After releasing a string of singles...
(ex-Mi-Sex
Mi-Sex
Mi-Sex was a New Zealand new wave rock band active from 1978 to 1984. Led by Steve Gilpin as vocalist, they were best known for their singles "Computer Games" in 1979 and "People" in 1980.-History:...
), Colin Hay
Colin Hay
Colin James Hay is a Scottish-Australian musician, who made his mark during the 1980s as lead vocalist of the Australian band Men at Work, and later as a solo artist.- Early life and Men at Work :...
(Men at Work
Men at Work
Men at Work are an Australian rock band who achieved international success in the 1980s. They are the only Australian artists to have a simultaneous #1 album and #1 single in the United States . They achieved the same distinction of a simultaneous #1 album and #1 single in the United Kingdom...
), Hewett, Jim Keays
Jim Keays
James "Jim" Keays is an Australian musician who fronted rock band The Masters Apprentices as singer-songwriter, guitarist and harmonica-player during 1965–1972, and subsequently had a solo career including leading Jim Keays' Southern Cross...
(ex-The Masters Apprentices), Brian Mannix
Brian Mannix
Brian Mannix is an Australian rock music singer and actor.He guest-starred in several episodes of Australian soap Neighbours in 1993 as Conor Cleary, a love interest for Lauren Carpenter....
(Uncanny X-Men
Uncanny X-Men (band)
Uncanny X-Men are a pop/rock band which formed in Melbourne in 1981, and temporarily disbanded in 1987. They are fronted by lead singer Brian Mannix and originally included Chuck Hargreaves on guitar, Steve Harrison on bass guitar, Nick Manthandos on drums and Ron Thiessen on guitar...
), Wendy Stapleton
Wendy Stapleton
Wendy Anne-Marie Stapleton is an Australian pop/rock singer-songwriter, and musical theatre and television actress. Stapleton has performed as a backing singer, session musician and a solo artist; she fronted various Melbourne-based groups including Wendy Stapleton Band and Wendy & the Rocketts ...
(Wendy & the ) and Chris Stockley (ex-Axiom
Axiom (Australian band)
Axiom were a rock band formed in Melbourne, Australia in 1969 and included musicians Glenn Shorrock and Brian Cadd.-Biography:Axiom's formation was a by-product of the annual Hoadley's Battle of the Sounds in which the top Australian bands of the day performed in front of judges for the prize of a...
, The Dingoes
The Dingoes
The Dingoes are an Australian country rock band initially active from 1973 to 1979, formed in Melbourne they relocated to the United States from 1976. Most stable line-up was John Bois on bass guitar, John Lee on drums, Broderick Smith on vocals and harmonica, Chris Stockley on guitar and Kerryn...
). On Australia Day
Australia Day
Australia Day is the official national day of Australia...
1986 Meldrum was made a Member of the Order of Australia
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
for service to the fostering of international relief and to youth.
In 1986, Shrimpton, Rule and Meldrum created another series, The Meldrum Tapes, for ABC with an international or local artist interviewed in depth for 55 minutes—eventually 24 shows were made—which were later broadcast by MTV.
Meldrum was noted for several on-screen gaffes, although the most "famous" of all never actually appeared on screen. In a much retold incident, a clearly anxious Meldrum gushed during an interview on 13 November 1977 with Prince Charles
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
, "I saw your Mum in London in a carriage!" to which the Prince icily replied, "Are you referring to Her Majesty the Queen?" Although this incident is often related by Meldrum in interviews, it was never broadcast.
Despite such episodes of ineptitude, Meldrum became a major star in his own right and was a champion of local talent and regularly used the show to pressure radio stations to play more Australian music. As a result of his efforts, Countdown was in a position to make overnight hits with songs and performers it featured, and through the late 1970s and early 1980s it was a key factor in determining the direction of Australian popular music.
