Like many musical families in the late fifties- early sixties, night time entertainment was sitting around singing songs. My father would play guitar- we sang mainly country songs.

When I was 9, my parents entered me in a local talent quest. I forgot the words of my first song and remember walking off, very embarrassed. I came back and sang the second song and ended up winning my section (they must have felt sorry for me!) When I went to High School, I started playing acoustic guitar and eventually this led to forming a band consisting of some school mates and a couple of older locals. We really only played in Walcha- we weren’t good enough to go to bigger towns.

In 1971, I was asked to join an old time dance band consisting of an organ and two guitars. The organ had built-in rhythm sections. We played every Friday ,Saturday and some Sunday nights all year round. In those days, clubs had regular dances, there were town halls, woolsheds- there was always something going on.

I did this for about three years until one day someone from Walcha told me there was a band looking for a singer. She had mentioned me to one of the band members-that band was TREK. After organising an audition, I turned up one Sunday afternoon at Wagon Wheels- a servo south of Uralla. There was a little shed at the side- I think it’s still there. The song I sang was “Johnny Be Good”. This was all new for me. The band accepted me and I had a lot of new songs to learn- most I had never heard. But I was excited to go on this new journey.Once we started playing gigs, I would drive to Uralla and travel with Willy. Eventually I bought a P.A. and an EH panelvan (all set!). Looking back on those years, I really value the times we had and the friendships we formed; getting dressed up and becoming part of the show; all getting together at the Pizza Place before we played and much more.

After TREK, I had some time out of bands and played football for Walcha but couldn’t stay away so a band was formed with Russell Hughes, Pat O’Brien, Peter Cummings- not sure if George Finney played bass or not- Russell may know. I think the band was Footloose. After that I was in a band with two brothers from Armidale-Dean and Gerard Bourke- Jump the Gun.
Then I decided to go solo, experimenting with backing tracks. They will never replace the actual band experience. But venues were shying away from bands when they could get a solo act to do a similar job.

Around 1980, a friend and an excellent piano player, Chris Brazel and I went in the Tamworth Services Club ‘Entertainer of the Year’ quest. We were awarded second prize as well as receiving the audience vote for the best act.
Another passion of mine is horses which led me to the sport of campdrafting which I still do today. Luckily, campdraft committees would have entertainment on the Saturday night and I was asked to play almost every weekend so I could enjoy both my passions.
We moved to Wauchope in 1994 where I started playing pubs and clubs in Port Macquarie, Wauchope and up and down the coast as well as campdrafts.

In 2001, I tried writing some songs. After completing one song, I decided to record it so I rang Lindsay Butler at his Moonbi studio. He asked me to come and sing it to him and his wife. After hearing it they decided to put it on the LBS Country Collections Volume 7. It gave me a great sense of satisfaction knowing they considered it to be good enough.

After 11 years on the coast, we moved back to Tamworth where I started working through an agent playing pubs, clubs and campdrafts that we attended.
Music has always been part of my life and I value that gift although one regret is not pushing that gift to the limit.

All past members of TREK were able to get together at Evans Head in March 2020 for a week. It was incredible. It was honestly one of the best weeks of my life- to see and spend time with people who made those early years a pleasure to be alive- I think we saw the best!