GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTON

THE WILD ONE LIVES ON

Manager shares special memories

OCTOBER 6, 2018 marked 40 years since the death of Australian rock’n’roll icon Johnny O’Keefe.The singer, songwriter, television presenter and radio entertainer was just 45.

Johnny O'Keefe and his manager John Hansen in the 1970s.

On Facebook long-time friend and manager John L Hansen wrote: “40 years ago today we lost a true rock’n’roll legend. A genuine entertainment trailblazer and great friend. RIP JO’K”

WHEN it comes to Johnny O’Keefe there are few who knew him as well as John Hansen who was not only his friend but also his first real manager.

On With the Show’s Shirley Broun caught up with John Hansen to recount some of his special memories of the man often referred to as `The Wild One’ who won over a nation with his music, distinct style, larrikin spirit and showmanship.

But first, a little about the Aussie icon – the great JO’K - who left an indelible mark on the history of rock’n’roll in this country.

Born on January 19, 1935 in Bondi Junction, Sydney Australia, O’Keefe played piano and sang in the choir while still attending Christian Brothers’ College in Waverley.

He was the son of a furniture store owner, former Mayor of Waverley and part time jazz band musician Ray O'Keefe.

One of his first public appearances, inspired by American pop idol Johnnie Ray, was as a contestant on radio 2UW’s `Australian Amateur Hour’.

Bill Haley singing `Rock Around the Clock’ in the 1955 film Blackboard Jungle was all a young JOK needed to hear before choosing to become a true rock’n’roller, leading to the formation of the `Dee Jays’ with Dave Owens.

The band also consisted of Lou Casch, Johnny Greenan, Johnny `Catfish’ Purser and Keith Williams and it wasn’t long before they had secured regular gigs in Coogee, Chatswood, Petersham and Balmain in Sydney. The Embassy theatre also hired them to play during the interval on film days.

A recording contract with Festival Records Pty Ltd followed and saw the release of the Haley-penned `You Hit the Wrong Note Billy Goat in 1957.

`Am I Blue’ and `Love Letters in the Sand’ were also released before JO’K and the Dee Jays performed with Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent and Little Richard on one of promotor Lee Gordon’s Big Shows at the Stadium.

O'Keefe also recorded with the Leedon and Liberty labels throughout his career.

Within six months, JO’K had released the `Wild One' which became an immediate hit and launched him into Australian rock’n’roll history as the first in this genre to reach the national charts.

In total O'Keefe amassed 29 Top 40 hits between 1958 and 1973.

O’Keefe had also become a big hit on television, which had only been launched in Australia in 1956.

Marriage and children

His first marriage in 1958 was to 23-year-old hairdresser Marianne Renate Willinzik and the couple had three children - Vicky, John and Peter - before divorcing in 1966. He married for a second time in 1974. This time to 29-year-old fashion consultant Maureen Joan Maricic. John Hansen was best man at the wedding.

John Hansen was Best Man at JO'Ks second marriage to Maureen Joan Maricic.

Later, in 1978, the newly weds opened a boutique, J. O'K Creations, at Paddington.

A performance on ABC’s `Six O’Clock Rock’ in 1959 led to O’Keefe becoming compere of the show.

In June 1960 he was seriously injured in a car accident near Kempsey in NSW resulting in 64 stitches in his head and 26 in his hands.

But not one to let adversity get in the way of his career only seven weeks later O’Keefe was once again compering Six O’Clock Rock followed in 1961 by the Johnny O’Keefe Show on ATN 7.

In 1969 he performed for Australian troops in Vietnam.

All this, including major hits in 1961 and 1964, respectively, with `I’m Counting on You’ and `She Wears My Ring’ had boosted O’Keefe to national stardom … and all prior to his meeting with a young John Hansen.

A NEW ERA BEGINS

O’Keefe and John Hansen first met in 1969.

“He was a star then and was good mates with agent and promoter Ivan Dayman with whom I had done a lot of work within the showbiz industry. And, it was Ivan who put me on the road as JOK’s tour manager when I was fresh out of university,” said Hansen.