The final episode of Countdown aired on 19 July 1987, followed by the 1986 Countdown Awards, Meldrum appeared at the end of the show wearing his cowboy hat. He saluted the music industry and fans, then bared his shaved head in imitation of Midnight Oil's Peter Garrett
Peter Garrett
Peter Robert Garrett, AM, MP , is an Australian musician, environmentalist, activist and politician.Garrett was lead singer of the Australian rock band Midnight Oil from 1973 until its disbanding in 2002...
and expressed regret that they had never appeared on the show.
After Countdown
After Countdown finished its run, Meldrum and Amanda Pelman, Mushroom Records executive, formed the Body Beat and Melodian labels, they signed Peter AndrePeter André
Peter James Andrea , better known by the stage name as Peter Andre, is an English-born Australian musician, singer-songwriter, television personality and businessman. As a recording artist, he has achieving four top 10 UK albums and ten top 10 singles.-Early life:Andre was born at Northwick Park...
, Jo Beth Taylor
Jo Beth Taylor
Jo Beth Taylor is an Australian television personality most well known for hosting three weekly programs on the Nine Network at the same time between 1993 and 1997: Australia's Funniest Home Video Show, What's Up Doc? and Hey Hey It's Saturday, before taking a hiatus from television for more than...
and Indecent Obsession
Indecent Obsession
Indecent Obsession was an Australian pop band. They formed in 1987 in Brisbane.Australian music guru Molly Meldrum signed the band to his record label Melodian. The band tasted success with the single "Say Goodbye" hitting the Australian Top 10 in August 1989...
. Meldrum presented a regular music segment, titled "Molly's Melodrama", for the popular Australian variety show, Hey Hey It's Saturday
Hey Hey It's Saturday
Hey Hey It's Saturday was a long-running variety television program on Australian television. It initially ran for 27 years , debuting on the Nine Network on 9 October 1971 and broadcasting its last episode on 20 November 1999. Its host throughout its entire run was Daryl Somers, who would later...
from 1988. He travelled extensively, conducting interviews for the segment; one of these was a one-on-one with each member of The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
.
Meldrum attended the Australian Recording Industry Association
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
(ARIA) ARIA Music Awards
ARIA Music Awards
The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Australian Recording Industry Association...
on 29 March 1988
ARIA Music Awards of 1988
The Second Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards was held on 29 March 1988 at the Sheraton Wentworth Hotel in Sydney. Cliff Richard was the host, with Bryan Ferry, Feargal Sharkey and Ian "Molly" Meldrum included as presenters of the 21 awards...
as a presenter. A fracas developed between band manager Gary Morris, accepting awards for Midnight Oil, and Meldrum. Morris felt that foreign artists such as Bryan Ferry
Bryan Ferry
Bryan Ferry, CBE is an English singer, musician, and songwriter. Ferry came to public prominence in the early 1970s as lead vocalist and principal songwriter with the band Roxy Music, who enjoyed a highly successful career with three number one albums and ten singles entering the top ten charts in...
should not present awards to local artists and made fun of Ferry's deliberately crumpled suit. Meldrum objected to Morris' disrespect to Ferry and he and Morris became embroiled. In 1993
ARIA Music Awards of 1993
The Seventh Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards was held on 14 April 1993 at the Entertainment Centre in Sydney. Host, Richard Wilkins, was assisted by presenters, James Reyne, Elle Macpherson, Billy Birmingham, Tim Finn, Neil Finn and Daryl Somers to distribute 24 awards...
, Meldrum received an ARIA 'Special Achievement Award' for services to the music industry.
According to Google Books and Angus & Robertson
Angus & Robertson
Angus & Robertson is a bookstore chain in Australia. Its first bookstore was opened in 110½ Market Street, Sydney by Scotsman David Angus in 1884; it sold second-hand books. In 1886, he went into partnership with fellow Scot, George Robertson with whom he had worked earlier.- Bookselling history...
, Meldrum co-wrote his autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
, Some of My Best Friends Aren't: The Molly Meldrum Story with journalist
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
Jeff Jenkins in 2000, published by Random House
Random House
Random House, Inc. is the largest general-interest trade book publisher in the world. It has been owned since 1998 by the German private media corporation Bertelsmann and has become the umbrella brand for Bertelsmann book publishing. Random House also has a movie production arm, Random House Films,...
