MATT FLINDERS

Matt Flinders was born in 1937 as Sylvan Louis Bonett in Egypt of mixed (French, English, Italian) descent. With his parents and siblings, he moved to the United Kingdom in 1950, then to Australia in 1951. Bonett undertook National Service with the Royal Australian Air Force at Point Cook, Victoria in the mid-1950s. He then began singing and playing guitar in Melbourne under the name, Louis Bonett. He played double bass with musical groups, which toured Japan and Australia. In the early 1960s he returned to England, formed another musical group, and worked in London for four years.

When Flinders returned to Australia in the mid-1960s, he led the house band, as well as singing and playing double bass, at the Chevron Hotel, Melbourne. During that time, he sang ads for Australian radio and TV. These came to the attention of Ron Tudor of Astor Records, who signed Bonnett to a recording contract. Tudor suggested a name change so that DJs would remember and pronounce it correctly – he chose Matt Flinders for the explorer of a similar name.

Flinders' first recording for Astor was a cover version of Herman's Hermits' track "Something Is Happening". His second single, "Picking Up Pebbles", was a cover version of a 1968 track by UK artist Johnny Curtis (a.k.a. Bobby Kerr), which was released by Flinders in late 1969. It peaked in the top ten. Flinders' later recorded material appeared on Tudor's own label, Fable Records. He had another top ten hit with his version of Danyel Gérard's "Butterfly" (late 1971). Late in 1972 he issued another single, "You", which was written by Flinders and reached the top 40. Flinders began working as a presenter for Australian Broadcasting Corporation to present shows on both radio and TV. His TV variety shows were The Matt Flinders Show, with 13 weekly episodes from June 1972, and Matt Flinders and Friends in 1973. One year his television program won an award. After Matt Flinders had retired from the entertainment industry he worked as a civil celebrant (as Sylvan Bonett) with his wife, Coralie, in Adelaide.

SINGLES

''Something Is Happening (#56) / Kiss Me...Miss Me'' 1969 Astor
''Where Has All The Love Gone (#40) / Life Is Meant For Living'' 1969 Astor
''Picking Up Pebbles (#4) / Susan Walks Away'' 1969 Astor
''All Of A Sudden (#48) / Cup Of Love'' 1970 Fable
''How Great Thou Art (#83) / The Eagle And Me'' 1971 Fable
''Butterfly (#6) / I'm Coming Home'' 1971 Fable
''You (#40) / The Man (77th Birthday Tribute To Sir Robert Menzies)'' 1971 Fable
''A Star For You And Me / When You Do What You're Doing'' [with Mary Jane Boyd] 1972 Fable
''Home / Carey'' 1972 Fable
''Con Te La Vita Ha Un Nome / I Love You The Way That You Are'' 1972 Fable
''I Watched You Walk Away / One More Time'' 1973 Fable
''The Last Blues Song / Cup Of Love'' 1973 Fable
''Island Of Love / Carey'' 1979 Fable

EPs

'Picking Up Pebbles' 1969 Astor

'Matt Flinders' 1973 Fable

ALBUMS
'The Matt Flinders Album' 1971 Fable

'Matt Flinders On Television' 1972 Fable
'Silver Lady' Seabird

References

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

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