O'Keefe's career, during the decade of the 1960s, had been see-sawing with the star's popularity being challenged - particularly as the 70s approached - by the emergence of the Mersey beat and bands such as The Beatles and the Rolling Stones who spearheaded a whole new sound. It was a time when Australia was welcoming a new generation of future pop stars including The Easybeats, Normie Rowe, Billy Thorpe & the Aztecs, Bobby & Laurie, Ray Brown & the Whispers, and more.

But John Hansen was ready for any and all challenges when it came to representing the irrepressible J.O.K.

Originally from Adelaide, Hansen had begun his career in entertainment by booking artists into venues around the country and later - as part of his own Prestige Attractions and John L Hansen Association - either managed, toured or worked with an impressive stable of performers including Kamahl,  Johnny O’Keefe, Dinah Lee, Jade Hurley, Digger Revell, Laurel Lee, Digby Richards, Tom Jones, Billy Ray Cyrus, John Farnham and The Four Kinsmen, an act which John also arranged to headline their own show in a major casino on the strip in Las Vegas.

John Hansen with Tom Jones.

“In my early days I also ran the entertainment at nightclubs in places like Mackay, Cairns and Darwin for Ivan Damon,” said John.

The next few years would entrench Hansen as an important and successful manager/agent in the Australian entertainment scene around the country beginning with the Wild One himself, JO’K.

The close friendship and working relationship began with a series of phone calls from O'Keefe urging Hansen to take on his full time management.

Despite his success, O’Keefe had been flying somewhat solo when it came to performances around the country, leaving his mother to handle all his bookings and enquiries.

Hansen’s work at the time had included managing a club in a Cairn’s hotel. When the establishment’s owners decided to run the club themselves, Hansen wasted no time in moving back to Adelaide with his soon-to-be wife Di, who was originally from Townsville.

Setting up tours and booking venues around the country for Aussie stars of the 1960s such as Normie Rowe became his daily routine and prepared him well for his next major move which was prompted by Sydney-based O’Keefe’s request to become his manager.

“I played a little hard to get at first,” Hansen said.

“JOK had a bit of a reputation … he frightened a lot of people. He could give them a bit of a hard time. But I felt I knew him better than most and I was confident Ivan Dayman had taught me well in the area of promotion and management including having a hands-on approach when organising tours,” he said.

FULFILLED A DREAM

I had just married my wife Di when I decided to fulfil my dream and move to Sydney where there was a vibrant club scene. Of course, my first job was to become JOK’s personal manager,” said Hansen.

“We moved into John and Maureen’s Bellevue Hill apartment and they moved into a new home in Double Bay where John converted a quadruple garage into an office for us both.”

Hansen remembers that in the first few months together, JO’K would sit in the office while his new manager tried to create new business for him. Not ideal, one would think, to have your `client’ hovering like that!

Fortunately, JO’K had soon embarked on an overseas trip to the USA, where he became the first Australian rock'n'roll artist to tour the country.

“While he was away I visited every agent, every club and got out and about. All said they would book JO’K but due to his `wild boy’ reputation I would have to go with him to every gig,” said Hansen.

“I knew him well enough to know I could look after him. I just had to be there for every show.”

As international phone calls were more of a novelty back in those days, according to Hansen, the pair spoke little while O’Keefe was overseas, but on his return his new manager had filled his book with work for over a year.

“I didn’t even have a car back then so this was a mighty feat,” Hansen quipped.

STEPPING OUT IN A MINI MINOR

Travelling to the gigs was usually undertaken in O’Keefe’s little mini minor.

“He had a Pontiac Transam as well but it was always in the panel beaters,” said Hansen.

“Eventually, O’Keefe – who was making big money in those days - bought a Ford Fairlane which we both were able to use.”

The wheels came in handy too as Hansen had booked his client into venues throughout South Australia, New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and even Perth.

