Jimmy Hannan (25 August 1934 – 7 January 2019) was an Australian radio and television personality, variety show host, singer, entertainer and game show host of the 1960s and 1970s. One of the pioneers of television, he appeared regularly on variety show ''

In Melbourne Tonight ''In Melbourne Tonight'', also known as ''IMT'', was a highly popular nightly Logie award-winning Australian variety television show produced at GTV-9 Melbourne from 6 May 1957 to 1970. Overview Graham Kennedy was the show's main host and ...

'', and later hosted his own musical variety show ''Jimmy'', later called ''Tonight with Jimmy Hannan''. Hannan hosted music show '' Saturday Date'' from 1963 until 1967, which featured such performers as Billy Thorpe and

Olivia Newton-John Dame Olivia Newton-John (26 September 1948 – 8 August 2022) was a British-Australian singer, actress and activist. She was a four-time Grammy Awards, Grammy Award winner whose music career included 15 top-ten singles, including 5 number-one s ...

. He won the 1965 Gold Logie award for most popular personality on Australian television.

Early life and career

Hannan had his start musically performing in a big-band. As a teen idol, he often performed with people such as Johnny Devlin and Little Pattie. He released the single "Beach Ball", originally recorded by the City Surfers, in 1963. The song was written by

Roger McGuinn James Roger McGuinn (born James Joseph McGuinn III; July 13, 1942) is an American musician. He is best known for being the frontman and leader of the Byrds. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his work with the Byrds. As a ...

who went on to become a member of

the Byrds The Byrds () were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (known as Jim McGuinn until mid-1967) remaining the sole con ...

. The single reached number No. 2 on the local charts and featured

the Bee Gees ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

as backing vocalists. He worked on radio in Melbourne at 3UZ and at

2GB 2GB is a commercial radio station in Sydney, Australia owned by parent company Nine Radio, a division of Nine Entertainment Co., who also own sister station 2UE. 2GB broadcasts on 873 kHz, AM. In 2010, 2GB held 14.7% of the total radio ra ...

Sydney. He hosted game shows including ''Name That Tune'' and ''Celebrity Squares''.

Personal life

Hannan was married to Joanne Goode and had four children, including actress and model

Melissa Hannan Melissa Hannan (born c. 1962) is an Australian actress, model, TV Host and beauty pageant titleholder who won Miss Australia in 1981. She was also in the Miss World 1981 held in London where she won Miss Oceania and Most photogenic by the Wo ...

who won the

Miss Australia Miss Australia was the title for the winner of the Miss Australia Quest or the Miss Australia Awards, which ran from 1954 until 2000, when the last Miss Australia was named. From 2002, the Miss World Australia contest has been held, and the Miss ...

title in 1981 and was also in the

Miss World Miss World is the oldest existing international beauty pageant. It was created in the United Kingdom by Eric Morley in 1951. Since his death in 2000, Morley's widow, Julia Morley, has co-chaired the pageant. Along with Miss Universe, Miss In ...

competition held in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

. He retired from show business at 50 in 1984, and died on 7 January 2019, aged 84, from cancer in

Bellingen, New South Wales Bellingen ( ) is a small town in the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia. It is located on Waterfall Way on the Bellinger River, approximately halfway between the major Australian cities of Sydney and Brisbane. In 2021, the population ...

Filmography

Actor

Soundtrack

Discography

EPs

Singles

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hannan, Jimmy 1937 births 2019 deaths Australian television personalities Australian male singers Gold Logie winners Deaths from cancer in New South Wales Australian radio personalities