REG LINDSAY

Born in the Sydney suburb of Waverley in 1929, Reg Lindsay's parents were Jim and Ellen Lindsay. He was two years of age when his father gave him a harmonica which he quickly mastered. His father taught him to play, "The Wheel on the Wagon Is Broke", on harmonica by the age of four. He then learned how to play the banjo, mandolin, guitar and fiddle. After Sydney he grew up in Parkes and then Adelaide. His aunt Anne gave him a guitar when he was 15. After leaving school he initially worked for the Department of Agriculture and studied wool classing. As a teenager his career ambition was to become a stockman and learned how to shear sheep. Later he reflected, "The outback has always been romantic to me. People of that ilk have always been romantic. We have the longest cattle drives in the world, you know. I was scheduled to go into a reservation in the north-west of South Australia, but I ended up as a jackeroo in Broken Hill instead." 

After he twisted his leg in a rodeo accident, he recuperated at his parents' home in Adelaide for several weeks in 1950. He was listening to country music on 2SM with Tim McNamara promoting a radio talent quest. In November 1950 Lindsay travelled to Sydney via a motorcycle to compete, in the following year, which launched his career as a singer-songwriter. Reg Lindsay was a performer on the 2KY radio show, On the Melody Trail, from September 1951, alongside, Joy and Heather McKean, 'Australia's Melody Cowgirls', Slim Dusty, Gordon Parsons and other hillbilly artists. The McKean Sisters were a country music duo of Joy McKean and her younger sister Heather, who had presented the show since 1949. Heather married Reg Lindsay in 1954, while Joy had married Slim Dusty in 1951.

Lindsay was signed to Rodeo Records in 1951, which issued his early material. His singles with that label include, "Blue Velvet Band", "My Home Way Out Back" (written by Lindsay), "Sundowner Yodel", "If You've Got the Money, I've Got the Time", "By the Old Slip Rail", "Sweeter than Flowers", "Shackles and Chains", "My Blue-Eyed Jane" (all before 1955), "I Love You a Thousand Ways", "Country Mile", "I'll Never Live It Down", Got Those Itchy Feet", "In the Luggage Van Ahead" (all five in 1954). Radio station 2CH had him present, The Reg Lindsay Show, in 1951 to showcase his own country music. Late in that year he and his show moved over to rival station, 2SM, where it continued for 12 years. 

His singles from the late 1950s on Columbia Records include, "Geisha Girl / Marriage Vow", ''The Ghost Of Tom Dooley / The Auctioneer'', ''The Caribbean / The Last Waltz With You'', ''Big Midnight Special / The House Down Willow Lane'' and ''The Walkabout Rock And Roll / She Lost Her Cowboy Pal''. AllMusic's Jason Ankeny observed, "despite his public recognition and relentless touring schedule, success as a performer continued to elude him."

Reg Lindsay continued issuing singles and presenting a radio show into the early 1960s. He also headed a touring line-up for The Reg Lindsay Show, which in February 1960 included Heather, Kevin King, Jacqueline Hall, Nev Nicholls, Hayseeds, Fred Maugher and the famous comedian George Nichols. In 1964 he returned to Adelaide where he hosted a local TV show, The Country and Western Hour, which ran for seven-and-a-half years, until 1972. It won two state based Logie Awards for South Australia's Most Popular show in 1964 and 1965.

By 1966 the show was broadcast throughout Australia with Lindsay, as host, flying in from Sydney to Adelaide each week. In that year he signed with Festival and recorded with them for many years. He travelled to the United States in 1968, to record material for his TV show, while there he was asked to appear on the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. He was so successful in this debut he was invited back for the ultimate encore, the Saturday night show. Reg was the first Australian ever to do so and was the first of many Grand Ole Opry appearances. Upon return to Sydney in 1968, with his wife Heather, he established a business, Reg Lindsay’s Country Store, to sell "records, clothing and musical instruments." Heather described, "It's surprising how many of the young people like to wear this gear-particularly the hand-carved leatherwork. The young surfies like the fringed jackets-they're fantastic sellers-and the girls go for the cotton jackets to wear over bathers to the beach." A second store soon followed; both were sold off ten years later.

