Jonathan James English (26 March 1949 – 9 March 2016) was an English-born Australian singer, songwriter, musician and actor. He emigrated from England to Australia with his parents in 1961. He was an early vocalist and rhythm guitarist for

Sebastian Hardie Sebastian Hardie were Australia's first symphonic rock band. They formed in Sydney in 1967 as Sebastian Hardie Blues Band but dropped the 'Blues Band' reference when they became pop-oriented. By 1973 they developed a more progressive rock style, ...

but left to take on the role of

Judas Iscariot Judas Iscariot (; ; died AD) was, according to Christianity's four canonical gospels, one of the original Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. Judas betrayed Jesus to the Sanhedrin in the Garden of Gethsemane, in exchange for thirty pieces of sil ...

in the Australian version of the

stage musical Musical theatre is a form of theatre, theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, ...

Jesus Christ Superstar ''Jesus Christ Superstar'' is a sung-through rock opera with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. Loosely based on the Life of Jesus in the New Testament, Gospels' accounts of Passion of Jesus, the Passion, the work interprets ...

'' from May 1972, which was broadcast on television. English was also a solo singer; his Australian top twenty hit singles include " Turn the Page", " Hollywood Seven", "Words are Not Enough", " Six Ribbons" and " Hot Town". NOTE: Used for Australian Singles and Albums charting from 1970 until ARIA created their own charts in mid-1988. Jon English entry For his starring role in the 1978 Australian TV series '' Against the Wind'' he won the ''

TV Week ''TV Week'' is a weekly Australian magazine that provides television program listings information and highlights, as well as television-related news. Content ranges from previews for upcoming storylines of popular television programs, particu ...

Logie Award The TV Week Logie Awards (known colloquially as The Logies) is an annual ceremony celebrating and honouring the best shows and stars in Television in Australia, Australian television, sponsored and organised by the magazine ''TV Week''. The eve ...

for 'Best New Talent in Australia'. He also co-wrote and performed the score with Mario Millo (ex-

). The series had international release, known as ''Mot alla vindar'' (1980) in Swedish, where " Six Ribbons" was released as a single, both single and the soundtrack album peaked at No.1 on the Norwegian charts; the first single, "Six Ribbons" and the album, peaked at No.4 on the Swedish charts. From 1983 to 1985, English won four

Mo Awards The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards (commonly known as the Mo Awards) were an annual Australian entertainment industry award, established in 1975, to recognise achievements in live entertainment in Australia. They were last awarded in 2016. ...

with three consecutive 'Entertainer of the Year' awards and a further 'Male Vocal Performer' in 1985. English has performed in

Gilbert and Sullivan Gilbert and Sullivan refers to the Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the dramatist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and the composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900) and to the works they jointly created. The two men collaborated on fourteen com ...

operetta Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre of light opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs and including dances. It is lighter than opera in terms of its music, orchestral size, and length of the work. Apart from its shorter length, the oper ...

s ''

The Pirates of Penzance ''The Pirates of Penzance; or, The Slave of Duty'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, W. S. Gilbert. Its official premiere was at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York City on 3 ...

'', ''

The Mikado ''The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, their ninth of fourteen Gilbert and Sullivan, operatic collaborations. It opened on 14 March 1885, in London, whe ...

'' and ''

H.M.S. Pinafore ''H.M.S. Pinafore; or, The Lass That Loved a Sailor'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and a libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It opened at the Opera Comique in London on 25 May 1878, and ran for 571 performances, w ...

'' from 1984. Performances of

Essgee Entertainment Essgee Entertainment is a professional performing and publishing company formed in 1981 in Australia. Its founder and chief executive officer is entertainer Simon Gallaher. History Essgee began by financing and producing recording artists and rec ...

's productions of the Gilbert and Sullivan trilogy from 1994 to 1997 were broadcast on Australian TV. They were all released on VHS and subsequently on DVD.

Biography

1949–65: early years

Jonathan James English was born in 1949 in

Hampstead Hampstead () is an area in London, England, which lies northwest of Charing Cross, located mainly in the London Borough of Camden, with a small part in the London Borough of Barnet. It borders Highgate and Golders Green to the north, Belsiz ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, to Sydney and Sheila English, with siblings Janet, Jeremy and Jill. Sheila had worked as a hospital worker, teacher and ambulance driver; Sydney was working in air cargo for

KLM KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, or simply KLM (an abbreviation for their official name Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij N.V. , ),

and was moved to

Sydney Airport Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport — colloquially Kingsford Smith Airport, Sydney Airport or Mascot Airport — is an international airport serving Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, south of the Sydney central business district, in the subu ...

. Sheila and the children followed, when the family emigrated to Australia in 1961 on RMS ''Orion'' with English turning 12 years old just before calling-in at

Fremantle Fremantle () () is a port city in Western Australia located at the mouth of the Swan River (Western Australia), Swan River in the metropolitan area of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth. The Western Australi ...

. Sydney had bought a house in

Cabramatta Cabramatta, also abbreviated as Cabra, is a suburb in South Western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Cabramatta is located south-west of the Sydney central business district, in the Local government in Australia, local gove ...

