CAPTAIN AUSTRALIA AND THE HONKY TONK

Ronnie Charles ex vocalist of The Groop formed Captain Australia & The Honky Tonk around 1970. Its membership was a classic illustration of the close connections between so many bands of that period. Besides Ronnie, the variously band included Brian Holloway on guitar (ex-The Dream, Image, Aesop's Fables), Graham Jones on bass (ex-Iguana), Ronnie's old Groop bandmate Richard Wright (drums) and Steve Yates on keyboards (ex-Rush). In August 1970, drummer Eric Cairns (ex-Somebody's Image/Image, Heart'n'Soul, Company Caine) replaced Wright, Les Gough on bass (ex-Somebody's Image/Image, Heart'n'Soul) replaced Jones, and Gary Moberley (ex-Ramrods, Aesop's Fables) replaced Yates, who then joined King Harvest.

Captain Australia recorded one single, "Excerpts from Muses / Everybody I Love You" released on Havoc in early 1971, but just as the single came out, the group headed off for the UK. Like so many other hopeful Aussie groups, Captain Australia made no impression in the cutthroat and rapidly changing UK music scene and by 1972, the group had fizzled out. Brian Holloway went on to join the UK-based multinational supergroup Esperanto with Glenn Shorrock, Joy Yates and Janice Slater. Gary Moberley settled in the UK and became a successful session musician and musical director with credits including The Sweet, ABC, The Bee Gees, Mick Taylor, Prefab Sprout, Wet Wet Wet, Fine Young Cannibals, The The, Jody Watley, Talk Talk, Terence Trent D'Arby and The Damned. Richard Wright died in 2020. Les Gough died in 2021.

Members

Ronnie Charles (vocals) Brian Holloway (guitar), Graham Jones (bass), Richard Wright (drums)

Steve Yates (keyboards), Eric Cairns (drums) Les Gough (bass) Gary Moberley (keyboards) 

References

http://www.milesago.com/artists/charles-ronnie.htm