Johnny Chester

Born on 26 December 1941 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, Chester first mastered drums and guitar before choosing a vocal career. In 1959 he began staging his own dances across Melbourne’s northern suburbs, soon assembling the Chessmen to accompany him at those events. A prominent local disc jockey spotted his talent and arranged an introduction to the A&R manager at Melbourne’s W&G Records. The label paired him with the rock ‘n’ roll combo the Thunderbirds, after which ten hit singles appeared in quick succession and established him as Melbourne’s leading teen idol. In 1964 he fulfilled the goal shared by every other Australian act when he supported the Beatles’ national tour. He entered radio and television work the following year, then turned to country material in the late 1960s, adopting the approach of Conway Twitty and Billy ‘Crash’ Craddock. His recording activity continued through the 1980s, during which he was voted top country male vocalist for three consecutive years from 1981 to 1983.