Johnny O’Keefe
| Johnny O'Keefe | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | John Michael O'Keefe |
| Also known as | J.O.K., The Wild One |
| Born |
19 January 1935 Bondi Junction, New South Wales, Australia |
| Origin | Sydney, Australia |
| Died | 6 October 1978 (aged 43) St Vincent's Hospital, Darlinghurst, Australia |
| Genres | Rock n roll |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1953–1978 |
| Labels |
Festival Leedon Liberty |
| Associated acts | The Dee Jays |
| Website | www |
John Michael O'Keefe, known as Johnny O'Keefe (19 January 1935 – 6 October 1978), was an Australian rock and roll singer whose career began in the 1950s. Some of his hits include "Wild One" (1958), "Shout!" and "She's My Baby". In his twenty-year career, O'Keefe released over fifty singles, 50 EPs and 100 albums. O'Keefe was also a radio and television entertainer and presenter
Often referred to by his initials "J.O.K." or by his nickname "The Wild One", O'Keefe was the first Australian rock 'n' roll performer to tour the United States, and the first Australian artist to make the local Top 40 charts and he had twenty-nine Top 40 hits in Australia between 1958 and 1973.
Johnny O'Keefe was the younger brother of Australian jurist Barry O'Keefe (a former head of the New South Wales ICAC). His father, Alderman Ray O'Keefe, was Mayor of Waverley Council in the early 1960s. Through Barry, Johnny O'Keefe is the uncle of Australian TV personality Andrew O'Keefe
"She's My Baby" was added to the National Film and Sound Archive's Sounds of Australia registry in 2007.
O'Keefe was born in the eastern Sydney suburb of Bondi Junction on 19 January 1935. He was the second of three children of Raymond Moran O'Keefe and Thelma Edna Kennedy. He was raised as a Catholic and attended the local Catholic primary school, followed by secondary schooling at Waverley College in nearby Waverley.
Johnny had a solid musical background and listened to the radio almost constantly at home although he did not often sing around the house. His parents were both good singers. His mother was an excellent pianist and his father occasionally played in a jazz band.
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Wikipedia