From London to the Australian stage, a versatile musical odyssey
In short: Jon English was more than a singer; he was a cultural chameleon. From portraying the ultimate traitor in a rock opera to becoming a motivational coach for a rugby league team, his career spanned across television, theater, and international charts, defining a specific era of Australian entertainment.
Born in London in 1949, Jon English emigrated to Australia in 1961 at the age of 12. His early musical roots were shaped by his father, a self-taught musician who bought him his first guitar. This foundation led to a prolific career in the Australian pub scene, where he performed with the Sebastian Hardie Blues Band, covering icons like the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan. He attended Cabramatta High School where he formed his first band, Zenith. During this period, he also played for the Parramatta Eels reserve grade team. His family moved to Sydney on the RMS Orion.
English achieved massive recognition in the 1970s. He was selected from over 2,000 applicants to star as Judas Iscariot in the Australian production of Jesus Christ Superstar in 1972. This role launched him into a dual career as a solo artist and a television actor. His portrayal in the period drama Against the Wind earned him the 1979 TV Week Logie Award for 'Best New Talent', a production that also proved highly popular across Germany and Scandinavia. He co-wrote the score for the miniseries with Mario Millo. The production was known as Mot alla vindar in Sweden. He also appeared in several police dramas during the mid-1970s.
His versatility was further evidenced by his work in Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, where he performed the role of the Pirate King over 1,000 times. He also explored diverse genres, from writing the national anthem for the Hutt River Province to scoring a ballet for the New South Wales Dance Company. By the end of his career, his influence reached into sports and conservation, serving as a motivational coach for the Parramatta Eels and an ambassador for the 'Save the Tasmanian Devil' breeding programme. He won three consecutive Entertainer of the Year awards between 1983 and 1985. His 1991 musical concept album, Paris, won a major award for its soundtrack. He even appeared in a children's mini-series in New Zealand.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Jon English
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