, where young Jon attended Cabramatta High School. Sydney was a self-taught piano player and dabbled with guitar and drums, he bought a guitar for the young Jon English. Janet took her younger brother to the

Sydney Stadium The Sydney Stadium was a sporting and entertainment venue in Sydney, which formerly stood on the corner of New South Head Road and Neild Avenue, Rushcutters Bay. Built in 1908, it was demolished in 1970 to make way for the construction of ...

to see

the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

perform during their 1964 Australian tour.

1965–72: First bands

English's first rock gig occurred when his neighbour's band needed a guitarist, he was about 16 and mid-performance was called upon to do vocals, he sang the Beatles' "

Twist and Shout "Twist and Shout" is a 1961 song written by Phil Medley and Bert Berns (later credited as "Bert Russell"). It was originally recorded by The Top Notes, but it did not become a hit in the record charts until it was reworked by the Isley Broth ...

". His earliest known band was Zenith in 1965, formed at Cabramatta High School, and according to English "''they were crap''". Next was Gene Chandler & the Interns, which included guitarist Graham Ford, drummer Richard Lillico, bass guitarist Peter Plavsic and English as vocalist and rhythm guitarist. At the same time, he played Lock for the Parramatta Eels reserve grade team. Ford founded Sebastian Hardie Blues Band in 1967 with Lillico and new band members. They played R&B and soul covers but disbanded by early 1968. Sebastian Hardie entry When Ford reformed the band later in 1968, he recruited English and Peter Plavsic again
Anatole Kononewsky
on keyboards and Peter's brother Alex Plavsic on drums. They had dropped the 'Blues Band' part to play more pop oriented music and were the backing band for legendary Australian rocker

Johnny O'Keefe John Michael O'Keefe (19 January 1935 – 6 October 1978) was an Australian rock and roll singer whose career began in the early 1950s. A pioneer of Rock music in Australia, his hits include " Wild One" (1958), " Shout!" and "She's My Baby". O ...

during 1969. Covering songs from the

Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...

, the

Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...

Otis Redding Otis Ray Redding Jr. (September 9, 1941 – December 10, 1967) was an American singer and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the greatest singers in the history of American popular music and a seminal artist in soul music and rhythm and blues. ...

and

Wilson Pickett Wilson Pickett (March 18, 1941 – January 19, 2006) was an American singer and songwriter. A major figure in the development of soul music, Pickett recorded more than 50 songs that made the US R&B charts, many of which crossed over to the '' ...

they built a reputation in the Sydney

pub A pub (short for public house) is in several countries a drinking establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term first appeared in England in the late 17th century, to differentiate private ho ...

scene. Also attending Cabramatta High School, but one year lower was Carmen Sora; Sora and English married in September 1969 when she was 19 and he was 20. In January 1972, English left Sebastian Hardie when he won the role of

in the Australian version of ''

'' from May 1972. Sebastian Hardie were later joined by Mario Millo on vocals and lead guitar and Toivo Pilt on keyboards. By 1974 they had become Australia's first

symphonic rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog) is a broad genre of rock music that primarily developed in the United Kingdom through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early-to-mid-1970s. Initially termed "progressive pop", the ...

band and released '' Four Moments'' in August 1975, which was produced by English.

1972–1979: Actor and solo performer

Australian theatre producer Harry M. Miller and theatre director

Jim Sharman James David Sharman (born 12 March 1945) is an Australian director and writer for film and stage with more than 70 productions to his credit. He is renowned in Australia for his work as a theatre director since the 1960s, and is best known in ...

had worked on the stage musical ''

Hair Hair is a protein filament that grows from follicles found in the dermis. Hair is one of the defining characteristics of mammals. The human body, apart from areas of glabrous skin, is covered in follicles which produce thick terminal and ...

'' and kept some of the cast and crew for their next project, the Australian version of ''

'' by

Tim Rice Sir Timothy Miles Bindon Rice (born 10 November 1944) is an English songwriter. He is best known for his collaborations with Andrew Lloyd Webber, with whom he wrote, among other shows, '' Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'', ''Jesus C ...

Andrew Lloyd Webber Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber (born 22 March 1948) is an English composer and impresario of musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End theatre, West End and on Broadway theatre, Broad ...

. Miller and Sharman chose English, from over 2,000 applicants, to take the starring role of

alongside fellow stars Trevor White (ex-Sounds Unlimited) as Jesus Christ and

Michele Fawdon Michele Fawdon (1947–2011) was an English-born Australian actress and singer. She is known for her roles in TV serials ''Matlock Police'' (1971–1974), '' The Unisexers'' (1975) and '' A Country Practice'' (1980, 1985, 1992). In 1979 she won ...

Mary Magdalene Mary Magdalene (sometimes called Mary of Magdala, or simply the Magdalene or the Madeleine) was a woman who, according to the four canonical gospels, traveled with Jesus as one of his followers and was a witness to crucifixion of Jesus, his cr ...

. The initial run was from 4 May 1972, at Sydney's Capitol Theatre, to February 1974. With over 700 shows, it included other Australian music/theatre performers

Reg Livermore Reginald Dawson Livermore (born 11 December 1938) is an Australian actor, singer, theatrical performer, designer, director, lyricist and writer and former television presenter. Biography Early life From a young age, Livermore demonstrated an ...

(from ''Hair'', later in ''

The Rocky Horror Show ''The Rocky Horror Show'' is a Musical theatre, musical with music, lyrics and book by Richard O'Brien. A humorous tribute to various B movies associated with the Science fiction film, science fiction and Horror film, horror genres from the 193 ...