Australia. However, The Age
The Age
The Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
reported on 4 June 2007 that the book had still not appeared.
A televised roast
Roast (comedy)
A roast is an event in which an individual is subjected to a public presentation of comedic insults, praise, outlandish true and untrue stories, and heartwarming tributes, the implication being that the roastee is able to take the jokes in good humor and not as serious criticism or insult, and...
, in 2003, for the openly gay Meldrum, Molly: Toasted and Roasted, was characterised by Meldrum as a "gay bashing
Gay bashing
Gay bashing and gay bullying is verbal or physical abuse against a person who is perceived to be gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender . Such abuse is used also to bully heterosexual persons and persons of non-specific or unknown sexual orientation.A "bashing" may be a specific incident, and one...
" due to its excessive homophobic
Homophobia
Homophobia is a term used to refer to a range of negative attitudes and feelings towards lesbian, gay and in some cases bisexual, transgender people and behavior, although these are usually covered under other terms such as biphobia and transphobia. Definitions refer to irrational fear, with the...
slurs. Footy Show
The AFL Footy Show
The Footy Show is a Logie Award winning Australian sports television program, shown on the Nine Network and its affiliates.This show, which is dedicated to the AFL and Australian rules football, made its debut on 24 March 1994 at the same time as the other version which relates to the NRL and rugby...
star Sam Newman
Sam Newman
John Noel William "Sam" Newman is a retired Australian rules football player and current television personality. He is a featured presenter on the AFL version of The Footy Show.-VFL career:...
received boos from the audience during his speech. Meldrum became a judge on 2004's Popstars Live
Popstars Live
Popstars Live was an Australian talent quest television program similar to Australian Idol that aired on the Seven Network in early 2004. It also spawned a spin-off single and album that made the ARIA charts in April that year...
, a reality program on Channel Seven
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
, alongside fellow judges, Christine Anu
Christine Anu
-Early life:Anu was born in Cairns, Queensland to a Torres Strait Islander mother from Saibai and Mabuiag Islands.-Career:Anu began performing as a dancer and later went on to sing back-up vocals for The Rainmakers, which included Neil Murray of the Warumpi Band. Her first recording was in 1993...
and John Paul Young
John Paul Young
John Paul Young is an Australian pop singer who had a 1978 worldwide hit with "Love Is in the Air"...
.
Meldrum's trademark cowboy hat headwear, enthusiasm for popular music, and sometimes incoherent interviewing style remain well known. By visiting Egypt over 27 times since 1969, he has become an amateur Egyptologist and collector. That his extensive general knowledge extended beyond popular music was perhaps less well-known until, as a contestant on a celebrity edition Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (Australian game show)
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? was an Australian television game show which would offer a maximum cash prize of $1,000,000 for answering 15 successive multiple-choice questions of increasing difficulty as a team...
, he won $500,000 for a charity, the equal biggest win on the Australian version of the program until October 2005, although he only got the $500,000 by phoning a friend, Red Symons
Red Symons
Redmond Symons is an Australian musician, writer, actor and radio host, probably best known as lead guitarist with Skyhooks and as the snide judge of "Red Faces", a segment of the long-running Hey Hey It's Saturday variety television show...
of Skyhooks fame. He appeared on the fourth series of the Australian version of Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars (Australian TV series)
Dancing with the Stars is a Logie Award-winning, Australian light entertainment reality show airing on the Seven Network and filmed live from the HSV-7 studios in Melbourne...
in 2006, where he dressed as a pharaoh
Pharaoh
Pharaoh is a title used in many modern discussions of the ancient Egyptian rulers of all periods. The title originates in the term "pr-aa" which means "great house" and describes the royal palace...
to dance to "Walk Like an Egyptian
Walk Like an Egyptian
"Walk Like an Egyptian" is a number-one hit from the album Different Light by The Bangles in 1986.-Origin:Liam Sternberg wrote the song after seeing people on a ferry walking awkwardly to keep their balance, which reminded him of figures in Ancient Egyptian reliefs. The opening lyrics state, "All...
