Stan Rofe
Encyclopedia
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.
, a suburb of Melbourne. He was a student at Faraday Street State School in Carlton
and later at Collingwood Technical School.
As a very young child Stan was a fan of radio station 3KZ. His favourite announcer was Norman Banks
who set the trend for radio announcers in the forties. To impersonate Banks Stan would use kitchen pots for reverberation effects. This rehearsal went on for many years. Stan’s mother encouraged him to pursue a radio career.
Stan commenced work at sixteen and a year later he was teaching ballroom dancing and was a member of the Victorian Square Dance
Championship Team that was third in their national competition. At eighteen Stan was called up for three months national service
training, which was followed by four years in the Citizens' Military Forces.
In 1953, after three days tuition at the Bill Roberts Radio School, a position was secured with 7AD in Devonport, Tasmania
. After a few weeks Stan was made Chief Announcer. He recalled that, “it was a frightening experience that was too quick to worry about”.
Returning to Melbourne, Rofe became an announcer with 3AK
in 1956, before moving to 3XY alongside Bert Newton
when the station broadcast out of the Princess Theatre in Spring Street
. He then moved to 3KZ.
Stan commenced in an afternoon trial slot combining popular music with listener’s requests. Stan also presented “Call up KZ”, which required listeners to identify recordings. Phil Gibbs, the program manager of 3KZ, gave Stan the opportunity to call night football games
at South Melbourne
football ground. On occasions he would broadcast with Phil Gibbs and Harry Mueller at Saturday games. Stan was one of only seventeen Australian Federation of Commercial Broadcasting accredited commentators for the Melbourne Olympic Games
in 1956.
At the end of the 1956 Olympics Stan was presenting “Spin for the Stars” and was intrigued as to how DJ John Laws
was securing American record releases. These records were often on the Memphis
-based Sun label
featuring artists such as Elvis Presley
, Roy Orbison
, Jerry Lee Lewis
and Carl Perkins
. Stan incorporated these recordings into “Spin for the Stars”, where they were mixed with songs by Perry Como
, Peggy Lee
, Rosemary Clooney
, Bing Crosby
, Doris Day
and Frank Sinatra
. So at the end of 1956 Stan was introducing rock-n-roll to Melbourne radio. He got access to the latest sounds after organising for Qantas
pilots to bring in singles from the United States and Britain.
Rofe went on to work at 3KZ
in the Trades Hall building in Carlton
for eight years until Les Heile took over as General manager and changed 3KZ into a limp, middle-of-the road station. Stan moved to 3UZ, returning to 3XY as music director in the 1970s. He was known as 'Stan the Man' and well known for his 'Hi-de-hi, Victoria!' at the start of his broadcasts. He later broadcast on 3DB and finally was heard on Gold-FM, the successor to 3KZ
He made forays into TV, appearing on Uptight and Happening 70, and his popularity peaked in 1968 when he was crowned Prince of Moomba
.
's career when he was the first DJ to play O'Keefe's first record, "You Hit the Wrong Note Billy Goat", and recommending he cover
the Isley Brothers' "Shout", which became JOK's signature hit.
Johnny Chester
, Ronnie Burns and Russell Morris
and Normie Rowe
all credit Rofe for advice and direction.
"He would encourage young groups to pursue their careers, and he would try and find a gig for them through the influential promoters he knew," said Ian Meldrum
, whom Rofe dubbed "Molly" (after office boy Frank Howson
suggested the name) when they worked together at Go-Set
magazine. "At times he would actually pay money out of his own pocket, which today is unheard of."
Rofe actually produced a single for Frank Howson, "Seventeen Ain't Young
" that made the Melbourne charts.
"He was an exceptional, warm man", said singer Russell Morris
, who credits Rofe for suggesting he do a cover of "Hush", the first hit for his band, Somebody's Image. "He was such a huge star, but his door would always be open for any 16-year-old kid who came into his studio with a record."
In 1994, Rofe's services to the music industry were honoured when the Australian Record Industry Association presented him with a special achievement award.
At his funeral service on Wednesday 21 May 2003, more than 200 people packed the Trinity College chapel in Parkville, Victoria
to overflowing and they heard Rofe eulogised as a friend, a brother, an uncle, a mentor, a passionate supporter of Australian artists and an even more passionate supporter of the Essendon Football Club
.
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...
's first and most influential rock'n'roll disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
. He is remembered as playing the first rock and roll music on Melbourne radio 3KZ
3KZ
Gold 104.3 is a radio station broadcasting in Melbourne, Australia. Gold 104.3 is part of the Australian Radio Classic Hits Network and broadcasts on the 104.3 MHz frequency.- History :...
in 1956 and as a champion of Australian music, a pioneer who played songs other DJs were too scared to play.
Career
Stan Rofe was born in RichmondRichmond, 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...
, a suburb of Melbourne. He was a student at Faraday Street State School in Carlton
Carlton, Victoria
Carlton is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Melbourne...
and later at Collingwood Technical School.
