With modest help from promoter Lee Gordon, Johnny O'Keefe essentially forged Australian rock & roll by sheer determination. Though born in Canada, Lee Gordon had established himself in Sydney and had already imported major overseas acts to the country. Having earned and squandered multiple fortunes, he found himself financially secure again just as rock & roll surfaced. After presenting tours featuring Nat King Cole and Johnnie Ray, he arranged a package bill topped by Bill Haley and the Comets, marking the start of their landmark global trek.
Eleven days after Elvis Presley’s birth, Johnny O’Keefe assembled his rock group the Dee Jays, attended every Johnnie Ray performance, and lingered daily outside the Lee Gordon offices on the concrete steps in hopes of securing a spot on one of the promoter’s Stadium Shows. Persistence eventually earned him a slot on the Haley bill, albeit merely to provide background music while Sydney crowds settled into their seats. The opportunity allowed O’Keefe to observe Haley’s set, mingle with him backstage, and even bring the visitor home to meet his mother.
Lee Gordon showed little inclination to champion Australian performers. Yet when Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps became stranded in Honolulu en route to joining Little Richard and Eddie Cochran, O’Keefe’s band received an urgent call to substitute for a single night. Such a break was all he required. Bill Haley played a decisive role in obtaining O’Keefe’s first recording contract.
Johnny O’Keefe thus became the earliest Australian pop artist to reach the charts. His third single, “I’m the Wild One,” proved the breakthrough; Iggy Pop later covered the seminal track in 1987 as “Real Wild Child.” O’Keefe remained known as The Wild One for the rest of his career. Like Elvis, he embodied authenticity. In December 1958 he was invited to host the weekly Six O’Clock Rock television program, modeled on American Bandstand, which served as his springboard to nationwide recognition. He soon entered the Top Ten with “So Tough” and his own rendition of the Isley Brothers’ “Shout.”
During 1959 O’Keefe requested an airline ticket in place of payment for Lee Gordon’s latest Big Show tour and, that November, flew to Los Angeles intent on cracking the American market. According to legend, he checked into a motel and immediately sampled his first American thick shake at the adjacent drug store while clutching an acetate of “Shout.” A Liberty Records executive who entered the store inquired about the disc, listened on the spot, and offered a contract within thirty minutes. The following week O’Keefe recorded several numbers and returned to Australia with what became his first national chart-topper, “She’s My Baby.” Liberty believed it had signed a major talent; like Presley, he softened his rock & roll edges to deliver polished pop material.
In April 1960 O’Keefe revisited America equipped with his Liberty advance, borrowed funds, and several hundred boomerangs etched with his name to promote an album whose cover depicted him hurling one of the souvenirs. The visit yielded mixed results: “It’s Too Late” reached number one in New Orleans, yet O’Keefe appeared at promotional events slightly worse for wear, prompting Liberty to lose interest.
Back in Australia with depleted resources, he nevertheless projected success by purchasing a bright red Plymouth Belvedere on hire purchase. On June 27, 1960, while driving from the Queensland Gold Coast toward Sydney, he crashed, sustaining severe facial lacerations, concussion, and shock. Within a month he resumed performing; by August, his face still bearing scars, he returned to television. That crash came to symbolize the pattern of his remaining years and career—he maintained relentless momentum until halted temporarily by another accident or a mental breakdown. Further hits followed, among them three additional national number ones: “I’m Counting on You,” “Move Baby Move,” and “She Wears My Ring.”
When the Beatles era arrived, the earlier wave of Australian rock that O’Keefe had helped nurture vanished almost overnight, though he fought to remain visible. Despite radio’s refusal to play his newer recordings, he constructed a thriving management and touring operation and stayed among the nation’s most industrious and highly compensated entertainers. On October 6, 1978, he suffered a fatal heart attack triggered by an accidental overdose of prescribed medication while actively planning further expansion of his business and stage activities. Three thousand mourners filled the Waverley church in Sydney, and thousands more lined the streets for the funeral procession. In 2001 the stage musical Shout, celebrating his life and era, toured the country to sold-out audiences and generated millions for its backers. Within Australia the legend endures; abroad, his recordings maintain a devoted cult following.