" by The Bangles
The Bangles
The Bangles are an American all-female band that originated in the early 1980s, scoring several hit singles during the decade.-Formation and early years :...
—he was voted off after the first round. He was also on an episode of Deal or No Deal
Deal or No Deal (Australian game show)
Deal or No Deal is an Australian game show airing on the Seven Network and in New Zealand on Prime . It was the first international version of the game show, after the original Dutch version. It was the first of the versions to use the Deal or No Deal name...
(Dancing with the Deals) on 13 February 2006.
Meldrum is a prominent supporter of the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL)
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
and the Melbourne Storm
Melbourne Storm
The Melbourne Storm are an Australian professional rugby league club based in the city of Melbourne. They are the first fully professional rugby league team based in the Australian rules football-dominated state of Victoria....
in the National Rugby League (NRL)
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
.
In September 2006, Molly's interview with Prince Charles
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
on Countdown was listed at #41 in TV Week's
TV Week
TV Week is a weekly television magazine in Australia, first published as a Melbourne-only publication in December 1957 , and bearing a strong affiliation to television station GTV.The publication is still publishing weekly...
'Top 50 most memorable moments on Australian television' list. Molly made a cameo appearances in Remembering Nigel (2007) and Ricky! the movie (2010). Meldrum is listed as coauthor of Jeff Jenkin's 2007 book Molly Meldrum presents 50 years of rock in Australia where he provided comments on various Australian rock acts from 1958 to 2007. During September–October 2009, Meldrum appeared in Hey Hey Its Saturday reunion specials on the Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
despite working for rival Seven Network. In early December, Meldrum interviewed UK singer and Britain's Got Talent
Britain's Got Talent
Britain's Got Talent is a British television talent show competition which started in June 2007 and originated from the Got Talent series. The show is produced by FremantleMedia's TalkbackThames and Simon Cowell's production company SYCOtv. The show is broadcast on ITV in Britain and TV3 in Ireland...
runner-up, Susan Boyle
Susan Boyle
Susan Magdalane Boyle is a Scottish singer who came to international public attention when she appeared as a contestant on the TV programme Britain's Got Talent on 11 April 2009, singing "I Dreamed a Dream" from ...
. After signing with Seven to continue on Sunrise, Weekend Sunrise and Sunday Night he was unavailable for the 2010 season of Hey Hey It's Saturday. In February, Meldrum was appointed King of Moomba – his second appointment – with Kate Ceberano
Kate Ceberano
Kate Ceberano is an Australian singer. She achieved success in the soul, jazz and pop genres as well as in her brief forays into musicals with Jesus Christ Superstar and film...
as Queen of Moomba.
Personal life
Meldrum has a younger brother Robert, who was involved in alternative theatre, and had a cameo role on Joe DolceJoe Dolce
Joseph "Joe" Dolce is an American-born, Australian singer/songwriter who achieved fame with his multi-million-selling song, "Shaddap You Face", released under the name of his one-man show, Joe Dolce Music Theatre, in 1980...
's one-hit wonder "Shaddap You Face
Shaddap You Face
"Shaddap You Face" is an Australian novelty song written and performed by Joe Dolce in 1980. It has set a number of sales and longevity records. The song was full of broad Italian humour and included a recognizable chorus.-Sales and chart positions:It went to Number 1 on the Australian pop charts...
" video-clip as an accordion player. A second younger brother, Brian, is a successful racing and golf journalist and editor. Although one of the first openly gay TV stars in Australia; according to Meldrum, "I had girlfriends. I was engaged a few times", one engagement was to Joy. Since 1986, he has lived in Richmond
Richmond, Victoria
Richmond is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra...
in an Egyptian-themed house, Luxor: his long-term partner, Rui, is a chef.
External links
- Interview MP3 extract of Molly Meldrum taken from Interviews Archive
- Countdown Website
- Lauren Bergman Management article