LONNIE LEE

Lonnie Lee, born David Laurence Rix in 1940, grew up on a sheep farm in Rowena, New South Wales. By age seven, he was singing in the local church choir, later picking up the guitar and performing Johnnie Ray and Nat King Cole impersonations as a teenager. After finishing secondary school, he worked as a bank clerk in Greenacre. In 1956, he placed second in the 2UW Alan Toohey’s Amateur Hour radio talent quest. The following February, performing as Laurie Lee, he won a contest for “Australia’s own Elvis Presley” and soon came under the management of fellow rocker Johnny O’Keefe. On O’Keefe’s advice, he adopted the stage name Lonnie Lee, honoring Lonnie Donegan, and signed with Leedon Records, owned by Lee Gordon. His debut single, ''Ain’t It So'', penned by O’Keefe, became a top 10 hit in Sydney, Melbourne, and Hobart in November 1959.

Lee formed Sydney’s first rockabilly trio and, in July 1959, made his TV debut on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s rock and roll show Six O’Clock Rock, as well as the Nine Network’s Bandstand. His band, the Leeman, originally featured Peter Bazley on rhythm guitar, Tony Gaha on drums, Johnny Ryan on bass, Dave Scott on saxophone, and Derby Wilson on lead guitar. Reflecting on that time, he said, ''It wasn’t until 1959 that I did TV, and things really changed. Within a month I was recording, and in about six weeks I was playing to 10,000 people at the stadium. It just went on and on, and we all knew it''.

In 1960, his singles included "Starlight Star Bright" (January), which reached the Top 5 in all capital cities except Perth, followed by "Yes Indeed I Do" (May) and "I Found a New Love" (September), both of which charted well nationwide. In 1961, Lee received the Golden Microphone Award as Australia's Most Popular Recording Star. Throughout the 1960s, Lonnie Lee was prolific, releasing two albums, seven EPs, and over a dozen singles. By the mid-60s, his backing band featured Jeff Denton on bass guitar and piano, Graham Dunn on rhythm guitar, Frank Griffith on drums, and Lance Ransome on lead guitar. He also supported international acts like Fabian (1959), The Everly Brothers (1960), Ricky Nelson (1960), and Tom T. Hall (1974).

In the 1960s, Lee toured across the United Kingdom and United States before settling in the US in 1971 to record and write songs. He collaborated with artists like Roy Orbison, Cher, Florence Henderson, and Glen Campbell. In 1984, Lee returned to Australia, performing classic rock ’n’ roll with Lonnie Lee's Rock ’n’ Remember Show, reviving many stars of that era and bringing them back to the stage. He also hosted a weekly radio show of the same name. That year, he convinced a Sydney promoter to bring Fabian to Australia for a series of concerts, in which he also performed. Alongside his band, the Leemen, he launched Starlite Records to release both his back catalogue and new material.

In October 2007, he hit the road with fellow rock’n’roll legends Crash Craddock, Bobby Vee, and Lesley Gore, and many still say he stole the show. It was a historic moment, as nearly five decades earlier he had toured with Craddock and the Everly Brothers. In 2008, he debuted Lonnie Lee’s Cry!, a tribute to songs made famous by Johnnie Ray. Alongside that, he performed in shows like The Best of Lonnie Lee, Solid Gold, The Hillbilly Cat, and The Roots of Aussie Rock, bringing his 1950s rockabilly style to audiences across Australia. His performances stood out from others of his era, and he kept rocking well into the 2000s.

SINGLES

''Ain't It So (#15) / Shame On You, Miss Johnson'' 1959 Lee Gordon
''Starlight, Starbright (#6) / She's Doin' Me Wrong'' 1960 Lee Gordon
''Yes, Indeed I Do (#14) / Lover Doll'' 1960 Lee Gordon
''Defenceless / I Found A New Love'' (#2) 1960 Leedon
''Sit Around And Talk To Me (#18) / Baby Baby Bye Bye'' 1961 Leedon
''You're Gonna Miss Me / Sitting By The River'' (#40) 1961 Leedon
''When The Bells Stop Ringing (#25) / Sunday'' 1962 Leedon
''Don't You Know (Pretty Baby) (#56) / Sure-Fire Bet' 1962 Leedon
''Acres Of Everything But Love / I'd Like To Leave If I May'' 1963 Leedon
''She Is The One Girl For Me (The Great Escape March) / Fun In The Summer Sun'' 1963 Leedon
''I Need You Now / Free, Free Man'' 1964 HMV
''On The Run / My Baby Don't 'Low'' 1964 HMV
''More Than Yesterday / Love's Gonna Live Here'' 1965 HMV
''Little White House / The Waltz You Saved For Me'' 1965 HMV
''Hello, Love / Sad Over Someone'' 1971 Sunshine
''Starlight, Starbright / The Traveller'' 1971 Sunshine
''(It's) Johnny Rock 'n Roll / (I'm) Holding On'' 1986 Starlite

EPs

'This Is Lonnie Lee' 1959 Leedon
'Lonnie's Golden Record' 1959 Leedon
'Frankfort Special' 1961 Leedon
'I Found A New Love' 1961 Leedon
'Walkin' With Lonnie Lee' 1961 Leedon
'In The Middle Of An Island' 1962 Leedon
'Sitting By The River' 1962 Leedon

ALBUMS

'A Night Out With Lonnie Lee' 1961 Leedon
'Don't Look Back' 1993 Starlite

References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lonnie_Lee

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