As a very young child Stan was a fan of radio station 3KZ. His favourite announcer was Norman Banks
Norman Banks
Norman Tyrell Banks, MBE was a pioneering radio broadcaster of Australian rules football in Melbourne for over 50 years from the 1930s...
who set the trend for radio announcers in the forties. To impersonate Banks Stan would use kitchen pots for reverberation effects. This rehearsal went on for many years. Stan’s mother encouraged him to pursue a radio career.
Stan commenced work at sixteen and a year later he was teaching ballroom dancing and was a member of the Victorian Square Dance
Square dance
Square dance is a folk dance with four couples arranged in a square, with one couple on each side, beginning with Couple 1 facing away from the music and going counter-clockwise until getting to Couple 4. Couples 1 and 3 are known as the head couples, while Couples 2 and 4 are the side couples...
Championship Team that was third in their national competition. At eighteen Stan was called up for three months national service
National service
National service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
training, which was followed by four years in the Citizens' Military Forces.
In 1953, after three days tuition at the Bill Roberts Radio School, a position was secured with 7AD in Devonport, Tasmania
Devonport, Tasmania
-Sport:The Devonport Football Club is an Australian Rules team competing in the Tasmanian Statewide League. The Devonport Rugby Club is a Rugby Union team competing in the Tasmanian Rugby Union Statewide League...
. After a few weeks Stan was made Chief Announcer. He recalled that, “it was a frightening experience that was too quick to worry about”.
Returning to Melbourne, Rofe became an announcer with 3AK
3AK
3AK is the call sign of SEN 1116 and earlier the on-air name of a former Melbourne talk-back radio and music station, which, in 2003, leased its licence to sports network SEN 1116...
in 1956, before moving to 3XY alongside Bert Newton
Bert Newton
Albert Watson "Bert" Newton, AM, MBE is an Australian television personality, known for hosting television series such as In Melbourne Tonight, Good Morning Australia and 20 to 1. Newton has also hosted the Logie Awards on numerous occasions through his career.-Early life:Newton was born in...
when the station broadcast out of the Princess Theatre in Spring Street
Spring Street, Melbourne
Spring Street is a major street in the central business district of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It runs roughly north-south, and is the easternmost street in the Hoddle Grid. The street travels from Flinders Street in the south, to La Trobe Street and the Carlton Gardens in the north...
. He then moved to 3KZ.
Stan commenced in an afternoon trial slot combining popular music with listener’s requests. Stan also presented “Call up KZ”, which required listeners to identify recordings. Phil Gibbs, the program manager of 3KZ, gave Stan the opportunity to call night football games
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
at South Melbourne
Sydney Swans
The Sydney Swans Football Club is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League . The club is based in Sydney, New South Wales. The club, founded in 1874, was known as the South Melbourne Football Club until it relocated to Sydney in 1982 to become the Sydney...
football ground. On occasions he would broadcast with Phil Gibbs and Harry Mueller at Saturday games. Stan was one of only seventeen Australian Federation of Commercial Broadcasting accredited commentators for the Melbourne Olympic Games
1956 Summer Olympics
The 1956 Melbourne Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in Melbourne, Australia, in 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, which could not be held in Australia due to quarantine regulations...
in 1956.
At the end of the 1956 Olympics Stan was presenting “Spin for the Stars” and was intrigued as to how DJ John Laws
John Laws
Richard John Sinclair "John" Laws, CBE , an Australian radio presenter, sometimes known as Lawsie, was from the 1970s until his retirement in 2007, the host of a hugely successful morning radio program, which mixed music with interviews, opinion, live advertising readings and listener talkback...
was securing American record releases. These records were often on the Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
-based Sun label
Sun Records
Sun Records is a record label founded in Memphis, Tennessee, starting operations on March 27, 1952.Founded by Sam Phillips, Sun Records was known for giving notable musicians such as Elvis Presley , Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, and Johnny Cash...
featuring artists such as Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
, Roy Orbison
Roy Orbison
Roy Kelton Orbison was an American singer-songwriter, well known for his distinctive, powerful voice, complex compositions, and dark emotional ballads. Orbison grew up in Texas and began singing in a rockabilly/country & western band in high school until he was signed by Sun Records in Memphis...
, Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis is an American rock and roll and country music singer-songwriter and pianist. An early pioneer of rock and roll music, Lewis's career faltered after he married his young cousin, and he afterwards made a career extension to country and western music. He is known by the nickname 'The...
and Carl Perkins
Carl Perkins
Carl Lee Perkins was an American rockabilly musician who recorded most notably at Sun Records Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, beginning during 1954...
. Stan incorporated these recordings into “Spin for the Stars”, where they were mixed with songs by Perry Como
Perry Como
Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como was an American singer and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century he recorded exclusively for the RCA Victor label after signing with them in 1943. "Mr...