Reg Lindsay was best known for his single, "Armstrong" (March 1971), a tribute to the historic 1969 moon landing by American astronauts, particularly Neil Armstrong. It peaked at #6 on the Go-Set National Top 60 and remained in the charts for 16 weeks. It is included in a time capsule at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. The song was written and was recorded by John Stewart, an ex-member of the Kingston Trio. It is Lindsay's first major hit, reaching #8 on the Australian Singles Chart in 1971. His other popular singles from the 1970s are "July You're a Woman" (1973), "Silence on the Line" (1977) and "Empty Arms Hotel" 1979). In January 1974 he won a Golden Guitar trophy at the Country Music Awards of Australia for Best Male Vocal with "July You're a Woman". He won the same category in 1978 for "Silence on the Line". A third trophy for "Empty Arms Hotel" was awarded in that category in 1980.

The Country and Western Hour had finished in 1972 and was followed in late 1977 by his own TV program, Reg Lindsay's Country Homestead, on Brisbane's channel 9, which ran for four years until 1982. Reg Lindsay's Country Homestead also won two state based Logie Awards for Queensland's Most Popular Show in 1978 and 1979. Lindsay supported charities and appeared on TV telethons to raise money for various community organisations. Some of his performances were issued on a DVD video album, Reg Lindsay: live across Australia 1979-1994, in 2015 via Umbrella Entertainment. In a music career of over 50 years, he wrote more than 500 songs and hosted various TV shows. He recorded over 20 albums and 50 singles. He died in 2008 aged 79.

SINGLES

''Geisha Girl / Marriage Vow'' 1958 Columbia
''The Ghost Of Tom Dooley / The Auctioneer'' 1959 Columbia
'' The Caribbean / The Last Waltz With You'' 1959 Columbia
''Big Midnight Special / The House Down Willow Lane'' 1959 Columbia
''The Caribbean / Rock Island Line'' 1959 Pacific
'' The Walkabout Rock And Roll / She Lost Her Cowboy Pal'' 1959 Columbia
''Don't Steal Daddy's Medal / The Girl In My Hometown'' 1960 Columbia
''I'll Make You Sorry / Where No One Stands Alone'' 1960 Columbia
''Nobody Knows But Me / I'm Happy Ev'ry Day I Live'' 1961 Columbia
'' The Restless One / Under Your Spell Again'' 1962 Columbia
''A Funny Way Of Laughing / Loose Talk'' 1962 Columbia
''We're Proud To Call Him Son / A Letter To Tom'' 1962 Columbia
''Long Time To Forget / Boob-I-Lak'' 1963 Columbia
''Will Your Lawyer Talk To God / The Streets Of Berlin'' 1963 Columbia
''Take These Chains From My Heart / It's A Little More Like Heaven'' 1964 Columbia
''Trouble In My Arms / I'm Gonna Stop Loving You'' 1964 Columbia
'' Lonely Road / Scared Of Losing You'' 1964 Columbia
''My Travelling Night / Find 'Em, Fool 'Em And Leave 'Em Alone'' 1965 Columbia
''Suvla Bay [with Heather McKean] / Grab Your Saddle Horn And Blow'' 1965 Columbia
''All Of The Monkeys Ain't In The Zoo / A Teardrop On A Rose'' 1965 Columbia
''The Bridge Washed Out / I Don't Care'' 1965 Columbia
''The Race Is On / Oklahoma Hills'' 1965 Columbia
''May The Bird Of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose / Easy Come, Easy Go'' 1966 Columbia
'' If I Could Just Go Back / Little Sweetheart, Come And Kiss Me'' 1966 Festival
''Highwayman / Jungles Of Vietnam'' 1966 Festival
''They Gotta Quit Kickin' My Dog Around (#90) / If Teardrops Were Pennies'' 1967 Festival
''Wonder Drug / No Work On The Farm'' 1967 Festival
''Detroit City / Houston'' 1968 Festival
'' Truck Drivin' Man / Bowen River Rodeo'' 1968 Festival
''The Big Corral / The Black Sheep'' 1969 Festival
''(A Tale Of) The Breathalyser / Packed In Tasmania'' 1969 Festival
''Country Hall Of Fame / Swinging Doors'' 1969 Festival
''Copperfields / New World In The Morning'' 1971 Festival
''Close The Door Lightly (#98) / I'm A Lonely Fugitive'' 1971 Festival
''Armstrong (#8) / Goodbye Swingers'' 1971 Festival
''July You're A Woman (#86) / Overnight Man'' 1973 Festival
''Moonshine (Friend Of Mine) / Don't Get Too Busy For Friends'' 1973 Festival
''Too Many Memories / I Get A Happy Feeling'' 1973 Festival
''You've Got Everything You Want / Ann'' 1974 Festival
''I Just Try To Smell The Roses Along The Way / There You Go (Runnin' Down My Cheek Again)'' 1975 Festival
''Takin' A Chance (#95) / For The Good Times'' 1975 Festival
''Queen Of The Starlight Ballroom / Hello, I Love You'' 1975 Festival
''Love Can / Johnny Foster (The Old-Time Travellin' Showman)'' 1976 Festival
''C.B. Radio / It Takes A Drinking Man'' 1976 Festival
''Give Me Liberty (#91) / When My Truckin' Days Are Done'' 1976 Interfusion