''),

John Paul Young John Inglis Young, Order of Australia, OAM (born 21 June 1950), known professionally as John Paul Young, is an Australian pop singer who is best known for having a worldwide hit with "Love Is in the Air (song), Love Is in the Air" in 1978. His ...

(later a solo singer with "Love is in the Air"),

Marcia Hines Marcia Elaine Hines AM (born July 20, 1953) is an American-born Australian singer and TV personality. Hines made her debut, at the age of 16, in the Australian production of the stage musical ''Hair'' and followed with the role of Mary Magdalen ...

(from ''Hair'', took over as Mary Magdalene in 1973, later a solo singer with "You"),

Doug Parkinson Douglas John Parkinson (30 October 1946 – 15 March 2021) was an Australian pop and rock singer. He led the bands Strings and Things/A Sound (1965), the Questions (1966–1968), Doug Parkinson in Focus (1968–1970, 1971), Fanny Adams (1970� ...

(Doug Parkinson in Focus had a hit with "

Dear Prudence "Dear Prudence" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1968 double album ''The Beatles'' (also known as "the White Album"). The song was written by John Lennon and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. Written in Ri ...

", took over from Livermore) and

Stevie Wright Stephen Carlton Wright (20 December 1947 – 27 December 2015) was an Australian singer, songwriter, and musician. Called Australia's first international pop star, he is best known for being the lead singer of the Easybeats, who are widely rega ...

(ex-

the Easybeats The Easybeats were an Australian Rock music, rock band which formed in Sydney in late 1964. They are best known for their 1966 hit single "Friday on My Mind", which is regarded as the first Australian rock song to achieve international success ...

, later a solo singer with "Evie"). '' Jesus Christ Superstar – Original Australian Cast Recording'' was released by MCA in 1972 with English and other cast members performing vocals for a studio recording. A documentary of the production was broadcast on national TV, it contained footage of performances and interviews with cast members. English reprised his role of Judas in the 1975 and 1978 productions. During 1974, English co-wrote, with Roy Ritchie, the ballet ''Phases'' which was performed by the New South Wales Dance Company at the

Sydney Opera House The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue Performing arts center, performing arts centre in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive b ...

. While performing in ''Superstar'', English also performed as a rock vocalist both with bands, Tapestry, Pulsar and Duck, and solo. In March 1973, he sang on the studio cast recording of Reg Livermore and Patrick Flynn's

rock opera A rock opera is a collection of rock music songs with lyrics that relate to a common story. Rock operas are typically released as concept albums and are not scripted for acting, which distinguishes them from operas, although several have been ad ...

, ''

Ned Kelly Edward Kelly (December 185411 November 1880) was an Australian bushranger, outlaw, gang leader, bank robber and convicted police-murderer. One of the last bushrangers, he is known for wearing armour of the Kelly gang, a suit of bulletproof ...

'', and used some of the ''Superstar'' chorus band to help record his debut solo album, ''Wine Dark Sea'' released on Warm & Genuine Records/

Phonogram Records Phonogram Incorporated was started in 1970 as a successor to Philips Phonographic Industries, a unit of the Grammophon-Philips Group (GPG), a joint venture of Philips N.V. of the Netherlands and Siemens AG of Germany. It was a holding company f ...

. His debut single "

Handbags and Gladrags "Handbags and Gladrags" is a song written in 1967 by Mike d'Abo, who was then the lead singer of Manfred Mann. D'Abo describes the song as "saying to a teenage girl that the way to happiness is not through being trendy. There are deeper values." ...

", released at the same time, was a cover of the

Mike d'Abo Michael David d'Abo (born 1 March 1944) is an English singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of Manfred Mann from 1966 to their dissolution in 1969, and as the composer of the songs " Handbags and Gladrags" and " Build Me Up Bu ...

song, which had been a

Top 40 In the music industry, the Top 40 is a list of the 40 currently most popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "To ...

hit in the UK for singer

Chris Farlowe Chris Farlowe (born John Henry Deighton, 13 October 1940) is an English rock music, rock, blues and blue-eyed soul singer. He is best known for his hit single "Out of Time (Rolling Stones song), Out of Time" written by Mick Jagger and Keith Ric ...

in 1967. English's version peaked at No.50 on the Australian singles charts. His second single from the album was the Webber /

Rice Rice is a cereal grain and in its Domestication, domesticated form is the staple food of over half of the world's population, particularly in Asia and Africa. Rice is the seed of the grass species ''Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice)—or, much l ...

song "

Close Every Door "Close Every Door" is a song from the musical '' Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'' by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber. It is the penultimate song of the first act of the musical, sung by Joseph while imprisoned for his supposed re ...

" from their ''

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat ''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'' is a sung-through musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice, based on the character of Joseph from the Bible's Book of Genesis. This was the first Lloyd Webber and Rice ...

'' stage musical. '' It's All a Game'', his second solo album, was released in 1974 on Warm & Genuine and featured " Turn the Page" which peaked at No.20 on the national singles charts in February 1975. "Lovin' Arms" was released in June 1975 as the lead single from his third studio album, '' Hollywood Seven'' The album produced three singles including " Hollywood Seven" which peaked at No.13 in May 1976. English performed a duet with fellow ''Superstar'' lead, Trevor White to release a single "Laid Back in Anger" but it had no singles chart success. His next album, ''

Minutes to Midnight ''Minutes to Midnight'' is the third studio album by American rock band Linkin Park, released on May 14, 2007, through Warner Bros. Records. The album was produced by Mike Shinoda and Rick Rubin; it is Linkin Park's first studio album produced w ...

