BLOG | Sunshine Secrets | Graeme Brown |

Nov 1446 min read

Sensational on Kommotion - The Kommotion Record Label

Mid-way through 1966 Ivan Dayman, owner of Sunshine Records employed former rock’n’roller Lonnie Lee to start a new record label. Lee was...

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graemebrown101

Jul 159 min read

Tony Shepp - A Man Of Many Talents

When I was researching stories for ‘Sunshine Secrets’, information about Adelaide singer/musician/actor Tony Shepp were difficult to find...

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graemebrown101

Jun 157 min read

Where Are They Now? - Annette Steele, Paul Brand, Mandu

Some people seem to vanish without a trace. Entertainers that you have loved and admired also go missing and you are left wondering what...

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The Flying Circus - Australia's Most Underrated Group

graemebrown101

Oct 6, 202326 min read

The Flying Circus - Australia's Most Underrated Group

If you lived around the Sydney/Newcastle area in 1969 you would most likely remember a band called the Flying Circus. They were the group...

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Rockin' Ray From The Western Suburbs - The Ray Houston Story

graemebrown101

Oct 20, 202216 min read

Rockin' Ray From The Western Suburbs - The Ray Houston Story

It must have been his lucky day, but hitch-hiking in Melbourne one day, 15-year-old Ray Houston got picked up by Laurie Bell, guitarist...

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A Syndicate Of Sounds - The Bobby James Story

graemebrown101

Mar 27, 202218 min read

A Syndicate Of Sounds - The Bobby James Story

Driving around Adelaide with some mates one day, Bobby James wondered why the car had suddenly pulled into the studios of a local...

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That Bloke With The Beard That Sang Waltzing Matilda: The Noel Watson Story.

graemebrown101

Aug 25, 202120 min read

That Bloke With The Beard That Sang Waltzing Matilda: The Noel Watson Story.

Not too many people recognised the man with the beard when he rode into the packed MCG on a horse just before kick-off for the 1988 VFL...

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The Sound Of Rich River - The Col Millington Story

graemebrown101

Apr 26, 202125 min read

The Sound Of Rich River - The Col Millington Story

Singer/songwriter Col Millington has had an impressive career in entertainment. He has released 40 albums and written over 200 songs and...

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Magical Mystery Tour Of Beatles Novelty Songs

graemebrown101

Jan 25, 202121 min read

Magical Mystery Tour Of Beatles Novelty Songs

Novelty songs have always been part of the music scene and have launched the career of many artists. Sydney singer Little Pattie was only...

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graemebrown101

Dec 18, 202016 min read

Hans Poulsen - Troubadour

Hans Poulsen was completely different to all the other pop stars of the early 70s. While watching TV music shows like ‘Bandstand’ or...

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The Troupadores - Australia's Greatest Showband - Part 2: 1970 - 2002

graemebrown101

Dec 10, 202019 min read

The Troupadores - Australia's Greatest Showband - Part 2: 1970 - 2002

A new era began for the Troupadores with the appointment of Peter Andersen on vocals and guitar and Englishman Bill Blissett on...

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From Afrika to Studio 301 - The Mary Azzopardi Story

graemebrown101

Oct 31, 202014 min read

From Afrika to Studio 301 - The Mary Azzopardi Story

If you are listening to the radio and they are playing Australian music from the mid-80s to the late 90s, there is a good chance that...

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The Troupadors - Australia's Greatest Showband Part 1: 1963 - 1970

graemebrown101

Sep 12, 202012 min read

The Troupadors - Australia's Greatest Showband Part 1: 1963 - 1970

Perth showband the Troupadors knew how to put on an entertaining show and they did it better than anyone else. Despite numerous line-up...

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graemebrown101

May 26, 202022 min read

Denis Tucker's Musical Journey

Bass player/singer, Denis Tucker has had an incredible journey playing music. He has hung out with some of the world’s greatest musical...

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Caddie - The Musical Career Of Brian Cadd(Revised)

graemebrown101

Apr 8, 202012 min read

Caddie - The Musical Career Of Brian Cadd(Revised)

When Paul McHenry rang to tell me that he had completed his revised edition of ‘Caddie - the musical career of Brian Cadd’, I thought it...

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Australia's Own Sweetheart - The Margie Bayes Story

graemebrown101

Mar 23, 202014 min read

Australia's Own Sweetheart - The Margie Bayes Story

Singer Margie Bayes had an interesting and unique career in Australian music. Despite having the cute, girl next door image, she was...

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The Forgotten Playboy - The Pete Carroll Story

graemebrown101

Mar 2, 202014 min read

The Forgotten Playboy - The Pete Carroll Story

Being in a successful band must be one of the most exciting experiences a musician could ever experience. The screaming fans, TV shows,...

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You Can't Hold A Good Girl Back: The Joan Mifsud Story

graemebrown101

Feb 3, 20209 min read

You Can't Hold A Good Girl Back: The Joan Mifsud Story

When Melbourne singer Joan Mifsud began singing in the early 60s, she had everything a good entertainer needed to become successful. She...

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Gonks, Mini Skirts & Normie: The Donna Gaye Story

graemebrown101

Dec 12, 201910 min read

Gonks, Mini Skirts & Normie: The Donna Gaye Story

Pop singer Donna Gaye (born Vivienne Jarvis on September 18th, 1949), from Five Dock in Sydney, had a fairly brief but eventful career in...

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Devil's Disciple - The Music of Lobby Loyde by Paul McHenry

graemebrown101

Nov 19, 20195 min read

Devil's Disciple - The Music of Lobby Loyde by Paul McHenry

Devil’s Disciple’ is the latest book by Melbourne-based music researcher/writer Paul McHenry. Paul is a leading authority on Australian...

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by Graeme Brown

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