Lucky Starr and Gloria O'Brien
Australian Woman's Weekly January 1964
Lucky Starr (Leslie Morrison) is one of the founding members of the Australian Pop Music Industry. A regular on television shows such as Bandstand and also hosted Six O'Clock Rock for one season. He also made regular appearances on Mavis Bramston, Revue 60-61, In Melbourne Tonight, Sing Sing Sing, plus many other entertainment shows.
In 1962 Lucky recorded a hit record "I've Been Everywhere", which to date still remains one of Australia's all time favourites. The record received the highest accolade in the music industry, the Platinum Award. 1963 saw Lucky performing in the United States on the Nevada Circuit, The Flamingo in Las Vegas, The Mapes in Reno and Harvey's in Lake Tahoe. Also in the same year Lucky signed a recording contract with Dot Records in Los Angeles, releasing five singles. His agency was Coast Artist, signing performers such as Harry Belafonte, Jimmy Rodgers and Billy Eckstein. As a result of his American trips, Lucky was invited to work the Hilton Hotel Chain world wide spending several years working these prestigious rooms. Lucky was also the first Australian performer to entertain the troops in Vietnam; in fact paying his own way there and made five subsequent trips into the war zone. 2002 and 2003 saw Lucky touring with "Long Way To The Top", an Arena Spectacular which toured Australia's capitals and regional centres. The show featured the cream of Australia's entertainers from the 50's, 60's and 70's. Due to its popularity it become the subject of an ABC Television special. Lucky's style ranges from Rock & Roll, to Country through to Jazz and is in fact similar to the late great Bobby Darin. These days his polished performing style has him working full time in the business he loves. |
Australian Woman's Weekly May 1964
Gloria O’Brien is the only daughter of Mr and Mrs Roy O’Brien (Town Clerk), of Shepparton. She has one brother, Roger.
She was a trained dental nurse, worked on GMV 6 as a compere of a teenage show called the Casual Club and was also a model. Gloria and Lucky married in 1965 and were divorced in 1984 and had 2 children together. |
Lucky Starr on Six O’Clock Rock. Gift of Pamela M. Lindus, 2008
For three and a half years Six O'Clock Rock presented Australian rock ’n’ roll to a vast audience. Television exposure launched the careers of a number of aspiring rock ’n’ rollers including Lonnie Lee, the Delltones, Johnny Rebb, Dig Richards, Candy and Mandy, Johnny Devlin and Laurel Lea.
Lucky Starr was another. The photograph shows him playing his trademark star-shaped guitar on Six O’Clock Rock. Due to its unique shape and strong association with Lucky Starr, this guitar is one of the best remembered instruments used by Australia’s first rock ‘n’ roll artists. Starr bought a Levin jazz guitar and replaced the body with a star-shaped piece of timber cut with a bandsaw by the father of his drummer. Lucky Starr’s guitar. Gift of Lucky Starr, 2004.
In 1960, Starr hosted Six O’Clock Rock in Johnny O’Keefe’s absence. His biggest hit was the tongue-twister ‘I’ve Been Everywhere’. His word-perfect rendition was a surprise highlight of the Long Way to the Top concert tour in 2002.
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Australian Woman's Weekly 1964
Australian Woman's Weekly 1965
Australian Woman's Weekly 1965
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