'' was released in 1977. English created the Jon English Band for touring with Steve Doran (keyboards), Danny Groves (drums), Eric Macitchka (guitar), Rick Mellick (keyboards), James Rattray (bass) and Mike Wade (guitar). His fifth studio album ''Words are not Enough'' from 1978 contained the title track which peaked at No.6 and "Night in Paradise" which peaked at No.44. English also performed in the stage musical '' The Bacchoi'' in 1974 for

Nimrod Theatre Company ''Nimrod Theatre Company'' is an Australian theatre company. The Nimrod Theatre Company, commonly known as The Nimrod, was an Australian theatre company based in Sydney. It was founded in 1970 by Australian actors John Bell, Richard Wherret ...

; and in minor TV roles in police dramas ''

Matlock Police ''Matlock Police'' is an Australian television police drama series made by Crawford Productions for The 0-10 Network (now known as Network 10) between 1971 and 1976. The series focused on the police station and crime in the Victorian town of Ma ...

'' in 1975, ''

Homicide Homicide is an act in which a person causes the death of another person. A homicide requires only a Volition (psychology), volitional act, or an omission, that causes the death of another, and thus a homicide may result from Accident, accidenta ...

'' in 1976 and ''

Chopper Squad ''Chopper Squad'' is an Australian television series produced by the Reg Grundy Organisation for the 0-10 Network (as it was then known).Albert Moran, ''Moran's Guide to Australian TV Series'', AFTRS 1993 p 115 The series recounted the work ...

'' in 1978. A recurring role in ''

Number 96 96 (ninety-six) is the natural number following 95 and preceding 97. It is a number that appears the same when rotated by 180 degrees. In mathematics 96 is: * an octagonal number. * a refactorable number. * an untouchable number. * a semiper ...

'' was as a cultish drug lord, "The Master", in 1976. English described these roles "''I was doing a lot of police shows in those days. I got to do them all. I was always a drug-crazed axe murdering hippy.''" In 1978, TV's

Seven Network Seven Network (stylised 7Network, and commonly known as Channel Seven or simply Seven) is an Australian commercial free-to-air Television broadcasting in Australia, television network. It is owned by Seven West Media, Seven West Media Limited, ...

and Pegasus Productions approached English to take the role of Jonathan Garrett in the historical romance miniseries '' Against the Wind''. Prior to production he asked if he could organise the score and

soundtrack A soundtrack is a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television show, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of m ...

with his friend, Mario Millo. From the soundtrack, " Six Ribbons" was released as a single by English and Millo. It peaked at No.5 on the National singles charts and the soundtrack peaked at No.10 on the National albums charts. On 16 March 1979 English won the ''

for 'Best New Talent in Australia' for his acting performance in ''Against the Wind'', the programme won two other Logie Awards. English won the 'Most Popular Male Performer' award at the 1979 ''TV Week''/''

Countdown A countdown is a sequence of backward counting to indicate the time remaining before an event is scheduled to occur. NASA commonly employs the terms "L-minus" and "T-minus" during the preparation for and anticipation of a rocket launch, and eve ...

'' Music Awards. He released his first

compilation album A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one Performing arts#Performers, performer or by several performers. If the recordings are from ...

English History The territory today known as England became inhabited more than 800,000 years ago, as the discovery of stone tools and footprints at Happisburgh in Norfolk have indicated.; "Earliest footprints outside Africa discovered in Norfolk" (2014). B ...

'' in August, which peaked at No.4 on the national albums charts and sold over 180,000 copies. Singles success with " Get Your Love Right", which peaked at No.27 and " Hot Town", which peaked at No.11; prompted English to form Baxter Funt, containing John Coker (bass), Greg Henson (drums), Tony Naylor (guitar; ex-Bootleg Family Band/Avalanche), Mike Wade (guitar) and Peter White (keyboards). Henson and Wade had been in the ''Superstar'' chorus band from 1972 and, as part of Baxter Funt, they were taken on a national tour and then internationally.

1980s: International success

In April 1980, English released '' Calm Before the Storm'' which peaked at No.17 on the albums charts, with a single "Carmilla" peaking at No.27; this was followed by the less successful '' In Roads'' from 1981 and single " Straight from the Heart". Meanwhile, ''Against the Wind'' was shown on international TV stations in United Kingdom and other parts of Europe as ''Gegen den Wind'' in Germany and ''Mot alla vindar'' in

Scandinavia Scandinavia is a subregion#Europe, subregion of northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It can sometimes also ...

. Success in Scandinavia included the soundtrack peaking at No.1 on the Norwegian Albums charts and double-A sided single, "Mot alla vendor"/"Six Ribbons" peaked at No.1 on the Norwegian Singles charts. ''

'', his compilation album also peaked at No.1, follow up albums '' Calm Before the Storm'' and '' In Roads'' both reached the Top Ten in Norway. In

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

the soundtrack and the " Six Ribbons" single both peaked at No.4 on the relevant charts in 1980, later ''

'' and " Hollywood Seven" reached the top twenty in their charts. In 1981, English toured the United Kingdom and Scandinavia with Mario Millo (guitars, ex-Sebastian Hardie), (guitar), Jackie Orszaczky (bass; ex-Syrius,

Bakery A bakery is an establishment that produces and sells flour-based baked goods made in an oven such as bread, cookies, cakes, doughnuts, bagels, Pastry, pastries, and pies. Some retail bakeries are also categorized as Coffeehouse, cafés, servi ...

