He was the pop star with the raccoon eyes who sang ‘Hollywood Seven’ and ‘Six Ribbons’; the swashbuckling Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance; the rocker who packed beer barns across Australia; and, in the words of Tim Rice, ‘a brilliantly judged and truly exciting’ Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar. On the small screen he was as comfortable portraying Bobby Rivers in All Together Now as he was Jonathan Garrett in Against the Wind.But there was a lot more to Jon English. He was a ...

The incredible inside story of the iconic band behind 'Reckless', 'Boys Light Up' and many more hits, by Australia's bestselling music biographer.When Australian Crawl first appeared on Countdown in August 1979 performing 'Beautiful People', no one knew what to make of them. Certainly not the TV crew, who thought the song was called 'Beautiful Beach Ball'. The band was quirky, charismatic and unmistakably different. But they quickly proved they were no nov...

Post-war Australia didn't know what to make of promoter Lee Gordon. To some he was a typical Yank: crass, loud and outspoken, focused on just one thing - making money. But to others, such as rocker Johnny O'Keefe, Lee Gordon was a mentor, a guru and a lifeline to the big time. One thing is undeniable: without Lee Gordon, there would be no billion-dollar entertainment industry in Australia today; and names like Michael Gudinski, Harry M. Miller and Michael Chugg would mean little. Gordon wa...

The definitive and fascinating biography of the musical trailblazer who was the influence behind countless legendary hits, a rock and roll legend in his own right, and the original rockabilly cat—Carl Perkins.He was the King of Rockabilly, and one of rock and roll’s true pioneers. A groundbreaking guitarist, singer, and songwriter, Carl Perkins inspired countless musicians in country, rock, and pop music. As Paul McCartney said, “If there were no Carl Perkins, ther...

Pop star, mentor and icon, George Young was one of the most important figures in Australian pop music history. Jeff Apter reveals the little-known facts that helped create a music empire.George Young wasn't so much on the charts for the best part of three decades: he and his musical partner Harry Vanda were the charts.George's journey began with the trailblazing Easybeats and continued, alongside Harry, as producer/songwriter for hire with John Pau...

The first in-depth biography of Malcolm Young, from the author of High Voltage.'What a great read. The last chapters really got to me - so sad.'Herm Kovac, bandmate and lifelong friend of Malcolm (and co-founder of TMG)Malcolm Young was a legend: the founder and the driving force of AC/DC, a man with what many have called 'the greatest right hand in rock and roll'. That right hand provided the instantly recognisable riffs and muscle behind s...

A comprehensive biography that documents how Keith Urban lived out his childhood dream - and the price he's had to pay to reach the top.Four Grammys. 20 US Number Ones. A Hollywood marriage. Who wouldn't want to be Keith Urban?Keith Urban came from humble origins. His father worked at the local tip and Keith was a high school dropout. But Keith had a plan: conquering Nashville. 'It's my destiny,' he said. And Keith was hell-bent on scaling that musical Ever...

Don’t Dream It’s Over is the first biography to focus exclusively on Neil Finn, the man who wrote the timeless hits of Split Enz and Crowded House.In early 1980, 21-year-old Neil Mullane Finn wrote 'I Got You', which became the signature song and biggest hit for the Kiwi band Split Enz, co-founded by Neil's big brother Tim several years earlier. Over the next four decades, Neil not only nurtured one of the finest heads of hair in music, but crafted hit aft...

The life, death and rock'n'roll rollercoaster career of AC/DC frontman Bon Scott.Bon Scott was once asked if he was AC or DC. 'Neither,' he grinned, 'I'm the lightning flash in the middle.' And that's how he lived his life.No one had the same skill with lyrics as Bon, who called his words 'toilet poetry', his 'dirty ditties'. He could also vividly depict life on the road, best heard in the AC/DC classics 'Long Way to the Top' and 'Highway to Hell'.W...

The rollercoaster careers of the brothers Gibb – Barry, Robin, Maurice and younger brother Andy – is perhaps the greatest saga in Australian music history. The Bee Gees as a group, and the brothers individually, enjoyed several rebirths over careers that spanned many decades, but it seemed that tragedy followed them at every turn. For every incredible career high there seemed to be a hefty personal downside: divorce, drunkenness and early death are as synonymous with the Gibbs as falsetto ...

The definitive biography of one of music history’s most beloved, versatile, unforgettable icons—Roy Orbison, the singer-songwriter of legendary hits including “Only the Lonely,” “Crying,” and “Oh, Pretty Woman”—from his chart-topping highs and tragic lows to his momentous comeback.He didn’t look, move, or sound like his contemporaries, but Roy Orbison, king of the emotionally charged, slow-burning, drama-ballad, struck a worldwide chord. Now, from acclaimed mus...

He had it all-the heroin chic thing before it was chic, the scars, the swagger, an incredible stage presence. After bursting on to the Australian music scene in 1975, Dragon fast developed a reputation for both hard rocking and hard living. As the highly visible and charismatic lead singer, Marc Hunter was the voice behind such timeless hits as ‘April Sun in Cuba', ‘Are You Old Enough?' and ‘Rain'. Yet Hunter was also a maverick whose destructive genius and serious heroin addiction led to ...