Robie Porter
| Robie Porter | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Robert George Porter |
| Also known as | Rob E.G. |
| Born | 4 June 1942 |
| Origin | Sydney, Australia |
| Genres | country, pop-rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, producer |
| Instruments | lap steel guitar |
| Years active | 1959–current |
| Labels | Rex, Festival, Sparmac, Wizard, Musique |
| Associated acts | Daddy Cool |
Robie Porter (born Robert George Porter 4 June 1942) is an Australian country, pop-rock musician, producer and record label owner.
Beginning in 1959 he performed under the stage name Rob E.G. and recorded lap steel guitar instrumentals or covers of country-style vocals. On the local Sydney music charts he provided four top ten hits including two No. 1 hits with "Si Senor" and "55 Days at Peking". From 1970 Porter ran an independent record label, Sparmac, and produced three LPs for Daddy Cool.
Robert George Porter was born in 1942 and raised in Ashfield, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney. He reluctantly took steel guitar lessons from the age of eight – he wanted to play football instead. Sydney TV show Bandstand featured hits from the UK and US played by Australian artists. As Rob E.G., Porter made his TV debut in 1959 performing the lap steel guitar instrumental "Sleep Walk" (originally by Santo & Johnny); he was soon signed to Rex Records and became a Bandstand regular. His first single, "Your Cheatin' Heart", a cover of the Hank Williams hit, appeared in February 1960. In 1961, Porter received severe spinal injuries in a car accident, he adapted his playing style and continued to record. Top ten hits in Sydney include, instrumentals "Si Senor (I Theenk)" which peaked at No. 1 in May 1962, "Jezabel" at No. 2 in May 1963, and "55 Days at Peking" at No. 1 in July; and the vocal single "When You're Not Near" at No. 7 in August 1964. Although not as popular in Melbourne, these four singles also peaked into the top ten.
On the advice of The Beatles' manager, Brian Epstein, Porter moved to the UK in 1964 where he wrote and recorded singles for Festival Records but had no chart success. During 1967 he moved to the USA and appeared in several television shows: Malibu U, Popendity, Daniel Boone, Mannix and The Immortal. In 1969 Porter co-starred in the movie Three.
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