, Marcia Hines Band), Coz Russo (keyboards), Richard Gawned (tenor sax, flute; ex-Marcia Hines Band) and Nick Lister (drums; ex-Kush). In June 1982, the live double album, '' Beating the Boards'' was released, with backing by the Foster Brothers containing John Coker (bass), John Dallimore (guitar, flute, vocals; ex-Redhouse), Peter Deacon (keyboards, vocals), Greg Henson (drums) and Keith Kerwin (guitar, vocals; ex-Southern Star Band). The single "Beating the Boards' was released in June 1982 and peaked at No.97. English teamed with former ''Superstar'' co-lead,

, to produce July 1982's

mini-album A mini-LP or mini-album is a short record album or LP, usually retailing at a lower price than an album that would be considered full-length. It is distinct from an EP due to containing more tracks and a slightly longer running length. A mini- ...

'' Jokers and Queens'' and its self-titled single, the album peaked at No.36 on the Australian albums charts and the single reached No.62 on the singles charts. ''Some People...'' was released in 1982 and produced the top 50 single "Some People (Have All The Fun)". In August 1984, English and

Renée Geyer Renée Rebecca Geyer (11 September 195317 January 2023) was an Australian singer who was an acclaimed jazz, soul and R&B musician.* 1st edition nline * 2nd edition rint She released 15 studio albums with '' Moving Along'' (1977) and ...

released "Every Beat of My Heart" from the ''

Street Hero ''Street Hero'' is a 1984 Australian drama film directed by Michael Pattinson and starring Vince Colosimo, Sigrid Thornton, Sandy Gore, Bill Hunter and Ray Marshall. The film won an AFI award. Plot Vinnie is a teenage boy who is an outcast at ...

'' soundtrack. In 1984, English wrote the national anthem for Hutt River Province. English took on the role of Pirate King for the first time in the 1984 production of

comic opera Comic opera, sometimes known as light opera, is a sung dramatic work of a light or comic nature, usually with a happy ending and often including spoken dialogue. Forms of comic opera first developed in late 17th-century Italy. By the 1730s, a ne ...

'' alongside

June Bronhill June Mary Bronhill (26 June 192924 January 2005), also known as June Gough, was an Australian coloratura soprano opera singer, performer and actress, She was well known for light opera, operetta and musical theatre in London West End theatr ...

and fellow actor/singer

Simon Gallaher Simon Gallaher (born 24 October 1958) is an Australian singer, actor, director and pianist. He teaches Mouth Organ at Jomamma Music School Tamborine Mountain. Biography Gallaher was born in Brisbane and educated at the Anglican Church Gramma ...

as Frederic. English estimates he has performed his favorite role of Pirate King over 1,000 times. He later took on other stage musicals, including ''Rasputin'' (1987) and '' Big River'' (1988), toured with various line-ups of the Foster Brothers and released '' Some People...'' (1983) produced by David Mackay, '' Dark Horses'' (1987) and ''The Busker'' (1988), with his best charting Australian single from these being "Some People (Have all the Fun)" which peaked at No.50 in 1983. During 1983–85, English won four

with three consecutive 'Entertainer of the Year' awards and a further 'Male Vocal Performer' in 1985. In 1988, English collaborated on the song "You're Not Alone" which was The Australian Official Olympic Team Song. It peaked at number 23 on the

ARIA Charts The ARIA Charts are the main Australian record chart, music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA beca ...

1990s: ''All Together Now''

In 1990, English released ''Busking''/''Always the Busker'' but the album did not chart. In November 1990, "Love Has Power" was released as a single from his musical concept album, ''

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

''. At the

ARIA Music Awards of 1991 The Fifth Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (generally known as the ARIA Music Awards or simply The ARIAs) was held on 25 March 1991 at the Darling Harbour Convention Centre in Sydney. International host Bob Geldof was as ...

, the album won the

ARIA Award for Best Original Soundtrack, Cast or Show Album The ARIA Music Award for Best Original Soundtrack / Cast / Show Album is an award presented within the Fine Arts Awards at the annual ARIA Music Awards. The ARIA Awards recognise "the many achievements of Aussie artists across all music genre ...

. During 1991—93, English played the main role of Bobby Rivers in the TV sitcom '' All Together Now''. His role of a faded

one hit wonder A one-hit wonder is any entity that achieves mainstream popularity, often for only one piece of work, and becomes known among the general public solely for that momentary success. The term is most commonly used in regard to music performers with ...

rock star displayed his acting and comedy skills during 101 episodes. English returned to stage musicals to play roles in Simon Gallaher's production company

's trilogy of updated

works: Pirate King in ''

'' (1994), Pooh-Bah in ''

'' (1995) and Dick Deadeye in ''

'' (1997). A performance of each production was broadcast on Australian TV, then released on VHS video and later on DVD. In 1995, ''Jon English'', a portrait by artist Danelle Bergstrom, won the ' Packing Room Prize' in the

Archibald Prize The Archibald Prize is an Australian portraiture art prize for painting, generally seen as the most prestigious portrait prize in Australia. It was first awarded in 1921 after the receipt of a bequest from J. F. Archibald, J. F. Archib ...

