GRADE WICKER

Graeme Wicker had been a child star on the Tivoli circuit. In the late 50s somebody from EMI must have seen and heard Wicker singing with the Alf Luciani Trio, most probably at the exotic El Bongo club just down the road from their office in Sydney. In 1959 they signed him up to record for their HMV label. They also made him change his name to Grade because they thought Graeme wasn't a good name. Looking back at the diverse style of the four singles that he cut you could be forgiven for thinking that the company couldn't quite decide which material was best suited to his strong voice; big ballads like ''Over The Rainbow'' or the rock and roll of ''Prettiest Babe'', jazz-tinged numbers like ''Lulu Brown'' or the Bobby Darin style swing of ''Wild Colonial Boy''. 

Though none made inroads on the Top 40 the discs gained enough exposure on radio to ensure regular appearances on TV shows like Bandstand and in clubs. He supported Jimmie Rodgers on his tour of Australia in 1961.After 1961 Wicker went to Tonga to commission and open a resort hotel and he and his wife stayed for about eight years. On return to Australia, he continued to sing on the club circuit. Grade opened a coffee shop in Muswellbrook and he stayed there until he closed it when he retired in 2005.

SINGLES

''Over The Rainbow / Prettiest Babe'' (#95) 1959 HMV
''Dreamin' 'Bout My Baby / Lulu Brown'' 1960 HMV
''Swing Low, Sweet Chariot / Our Summer Romance'' 1960 HMV
''Angelique / The Wild Colonial Boy'' 1961 HMV

References

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