GARY SHEARSTON

Gary Shearston was born in Inverell, New South Wales in 1939, the son of Audrey Lilian (née Manchee) and James Barclay Shearston. During World War II his father was posted on active service and Shearston and his mother lived on his grandparents' property, "Aydrie", near Tenterfield, New South Wales. At the age of 11 his family moved to Sydney, and he attended his father's alma mater, Newington College (1950–1955), commencing as a preparatory school student at Wyvern House.

Shearston trained as press correspondent with United Press and his first show business job was with the Tintookies, an Australian travelling puppet show. He joined the Hayes Gordon Ensemble Theatre working as an actor and stage manager. Having taken up guitar, Shearston learned a repertoire of English, American and Australian folk songs and at 19 become a professional singer. He worked in hotels and sang at The Folksinger and with the American gospel and blues singer Brother John Sellers. In 1962 Shearston signed with Leedon Records and released the single ''The Ballad Of Thunderbolt / Crayfish Song'' and an EP 'The Man From Snowy River'. The following year Shearston was signed to the Australian division of CBS Records by A&R manager Sven Libaek. On this label he recorded six albums over the next two years.

In March 1965 Sydney radio stations started playing a track from his album 'Australian Broadside'. His single "Sydney Town" hit the Top 10 in his home city. In the same year he supported The New Lost City Ramblers tour of Australia. In 1966 and 1967, he became Australia's biggest record seller of folk music. He had his own national television show called Just Folk and Peter Paul and Mary recorded a cover of his "Sometime Lovin'". They also invited him to go to the United States. He spent a year in London and then four years on the east coast of the United States. In 1972 he returned to England and re-recorded some songs for the album 'Dingo'. The song which attracted most attention was his deadpan interpretation of Cole Porter's "I Get a Kick out of You". This single was released in Australia, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Rhodesia, the UK, the USA and Yugoslavia.

Shearston returned to live in Australia in 1989 and recorded the album 'Aussie Blue' on the Larrikin label. In 1990 he received the Tamworth Songwriters' Association's Bush Ballad of the Year award for the autobiographical song "Shopping on a Saturday". Shearston later became a cleric in the Anglican Church of Australia in rural New South Wales. He was ordained a deacon in 1991 and a priest in 1992. He served as an assistant in Narrandera (1991) and Deniliquin (1992-1993). He was priest-in-charge in Hay (1993-1998), rector of Bangalow (1998-2003) and a locum in Stanthorpe (2005-2006) and Coleambally-Darlington Point/Deniliquin (2006).Shearston died on 1 July 2013, aged 74 years, at Armidale Hospital in New South Wales after earlier in the day suffering a stroke at his home, "Aydrie", near Tenterfield.

SINGLES

''The Ballad Of Thunderbolt / Crayfish Song'' 1963 Leedon
''Who Can Say? / Put A Light In Every Country Window'' 1964 CBS
''We Want Freedom / It's On'' 1964 CBS
''Sydney Town (#33) / The Roar Of The Crowd'' 1965 CBS
''Sometime Lovin' (#59) / Big Boat Up The River'' 1965 CBS
''We Are Going To Freedom / The Land Where The Crow Flies Backwards'' 1966 CBS
''Hey Honey, Give Me Some Money / Rainbow Girl'' 1967 Festival
''I Get A Kick Out Of You (#19) / Witnessing'' 1974 Charisma
''Without A Song / Aborigine'' 1975 Charisma

''A Whiter Shade Of Pale / Across The Seven Seas'' 1976 Transatlantic
'' Aussie Blue / A Voice From The City'' 1989 Larrikin

EPs

'The Man From Snowy River' 1963 Leedon

'Songs Of Our Time' 1964 CBS
'Australian Folk Songs' 1965 CBS
'Australian Broadside' 1965 CBS

ALBUMS

'Folk Songs & Ballads Of Australia' 1964 CBS
'Songs Of Our Time' 1964 CBS
'The Springtime It Brings On The Shearing (Traditional Australian Shearing Songs)' 1965 CBS
'Australian Broadside' 1965 CBS
'Traditional Australian Songs Of Bolters, Bushrangers & Duffers' 1965 CBS
'Sings His Songs' 1966 CBS
'Abreaction (On A Bitumen Road With Soft Edges) 1967 Festival
'Dingo' 1974 Charisma
'The Greatest Stone On Earth And Other Two-Bob Wonders' 1975 Charisma
'Aussie Blue' 1989 Larrikin

'Only Love Survives' 2001 Rouseabout 2001
'The Best Of All Trades' 2009 Rouseabout
'Renegade' 2010 Rouseabout
'The Great Australian Groove' 2012 Rouseabout
'Reverently' 2013 Restless Music
'Hills of Assisi' 2013 Restless Music
'Pathways of a Celtic Land' 2013 Restless Music

References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Shearston

http://top100singles.blogspot.com.au/