. From 1997 to June 1998, English toured his own musical show, ''Turn the Page''. Later in 1998, English toured the

Michael Frayn Michael Frayn, FRSL (; born 8 September 1933) is an English playwright and novelist. He is best known as the author of the farce ''Noises Off'' and the dramas ''Copenhagen (play), Copenhagen'' and ''Democracy (play), Democracy''. Frayn's novel ...

show ''

Noises Off ''Noises Off'' is a 1982 farce by the English playwright Michael Frayn. Frayn conceived the idea in 1970 while watching from the wings a performance of '' The Two of Us'', a farce that he had written for Lynn Redgrave. He said, "It was funni ...

''. In 1999, English toured Australia and New Zealand performing in ''

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum ''A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart. Inspired by the farces of the ancient Roman playwright Plautus (254–184 BC), specif ...

''.

Jon English live at Sweden Rock festival June 8 2013

2000s

In 2000, English finished another musical project called '' Buskers and Angels'', which toured September and October 2000 to warm reviews, and subsequently releasing a CD of the same name. At the ''

Gimme Ted ''Gimme Ted'', or more fully ''Gimme Ted – The Ted Mulry Benefit Concerts'', is an Australian 2×DVD video and tribute album by Various Artists, which was released on 19 May 2003. It was recorded at two eponymous benefit concerts on 9 and 10 ...

'' benefit concert on 10 March 2001, English was backed by his former band, Sebastian Hardie, for two of his songs. He released the amateur rights to his rock opera ''

'' and it was first performed in 2003 in Sydney and

Gosford Gosford is a waterfront city at the northern end of Brisbane Water on the Central Coast in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The Gosford Waterfront is known for its boating and scenic views on the shores of Brisbane Water. Gosford is ...

, New South Wales, with English assisting in the direction of the production and appearing as the Fisherman in one performance at Gosford. The piece was revived in

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

in 2004 and in

Adelaide Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...

in 2008. Also in 2008, a re-worked version was performed in Sydney, with English as Menelaus. This revised production was met with generally positive reviews, but a few months later, English and Mackay completely updated the show. In 2004, English appeared as Sergeant Wilson in stage productions of ''

Dad's Army ''Dad's Army'' is a British television British sitcom, sitcom about the United Kingdom's Home Guard (United Kingdom), Home Guard during the World War II, Second World War. It was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft (TV producer), David Crof ...

'' touring through Australia and

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

. In 2006, English toured the country again as part of the

Countdown Spectacular The ''Countdown Spectacular'' is a series of concerts reviving the nostalgia of the Australian music television series '' Countdown''. Countdown Spectacular The first tour was staged from June to August 2006. It featured mainly Australian artists ...

. Also in 2007, English and Peter Cupples toured their collaborative show ''Uncorked''. Later in 2007, English filmed a children's mini-series titled ''

Time Trackers ''Time Trackers'' is a children's television series produced for the Seven Network in Australia and TV2 in New Zealand. The 13 half-hour episodes first screened in 2008. The series is a co-production of Gibson Group in New Zealand and Taylor Me ...

'' in

, playing the role of a lovable but havoc raising hologram from the future. In 2008, English was awarded a Life Membership to the Parramatta Eels Rugby Leagues Club. English was hired as a motivational coach for the 2009 season, when Parramatta lost the NRL Grand Final, having beaten 14 other teams in home and away games to get to the Premiership decider. In 2009, he toured in a new production titled '' The Rock Show'', a

revue A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatre, theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketch comedy, sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural pre ...

featuring classic rock music of the '60s and '70s, including songs by

the Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1968. The band comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist-keyboardist John Paul Jones (musician), John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham. With a he ...

Deep Purple Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in London in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal music, heavy metal and modern hard rock, although their musical style has varied throughout their career. Originally for ...

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...

and other high-profile musicians of those decades. It was conceived by "Paris" collaborator and director Stuart Smith with musical director Isaac Hayward. In 2010 "The Rock Show" made two appearances in

Tasmania Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...

in support of the " Save the Tasmanian Devil" breeding programme. English was an ambassador for the programme. '' The Rock Show'' toured until 2013, with a CD/DVD released in 2012. In 2010, English played the title role in '' The Removalists'' by

David Williamson David Keith Williamson (born 1942) is an Australian playwright, who has also written screenplays and teleplays. He became known in the early 1970s with his political comic drama '' Don's Party'', and other well-known plays include '' The Clu ...

at the Perth Theatre Company. In 2012, English returned to Tasmania, working with Encore Theatre, for a revival of ''

'', with English in the role of

Pilate Pontius Pilate (; ) was the fifth governor of the Roman province of Judaea, serving under Emperor Tiberius from 26/27 to 36/37 AD. He is best known for being the official who presided over the trial of Jesus and ultimately ordered his cruc ...

. Funds raised at each performance and at the Launceston preview were donated to the programme. In 2013 Jon English played at the

Sweden Rock Festival Sweden Rock Festival is a rock festival outside the town of Sölvesborg in Blekinge in southern Sweden. The festival offers the best possible mix of classic rock, hard rock, metal, blues and related genres. The first version of the festival, k ...

