Gordon Parsons was born in Paddington, an eastern suburb of Sydney in 1926, and moved with his parents to Cooks Creek near Bellingen, NSW, in 1929. At age 14, he left his parents' farm and subsequently worked as a sleeper-cutter. Around this time, he entered a well-known radio talent quest, Terry Dear’s Australian Amateur Hour, and was awarded second prize. Regal Zonophone Records, as a result of hearing him on Amateur Hour, recorded six songs with him in 1946. As a performer, he then toured widely in rural Australia with a number of travelling shows, including Goldwyn Brothers Circus. While touring he met and married his first wife, Zelda, of the Ashton's Circus family. They had a daughter (Gail) in 1949, but the marriage soon ended.
He continued to tour regularly with major country acts such as Slim Dusty, Chad Morgan, and Tex Morton, and between tours went bush to write more songs, fish, and do menial farm work. He changed labels and recorded on John Mystrey's. (Australian label founded in the late 1940's by Lester Basil Sinclair (aka John Mystery) who was well known for his Australian publications of children's books. In 1956, someone handed Parsons a scrap of paper with the words of a poem, "A Pub Without Beer" (written in 1943 by Queensland farmer Dan Sheahan, on finding that his local pub, the Day Dawn Hotel in Ingham, QLD, had been drunk dry by US servicemen stationed in the area), and suggested that it might be a basis for a song.Parsons wrote "A Pub With No Beer", fleshing the poem out with word-portraits of patrons of his own local pub, the Cosmopolitan Hotel at the tiny settlement of Taylors Arm, about 25 km inland from Macksville, NSW. Slim Dusty heard the song while touring with Parsons, and he asked if he could record it as a novelty filler for his upcoming 1957 recording date, as he was one song short of the required four. Dusty's recording was released as the B-side of his 78 rpm release, "Saddle Boy", and much to Slim's surprise, the B-side was soon getting huge airplay, particularly on Sydney radio station 2UE. In 1958 it became a massive hit all over Australia and remains the first and only 78 to be certified an Australian gold record. In 1959, it reached #3 in the UK and #1 in Ireland, as well as becoming popular in Canada and the USA. Besides Regal Zonophone Gordon recorded on other labels including Hadley, Columbia and Selection. In 1978, he married his third wife, Jeanette, and they settled in Sydney.
In 1979 Parsons was inducted into the Hands of Fame in Tamworth and then elevated to the Roll of Renown. His wax likeness was part of a collection at the Gallery of Stars Wax Museum in Tamworth. In 1990 he was hnducted into Rocky Page’s Hall of Fame and Avenue of Honour in Barmera, SA. Parsons died on 17 August 1990, at age 63, and is buried in Pinegrove Cemetery.
In 1979 Parsons was inducted into the Hands of Fame in Tamworth and then elevated to the Roll of Renown. His wax likeness was part of a collection at the Gallery of Stars Wax Museum in Tamworth. In 1990 he was hnducted into Rocky Page’s Hall of Fame and Avenue of Honour in Barmera, SA. Parsons died on 17 August 1990, at age 63, and is buried in Pinegrove Cemetery.
''The Happy Bushman / My Mother In Heaven'' 1946 Regal Zonophone
''The Australian Bushman / Back To Those Rolling Plains'' 1946 Regal Zonophone
''Where The Bellinger River Flows / The Passing Of Cobber Jack'' 1946 Regal Zonophone
''Rhythm Of The Range / The Parent's Song'' 1951 Regal Zonophone
''Please Tell Me Darling / Way Up North'' 1952 Regal Zonophone
''Lovely Young Aust. Girl Of Mine'' 1953 John Mystery's
''The Parents Song'' 1953 John Mystry's
''My Best Girl's Just Walked Right Out On Me / S.W.Y. (The "Two Up" Song)'' 1965 Hadley
''Men Who Are Lost / That's The Kind Of Life I Live'' 1967 Columbia
''Back To Those Rolling Plains / Slightly Used'' 1968 Columbia
''Where The Bellinger River Flows / Jody'' 1968 Columbia
''Baby's Not Walking / A Mangled Mass Of Steel'' 1969 Columbia
''Pub With No Beer / Another Day, Another Town'' [with Slim Dusty] 1983 Columbia
''Joe The Crow'' 1985 Selection
EPs
'Gordon ''Pub With No Beer'' Parsons 6 Great Songs' 1965 Hadley
'Yesterday's Kisses' 1975 Hadley
'Rhythm Of The Range' 1970 Columbia
'Bluey Francis Meets Gordon Parsons' 1975 CM
'Gordon Parsons' 1976 Hadley
'The Old G.P.' 1980 Selection
'Just Passin' Through' 1982 Selection
'Throw In A Line' 1983 Selection
'Just Driftin' Along' 1985 Selection
References
Gordon Parsons (singer-songwriter) - Wikipedia
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