''Silence On The Line / Dad's Violin'' 1977 EMI

''Mama's Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys / Goat Roper'' 1978 EMI
''The Empty Arms Hotel / I Still Love You'' 1979 Brook
''Looking At A Loser / It Seems Like I've Been This Way Before'' 1983 Powderworks
'' The Ray Hermann Song (The Winton Whiz) / This Old Cowboy''

EPs

'Tom Dooley' [with Dick Carr And His Buckaroos] 1960 Columbia
'The Wog' 1960 Columbia
'The Prisoner's Song' 1963 Columbia
'Country Music Greats' 1964 Columbia
'The American Country Hits' 1966 Columbia
'Jungles Of Vietnam' 1966 Festival
'The Ballad Of Davy Crockett' 1967 CBS
'Cattle Call' 1967 CBS
'Open Up Your Heart'' 1967 CBS
'Old Shep' 1967 Festival
'Gonna Find Me A Bluebird' 1967 Festival
'Christmas On The Farm' 1967 Festival
'Send Me The Pillow That You Dream On' 1968 Festival
'It Keeps Right On A-Hurtin' 1968 Festival
'Have I Told You Lately That I Love You' 1968 Festival
'Reg Lindsay Requests' 1968 Columbia
'Reg Lindsay In Nashville' 1969 Festival
'A Tale Of The Breathalyser' 1969 Festival
'Country Hall Of Fame' 1969 Festival
'The Auctioneer' 1969 Columbia
'The Carribean' 1970 CBS
'Truck Drivin' Man' 1971 Festival
'Armstrong' 1972 Festival

ALBUMS

'Country Music Comes To Town' [with The Noel Gilmour Quintet and The Delltones] 1961 Columbia

'Country And Western Singalong' 1964 Columbia

'Another Country And Western Singalong' 1966 Columbia

'Country And Western Million Sellers' 1966 Festival

' Country Duets From Reg And Heather' [with Heather McKean] 1967 Festival

'Australia's Country Music Man' 1968 Festival

'Roadside Mail Box' 1968 Festival

'On Tour With His Town & Country Show' 1968 Festival

' Reg Lindsay Favourites' [with Heather McKean] 1969 Columbia

'She Taught Me To Yodel' 1969 Festival

'Hot Shot Country' 1970 Festival

'T.V. Requests' 1970 Festival

'Armstrong' 1971 Festival

'Songs For Country Folk' 1971 Columbia

'Country And Western Greats' 1972 World Record Club

'Country Music Jamboree' 1972 Universal Summit

'21st Anniversary Album' 1972 Festival

'Glory Land Way' 1973 Festival

'Reg Lindsay' 1973 Festival

'Reg Lindsay's Country Favourites' 1975 Universal Summit

'Reg Lindsay In Nashville' Festival

'The Travellin' Man' 1976 Festival

'Silence On The Line' 1977 EMI

'The World Of Rodeo' 1978 EMI

'Play Me A Simple Song' 1978 EMI
'Standing Tall' 1979 Brook

'Ten Ten Two And A Quarter' 1980 Brook

'If You Could See Me Now' 1981 Telmak
'Will The Real Reg Lindsay ..." 1982 Powderworks

'I've Always Wanted To Do That' 1985 Nicholls 'n' Dimes

'Lifetime Of Country Music' 1987 Hammard
'Reasons To Rise' 1993 Larrikin

'No Slowin' Down' 1994 Larrikin

'Down By The Old Slip Rail' 1997 Larrikin

References

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

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