, backed up by Swedish hard rock band Spearfish. In 2015, English returned once again to play the

and during his stay in Sweden he decided to record a new solo album together with his friends in the band Spearfish. Many new songs were written and recordings were set to start March 14, 2016.

Death

In late February 2016, English was hospitalised due to "unexpected health problems" and was forced to cancel several scheduled performances due to planned surgery for an

aortic aneurysm An aortic aneurysm is an enlargement (dilatation) of the aorta to greater than 1.5 times normal size. Typically, there are no symptoms except when the aneurysm dissects or ruptures, which causes sudden, severe pain in the abdomen and lower back ...

. He died following post-operative complications late in the evening of 9 March 2016, 17 days short of his 67th birthday. A public memorial service commemorating his life was held at the

Capitol Theatre, Sydney The Capitol Theatre is a heritage-listed theater (building), theatre located at 3–15 Campbell Street, Haymarket, New South Wales, Haymarket, in the Sydney central business district, Australia. It was designed by Henry Eli White and John Eberso ...

on the evening of 4 April 2016. The memorial took the form of a tribute concert and included performances by the Foster Brothers,

and

John Waters John Samuel Waters Jr. (born April 22, 1946) is an American filmmaker, actor, writer, and artist. He rose to fame in the early 1970s for his transgressive cult films, including '' Multiple Maniacs'' (1970), '' Pink Flamingos'' (1972) and '' Fe ...

among others.

Interests outside the arts

English described himself as a "passionate" supporter of the Australian

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as rugby league in English-speaking countries and rugby 13/XIII in non-Anglophone Europe, is a contact sport, full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular Rugby league playin ...

team

Parramatta Eels The Parramatta Eels are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta that competes in the National Rugby League (NRL). The Parramatta District Rugby League Football Club was formed in 1947, and ...

. He also supported the

Fitzroy Football Club The Fitzroy Football Club is an Australian rules football club currently competing in the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA). Formed in 1883 to represent the inner-Melbourne municipality of City of Fitzroy, Fitzroy, the club is base ...

and launched his ''Some People'' album at

Dallas Brooks Hall Dallas Brooks Hall known as Dallas Brooks Centre after 1993, was an Australian events venue in East Melbourne East Melbourne is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located ...

in Melbourne in May 1983 as a benefit for the club. He also conducted music software courses at Sydney's Apple headquarters during the '90s.

Discography

Solo albums

* '' Wine Dark Sea'' (1973) * '' It's All a Game'' (1974) * '' Hollywood Seven'' (1976) * ''

'' (1977) * '' Words Are Not Enough'' (1978) * '' Calm Before the Storm'' (1980) * '' In Roads'' (1981) * '' Jokers and Queens'' (with

) (1982) * '' Some People...'' (1983) * '' Dark Horses'' (1987) * ''The Busker'' (1988)

Soundtrack albums

* '' Against the Wind'' aka ''Mot alla vindar'' (with Mario Millo) (1978)

Filmography

* 1972 ''

'' TV broadcast, as self /

, first TV appearance * 1975 "Homicide" special 2 hour telemovie episode called 'Stopover', ep. No. 504, as musician Gordon Haynes, first TV acting role. Not screened until 1976. * 1975 ''

'' one episode called "The Grass is Greener" of the TV police drama, as Quinlan * 1978 '' Against the Wind'' 13 episode TV mini-series, as main character Jonathan Garrett * 1988 ''

Rafferty's Rules ''Rafferty's Rules'' is an Australian television drama series which ran from 1987 to 1991 on the Seven Network. The producers of the series were Posie Graeme-Evans (1987–1988), and Denis Phelen. The directors were Graham Thorburn, Mike Sm ...

'' Season Two, Episode 2 as character David Anson * 1980 '' Touch and Go'' film, as Frank Butterfield, first film as leading male character * 1991–1993 '' All Together Now'' 101 episode TV series, as main character Bobby Rivers * 1994 ''

'' TV broadcast of theatre performance, first of

trilogy from Essgee Entertainment * 1995 '' Frontline'' Himself, one episode, '' Let the Children Play'' * 2000 ''

Pizza Pizza is an Italian cuisine, Italian, specifically Neapolitan cuisine, Neapolitan, dish typically consisting of a flat base of Leavening agent, leavened wheat-based dough topped with tomato, cheese, and other ingredients, baked at a high t ...

'' one episode of TV comedy series * 2000 '' Walk the Talk'' film, as Phil Wehner, last known film acting role * 2006 ''

'' as self/performer * 2008 ''

'' children's television series, as Old Troy, last known TV acting role * 2011 '' RocKwiz Christmas Special'' as self/performer, last known TV appearance

Stage and theatre works

* 1972–75, 1979 – ''

'' 700+ performances as

* 1974 '' The Bacchoi'',

* 1984–86 ''

'' as Pirate King,

Victoria State Opera The Victoria State Opera (VSO), based in Melbourne, Australia, was founded in Melbourne in 1962. The company, founded by Leonard Spira, was a move into grand opera by the then amateur Gilbert and Sullivan-oriented Victorian Light Opera Co. The n ...

* 1987 ''Rasputin'' as

Rasputin Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin ( – ) was a Russian mystic and faith healer. He is best known for having befriended the imperial family of Nicholas II, the last Emperor of Russia, through whom he gained considerable influence in the final ye ...