O’Keefe’s production show was one of the first to have adopted the concept of `Door Deals’, according to Hansen.

“Because we toured so extensively including some outback areas with a full production show there were some venues that couldn’t afford the full cost of the performance so they would allow us to do a door deal (take the entrance fee) which at that time was about $1 or $2. All they wanted was to get the people in for food, drinks and pokies and we were attracting upward of 500 people to each performance.”

Hansen said the crowds loved O'Keefe.

"He was the bloke next door, he talked their language and sang the music they wanted to hear - genuine rock'n'roll from the 60s and 70s. I saw lots of brilliant shows where he just blitzed them."

What was it like to tour with the great JO’K?

“O’Keefe, in a word, was `temperamental’,” said Hansen.

“He was definitely the `wild one’ at times. Someone who pushed the boundaries and looking back I remember him as rather `unpredictable’.

“We had lots of arguments, disputes and debates. But although he was 12 years older than me, he trusted my judgement totally and knew I had his best interests at heart.

“But, saying all that, he was also a great supporter of Australian music and entertainers and did more for other performers in those days than anyone I know. He helped so many people along the way,” said Hansen.

The astute manager also attended many of O'Keefe's recording sessions during the 1970s.

He remembered one occasion when he and Maureen were enjoying a coffee as they watched him putting down a track.

"He mentioned Maureen in the lyrics as he sang ... that's the sort of thing he would do."

His recordings during the last six years of his life included `So Tough' in 1972 and his final big hit `Mockingbird' - a duet with Margaret McLaren - in 1974.

And when the `Wild One’ was performing live on stage – often wearing a skivvy under a white dinner suit – he blitzed the audience, according to Hansen who cited his performance at Sunbury as perhaps one of his ultimate success stories as it was not exactly his `target audience'.

O'KEEFE WAS A BRILLIANT SHOWMAN

“JO’K was not just a singer – he didn’t actually have the greatest voice. However, he always had a great band and was a brilliant showman and that’s where he won everyone over.

“He talked their language and sang genuine rock’n’roll music which is what they wanted to hear.”

Johnny O'Keefe was `The Wild One' - onstage and off.

While Hansen admits his days with O’Keefe both as a close friend and manager  were somewhat `volatile’ at times, he doesn’t hesitate in saying he would do it all again in a heartbeat.

“I left him a couple of times and came back … such was his effect on me. I guess I got used to all the chaos. It was never very long before we would hug and all would be good again."

In 1974 O'Keefe starred in a show called `The Good Old Days of Rock'n'Roll' which featured a who's who of Aussie favourites - all close friends of JOK. It included Jade Hurley, Laurel Lea, Tony Brady, Barry Stanton, Lonnie Lee and Johnny Devlin.

The production premiered at St George's Leagues Club and enjoyed great success for a further four years.

While O’Keefe had a swagger of top selling records ranging from So Tough to She Wears My Ring and The Wild One, it was his version of `Shout’ that would close every show.

No surprise that `Shout’ remains John Hansen’s favourite Johnny O’Keefe song of all time.

SINCE HIS DEATH

Since his death, O'Keefe has emerged as an iconic figure of Australia's rock'n'roll era.

He was the inspiration behind the stage musical `Shout! The Legend of the Wild One' based on the book written by John Michael Howson, David Mitchell and Melvyn Morrow; In 1982 the first major biography on JO'K was published and several others followed including `The Wild One by Damian Johnstone and Johnny O'Keefe - The Facts' written by Lonnie Lee in 2008 and released by Starlite Records; In 1986 the Seven Network produced the successful 'docu-drama' mini-series based on his life, Shout! The Story of Johnny O'Keefe, which starred actor-singer Terry Serio as O'Keefe; Postumously inducted in the ARIA hall of fame in 1988; and a special stamp edition was also issued by Australia Post in 1998 to commemorate the rock'n'roll icon, among many accolades after his death from an overdose on October 6, 1978.

O'Keefe was buried at Sydney's Macquarie Park Cemetery and Crematorium.

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