Biography
Jon English attained his largest commercial peaks in the 1970s, yet his trajectory extended vigorously through rock, theatrical productions, broadcast work, and cabaret. He led the dance ensemble Sebastian Hardie until January 1972, at which point he entered the Australian staging of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s Jesus Christ Superstar. He completed 705 performances from May 1972 to February 1974 and contributed to the 1972 Original Cast recording. Further appearances encompassed vocals with the studio unit Duck, a part on the Ned Kelly rock-opera soundtrack, and the solo debut Wine Dark Sea.
Its successor, It’s All a Game, supplied his first chart single, “Turn the Page,” which reached number seven in Australia during February 1975. He next rejoined a fresh Jesus Christ Superstar company and issued his third album, Hollywood Seven. Minutes to Midnight followed, accompanied by touring with the newly assembled Jon English Band. Words Are Not Enough yielded the hits “Words Are Not Enough,” which climbed to number five in July 1978, and “Nights in Paradise,” which reached number 21 that October.
English subsequently portrayed the lead in the television miniseries Against the Wind while composing, producing, and performing on its soundtrack with Mario Millo. The resulting single “Six Ribbons” became the best-selling male pop single of 1979 and peaked at number five in January. He was named Best New Talent at the 1979 Logie Awards, and Against the Wind later succeeded as a series throughout Scandinavia and the U.K.
The compilation English History attained number four in August 1979 as he toured Australia and abroad with the newly formed Baxter Funt. Calm Before the Storm appeared in 1980 and Inroads in 1981. He then completed a sold-out Scandinavian run. “Against the Wind” reached number one in Sweden, while the soundtrack itself peaked at number two and surpassed 100,000 copies.
The double live album Beating the Boards surfaced in 1982, followed by the mini-album Jokers and Queens recorded with Marcia Hines. Some People constituted his next solo release in 1983, and the duet “Every Beat of My Heart” with Renee Gayer arrived in 1984. That year he also assumed the role of Pirate King in the stage production The Pirates of Penzance. Additional musical-theater engagements over the ensuing decade encompassed Rasputin, The Mikado, and H.M.S. Pinafore. Several singles emerged during this interval along with the 1987 album Dark Horses.
Always the Busker was issued in 1990. WEA simultaneously released Paris, an adaptation of Homer’s Iliad created with producer David McKay, which received the 1990 ARIA Award for Best Original Soundtrack or Cast Recording. In 1993 English portrayed the washed-up rock relic Bobby Rivers in the series All Together Now, a role that showcased his comic gifts. Both the single “All Together Now” and the Best of Jon English 20th Anniversary Album appeared that same year.
Its successor, It’s All a Game, supplied his first chart single, “Turn the Page,” which reached number seven in Australia during February 1975. He next rejoined a fresh Jesus Christ Superstar company and issued his third album, Hollywood Seven. Minutes to Midnight followed, accompanied by touring with the newly assembled Jon English Band. Words Are Not Enough yielded the hits “Words Are Not Enough,” which climbed to number five in July 1978, and “Nights in Paradise,” which reached number 21 that October.
English subsequently portrayed the lead in the television miniseries Against the Wind while composing, producing, and performing on its soundtrack with Mario Millo. The resulting single “Six Ribbons” became the best-selling male pop single of 1979 and peaked at number five in January. He was named Best New Talent at the 1979 Logie Awards, and Against the Wind later succeeded as a series throughout Scandinavia and the U.K.
The compilation English History attained number four in August 1979 as he toured Australia and abroad with the newly formed Baxter Funt. Calm Before the Storm appeared in 1980 and Inroads in 1981. He then completed a sold-out Scandinavian run. “Against the Wind” reached number one in Sweden, while the soundtrack itself peaked at number two and surpassed 100,000 copies.
The double live album Beating the Boards surfaced in 1982, followed by the mini-album Jokers and Queens recorded with Marcia Hines. Some People constituted his next solo release in 1983, and the duet “Every Beat of My Heart” with Renee Gayer arrived in 1984. That year he also assumed the role of Pirate King in the stage production The Pirates of Penzance. Additional musical-theater engagements over the ensuing decade encompassed Rasputin, The Mikado, and H.M.S. Pinafore. Several singles emerged during this interval along with the 1987 album Dark Horses.
Always the Busker was issued in 1990. WEA simultaneously released Paris, an adaptation of Homer’s Iliad created with producer David McKay, which received the 1990 ARIA Award for Best Original Soundtrack or Cast Recording. In 1993 English portrayed the washed-up rock relic Bobby Rivers in the series All Together Now, a role that showcased his comic gifts. Both the single “All Together Now” and the Best of Jon English 20th Anniversary Album appeared that same year.
Albums