* 1988 '' Big River'' as Pap Finn * 1990 ''

'' (co-writer with David Mackay) * 1994 ''The Pirates of Penzance'' as Pirate King, Essgee Entertainment production * 1995–96 ''

'' as Pooh-Bah, Essgee Entertainment production * 1997 ''

'' as Dick Deadeye, Essgee Entertainment production * 1998 ''

'' * 1998–99 ''

'' as Pseudolus, Essgee Entertainment production * 2001 ''

Are you being Served? ''Are You Being Served?'' is a British television sitcom that was broadcast from 1972 to 1985. It was created and written by David Croft (TV producer), David Croft and Jeremy Lloyd. Croft also served as executive producer and television directo ...

'' as Mr. James "Dick" Lucas * 2004 ''

'' as Sergeant Wilson * 2012 ''

'' as Pontius Pilate * 2013 ''

Hairspray Hairspray may refer to: * Hair spray, a personal grooming product that keeps hair protected from humidity and wind * Hairspray (1988 film), ''Hairspray'' (1988 film), a film by John Waters ** Hairspray (1988 soundtrack), ''Hairspray'' (1988 soundt ...

'' as Edna Turnblad, Packemin Productions * 2014 ''

Spamalot ''Spamalot'' (also known as ''Monty Python's Spamalot: A Musical (Lovingly) Ripped Off from the Motion Picture ''Monty Python and the Holy Grail) is a musical theatre, stage musical with score by John Du Prez and Eric Idle, with lyrics and book ...

'' as King Arthur, Harvest Rain Theatre Company

Awards

ARIA Music Awards

The

ARIA Music Awards The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (commonly known informally as ARIA Music Awards, ARIA Awards, or simply the ARIAs) is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Austr ...

is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of

Australian music The music of Australia has an extensive history made of music societies. Indigenous Australian music forms a significant part of the unique heritage of a 40,000- to 60,000-year history which produced the iconic didgeridoo. Contemporary fusions o ...

. They commenced in 1987. , - , rowspan="2" ,

1991 It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...

, rowspan="2" , ''Paris'' (with David Mackay) , Best Original Soundtrack, Cast or Show Album , , - , Best Adult Contemporary Album , , - ,

2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...

, ''The Rock Show'' , Best Original Soundtrack, Cast or Show Album ,

Countdown Awards

'' was an Australian pop music TV series on national broadcaster ABC-TV from 1974–1987, it presented music awards from 1979–1987, initially in conjunction with magazine ''

''. The TV Week / Countdown Awards were a combination of popular-voted and peer-voted awards. , - , rowspan="2" , 1979 , rowspan="2" , himself , Most Outstanding Achievement , , - , Most Popular Male Performer , , - , 1980 , himself , Most Popular Male Performer , , -

Mo Awards

The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards (commonly known informally as the

), were annual Australian entertainment industry awards. They recognise achievements in live entertainment in Australia from 1975 to 2016. English won six awards in that time. (wins only) , - , 1983 , Jon English , Entertainer of the Year , , - , 1984 , Jon English , Entertainer of the Year , , - , rowspan="2", 1985 , Jon English , Male Vocal Entertainer of the Year , , - , Jon English , Entertainer of the Year , , - , 2011 , Jon English – ''The Rock Show'' , Best Rock Band or Performer of the Year , , - , 2012 , Jon English Band , Best Rock Act of the Year , , -

Other awards

* 1979 – ''

'Best New Talent in Australia' for role in '' Against the Wind'' * 1984 – Green Room Award for Male Actor in a Leading Role (Music Theatre) for role as the Pirate King in ''

Notes

References

Jon English, Australian singer-songwriter and All Together Now star, dies age 66 - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
* "''The Dictionary of Performing Arts in Australia – Theatre. Film. Radio. Television – Volume 1''" – Ann Atkinson, Linsay Knight, Margaret McPhee – Allen & Unwin Pty. Ltd., 1996 * "''The Dictionary of Performing Arts in Australia – Opera. Music. Dance – Volume 2''" – Ann Atkinson, Linsay Knight, Margaret McPhee – Allen & Unwin Pty. Ltd., 1996 * "''The Australian Film and Television Companion''" – compiled by Tony Harrison – Simon & Schuster Australia, 1994 * "''The Book – Top 40 Research''" – Jim Barnes, Stephen Scanes, 2000

External links

Jon English
– Official Web Site *

– Central Musical Instruments

– Australian Broadcasting Corporation

– Australian Broadcasting Corporation

– "The Age" newspaper

{{DEFAULTSORT:English, Jon 1949 births 2016 deaths Deaths from aortic aneurysm 20th-century Australian guitarists 21st-century Australian guitarists 20th-century Australian male singers 21st-century Australian male singers ARIA Award winners English emigrants to Australia Australian comedy writers Australian male comedians Australian male film actors Australian male stage actors Australian male television actors Australian male writers Australian musical theatre composers Male musical theatre composers Australian rock guitarists Australian rock musicians Australian rock singers Australian male songwriters Australian television writers Logie Award winners Australian male television writers Naturalised citizens of Australia Australian rhythm guitarists Musicians from the London Borough of Camden People from Hampstead Actors from the London Borough of Camden Singers from Sydney Writers from Sydney Australian male guitarists Comedians from Sydney Comedians from the London Borough of Camden Singers from the London Borough of Camden