Alexander Stewart Ferguson "Alex" Hood was born in Sydney in 1935 and attended Homebush Boys High School, where he gained his Intermediate Certificate. As a teenager he was a keen cricketer but left school at age 15 to take up an apprenticeship as an electrician. He joined the Eureka Youth League, a communist youth association, meeting Bill Berry and Chris Kempster. Kempster, along with the older singer and folklorist John Meredith, a founding member of the (original) Bushwhackers (Australia's first bush band), were members of the Unity Singers, a Sydney left-wing choir formed in 1951.
In 1953 Reedy River, a new Australian musical play based around the 1891 Australian shearers' strike, was created, opening first at the Melbourne New Theatre and then subsequently in Sydney's New Theatre, also in 1953. For the Sydney production, Meredith's Bushwhackers group were selected to provide the musical accompaniment; Hood spent some time "hanging around backstage" and, when Kempster had to take three months leave to perform his national service, the nineteen year old Hood, then known as Alec, deputised for him playing the part of "Snowy". (Hood also later took on the part of "Bob the Swagman" for a time, otherwise played by Cecil Grivas).
As a result of this involvement, Hood acquired a love of traditional Australian "bush" music and both he and Kempster became accepted members of the band, which however eventually led to friction between them (as the younger members) and Meredith, who decided that the best course of action was to disband the group in 1957, telling the various members that if they wanted to carry on performing, it would be under the auspices of the Sydney "Bush Music Club" (still in existence as at 2020) with which they had all been associated, but no longer under the Bushwhackers band name. Hood, together with Kempster on guitar and banjo and Harry Kay on harmonica then formed The Rambleers, utilizing their preference to sing in harmony as opposed to the unison singing style of the Bushwhackers. The group toured and released a 10-inch LP 'The Old Bark Hut' followed with a 7-inch 33 rpm record ''Waltzing Matilda'', both 1958 and both on the Wattle label. They also appeared in a 1960 stage production Fisher's Ghost, a play by Douglas Stewart based on the Fisher's Ghost legend, together with singers Barbara Lisyak and Denis Kevans.
In 1962 Hood teamed up with British singer Chuck Quinton as The Rambling Boys, spending several months touring with the Gill Brothers circus troupe before taking off on their own touring throughout outback New South Wales. Hood and his first wife, Gabrielle, subsequently established the Folk Arts Centre at 90 Queen Street, Woollahra, modelled after Israel Young's Folklore Centre in Greenwich Village, New York City, however the Centre lasted only a year before closing.
From 1961-1962 Hood joined with Australian folk/jazz singer Marian Henderson and international jazz guitarist/ commercial artist Chris Daw, recently arrived in Sydney, in a trio Daw, Hood And Henderson which released an EP 'Oh Pay Me' (1962). It was recorded on the Blue and White label which belonged to the Trade Union Council of Australia. Hood also performed solo on a various artists 1964 EP 'Basic Wage Dream' also recorded on Blue and White.
Hood released his first solo LP 'The First Hundred Years' in 1964 on the Columbia label in conjunction with a pocket songbook. Hood began to record traditional music, folklore and oral histories when he was touring in rural New South Wales in 1968. In the same year he teamed up with guitarist Brian Godden (ex-Grape Escape) as The Prodigal Sons for a year or so who recorded a single, ''The Didgeridoo / The Girl On The Five Dollar Note'', released by Parlophone Australia in 1969. They also did a series of broadcasts for schools. Hood returned to being a solo performer and released a number of albums.
In 1962 Hood teamed up with British singer Chuck Quinton as The Rambling Boys, spending several months touring with the Gill Brothers circus troupe before taking off on their own touring throughout outback New South Wales. Hood and his first wife, Gabrielle, subsequently established the Folk Arts Centre at 90 Queen Street, Woollahra, modelled after Israel Young's Folklore Centre in Greenwich Village, New York City, however the Centre lasted only a year before closing.
From 1961-1962 Hood joined with Australian folk/jazz singer Marian Henderson and international jazz guitarist/ commercial artist Chris Daw, recently arrived in Sydney, in a trio Daw, Hood And Henderson which released an EP 'Oh Pay Me' (1962). It was recorded on the Blue and White label which belonged to the Trade Union Council of Australia. Hood also performed solo on a various artists 1964 EP 'Basic Wage Dream' also recorded on Blue and White.
Hood released his first solo LP 'The First Hundred Years' in 1964 on the Columbia label in conjunction with a pocket songbook. Hood began to record traditional music, folklore and oral histories when he was touring in rural New South Wales in 1968. In the same year he teamed up with guitarist Brian Godden (ex-Grape Escape) as The Prodigal Sons for a year or so who recorded a single, ''The Didgeridoo / The Girl On The Five Dollar Note'', released by Parlophone Australia in 1969. They also did a series of broadcasts for schools. Hood returned to being a solo performer and released a number of albums.
Hood kept up a busy schedule as entertainer, recording musician, playwright and actor for many years and was featured in 2014 (aged 78–79) at Sydney's still-operational Bush Music Club, as well as the 2017 Illawarra Folk Festival. Together with his wife Annette, he eventually retired to the Kiama district of New South Wales, where he continues to perform in public on an occasional basis. Alex and Annette Hood received the 2020 National Folk Festival Lifetime Achievement Award for "significant commitment and contribution to enriching folk music and culture in Australia".
''Ballad Of Billy Borker / Why Can't You Try'' 1965 Columbia
''Pumpkin Paddy / Paddy And Gundi'' 1970 Surprise Surprise
''Bill Jinks / Bill And The Whale'' 1970 Surprise Surprise
''Herman's German Band / Herman And Thunderbolt'' 1970 Surprise Surprise
''Brumby Jack / Chaffbag Charlie'' 1970 Surprise Surprise
''Hot Rod Harry And Flash [with Larry King] / The Toothbrush Family'' 1975 Axis Juniors
''The Service Song / Seasons Of Change'' 1975 Alberts
ALBUMS
'The First Hundred Years' 1964 Columbia
'The Second Hundred Years' 1970 Music For Pleasure
'The Restless Years' [with Marion Henderson and Peter O'Shaughnessy] Jacaranda Press
'Songs Of Australia' 1979 Music For Pleasure
'Me And My Friends' 1971 Music For Pleasure
'The Flying Pieman' 1971 Axis
'Songs From The Wallaby Track' 1972 Axis
'Seasons Of Change' 1975 Axis
'Songs From Speewah' 1978 ABC
'Whale Chasing Men' [with Harry Robertson and Marion Henderson] 1980 Music For Pleasure
'Sydney Or The Bush' 1982 EMI
'The Second Hundred Years' 1970 Music For Pleasure
'The Restless Years' [with Marion Henderson and Peter O'Shaughnessy] Jacaranda Press
'Songs Of Australia' 1979 Music For Pleasure
'Me And My Friends' 1971 Music For Pleasure
'The Flying Pieman' 1971 Axis
'Songs From The Wallaby Track' 1972 Axis
'Seasons Of Change' 1975 Axis
'Songs From Speewah' 1978 ABC
'Whale Chasing Men' [with Harry Robertson and Marion Henderson] 1980 Music For Pleasure
'Sydney Or The Bush' 1982 EMI
References
Alex Hood - Wikipedia
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