, Peggy Lee
Peggy Lee
Peggy Lee was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer, and actress in a career spanning six decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local radio to singing with Benny Goodman's big band, she forged a sophisticated persona, evolving into a multi-faceted artist and...
, Rosemary Clooney
Rosemary Clooney
Rosemary Clooney was an American singer and actress. She came to prominence in the early 1950s with the novelty hit "Come On-a My House" written by William Saroyan and his cousin Ross Bagdasarian , which was followed by other pop numbers such as "Botch-a-Me" Rosemary Clooney (May 23, 1928 –...
, Bing Crosby
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
, Doris Day
Doris Day
Doris Day is an American actress, singer and, since her retirement from show business, an animal rights activist. With an entertainment career that spanned through almost 50 years, Day started her career as a big band singer in 1939, but only began to be noticed after her first hit recording,...
and Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
. So at the end of 1956 Stan was introducing rock-n-roll to Melbourne radio. He got access to the latest sounds after organising for Qantas
Qantas
Qantas Airways Limited is the flag carrier of Australia. The name was originally "QANTAS", an initialism for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services". Nicknamed "The Flying Kangaroo", the airline is based in Sydney, with its main hub at Sydney Airport...
pilots to bring in singles from the United States and Britain.
3KZ
Gold 104.3 is a radio station broadcasting in Melbourne, Australia. Gold 104.3 is part of the Australian Radio Classic Hits Network and broadcasts on the 104.3 MHz frequency.- History :...
in the Trades Hall building in Carlton
Carlton, Victoria
Carlton is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Melbourne...
for eight years until Les Heile took over as General manager and changed 3KZ into a limp, middle-of-the road station. Stan moved to 3UZ, returning to 3XY as music director in the 1970s. He was known as 'Stan the Man' and well known for his 'Hi-de-hi, Victoria!' at the start of his broadcasts. He later broadcast on 3DB and finally was heard on Gold-FM, the successor to 3KZ
He made forays into TV, appearing on Uptight and Happening 70, and his popularity peaked in 1968 when he was crowned Prince 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...
.
Legacy and influence
Generations of musicians will remember him best as adviser, mentor and guru. He helped start Johnny O'KeefeJohnny O'Keefe
John Michael O'Keefe, known as Johnny O'Keefe was an Australian rock and roll singer whose career began in the 1950s. Some of his hits include "Wild One" , "Shout!" and "She's My Baby"...
's career when he was the first DJ to play O'Keefe's first record, "You Hit the Wrong Note Billy Goat", and recommending he 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...
the Isley Brothers' "Shout", which became JOK's signature hit.
Johnny Chester
Johnny Chester
Johnny Chester is an Australian singer-songwriter from Melbourne. He started his career singing rock'n'roll and later changed to country music...
, Ronnie Burns and 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...
and Normie Rowe
Normie Rowe
Norman John "Normie" Rowe AM was a major male solo performer of Australian pop music in the 1960s. Known for his bright and edgy tenor voice and dynamic stage presence, many of Rowe's most successful recordings were produced by Pat Aulton, house producer for the Sunshine Records, Spin Records and...
all credit Rofe for advice and direction.
"He would encourage young groups to pursue their careers, and he would try and find a gig for them through the influential promoters he knew," said Ian Meldrum
Ian Meldrum
Ian Alexander "Molly" Meldrum AM is an Australian popular music critic, journalist, record producer , and musical entrepreneur...
, whom Rofe dubbed "Molly" (after office boy Frank Howson
Frank Howson
Frank Howson has had a career in entertainment. He directed Flynn on the early life of Errol Flynn and Hunting...
suggested the name) when they worked together at 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...
magazine. "At times he would actually pay money out of his own pocket, which today is unheard of."
Rofe actually produced a single for Frank Howson, "Seventeen Ain't Young
Seventeen Ain't Young
"Seventeen Ain't Young" was a Bubblegum pop song written by American composer Jeff Barry for The Archies 1968 debut album The Archies. It was covered by Frankie Howson in 1969 and became a Top 40 hit in Australia, his recording was produced by Australia's legendary DJ Stan Rofe....
" that made the Melbourne charts.
"He was an exceptional, warm man", said 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...
, who credits Rofe for suggesting he do a cover of "Hush", the first hit for his band, Somebody's Image. "He was such a huge star, but his door would always be open for any 16-year-old kid who came into his studio with a record."
In 1994, Rofe's services to the music industry were honoured when the Australian Record Industry Association presented him with a special achievement award.
At his funeral service on Wednesday 21 May 2003, more than 200 people packed the Trinity College chapel in Parkville, Victoria
Parkville, Victoria
Parkville is an inner city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Melbourne. At the 2006 Census, the population was 4,980....
to overflowing and they heard Rofe eulogised as a friend, a brother, an uncle, a mentor, a passionate supporter of Australian artists and an even more passionate supporter of the Essendon Football Club
Essendon Football Club
The Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
.