Hat-trick for Mike Preston (1991)

Voted top Male Vocalist 3 years in a row

On With the Show's

Flashback to Variety Today 1991

BRISBANE-based entertainer Mike Preston scored a `hat-trick' at this year's Wallace Awards by winning the Male Country Vocalist Award for the third year in succession. And, in it's introductory year, Mike was also voted the top vocal/instrumentalist of the year.

The Perth born entertainer has notched up about 20 years in the industry, which began at the age of 17 when his fellow Army buddies threw him into a talent quest. Much to their surprise (and Mike's) he won it, and hasn't looked back since.

In the early days Mike was a member of a pop band `Vision' which, based in Brisbane, supported such greats as the Easybeats and in 1968 appeared with Roy Orbison. He became a regular guest on television shows around the nation and built up quite a following in his home state of Western Australia.

Mike was also well known as a solo performer and it was during one of these performances in Fremantle that the talented artist experienced one of the highlights of his career. "It was in Fremantle in 1974 and this certain group of people kept coming back night after night to see my show," Mike recalled.

"Eventually one of them asked me I had ever been to London and then proceeded to write down his telephone number on the back of a $50 note which he gave to me and said to ring him."

About a week later, Mike rang the number and before he knew it, he had been asked by the owner of London Walkabout Hotels, Colin Alty, to open his newly completed hotel near Hyde Park in London. He was asked to return again in 1978.

On the local scene, Mike appears both as a soloist, and as a member of a three piece band, playing everything from country to rock'n'roll and contemporary music. One of Mike's regular venues I the popular Ballina RSL.

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