Johnny Ashcroft

Johnny Ashcroft OAM FAIHA (born 1 February 1927 in North Sydney, Australia) is a retired Australian country music entertainer, songwriter, recording artist and musician. He is married to fellow performer Gay Kayler, whom he has recorded with on numerous occasions. He retired from the industry in 1998, and resides on the Gold Coast, Queensland.

In 1788, Ashcroft’s great-great-great-grandfather, Marine Corporal John Gowan, arrived in Australia aboard the First Fleet's Flagship, HMS Sirius.

In 1814, his great-great-grandfather and namesake, John Ashcroft, arrived in chains aboard the notorious convict ship Surrey. Therefore, Ashcroft is a descendant of a First Fleeter and a descendant of a convict.

Ashcroft’s showbusiness roots go back to Harry Ashcroft who first appeared with his orchestra early in the 20th century. Ashcroft started his career during World War II as Harry Ashcroft’s daughter, Gloria, was finishing hers.

There has been an Ashcroft or an Ashcroft descendant in Australian show business for nigh on 100 years.

Ashcroft was raised under extremely poor circumstances. As a child growing up during the Great Depression in Australia, he lived in a bag shack with a dirt floor. An interest in indigenous cultures, in particular Australian Aboriginal culture, was possibly influenced by these humble beginnings.

During World War II, Ashcroft began his career by playing a guitar and singing mainly bush ballads. Back then, bush ballads were often called ‘hillbilly’ songs. Ashcroft’s first 78rpm, recorded in 1946, featured only one song – When I Waltzed My Matilda Away. It was distributed solely for radio airplay.

In the mid-1940s he traveled with vaudeville shows. While working in the Great Levante Show, he learned about show business traditions and the psychology of live performing from the Great Levante (Les Cole) and one of Australia’s greatest vaudevillian comics, Bobby Lebrun.

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