Johnny’s first introduction to the entertainment industry was when as a child his father purchased a zither for him from a traveling salesman when they lived on a small property at Mount Pritchard in Western Sydney.
1942 saw Johnny begin singing at youth concerts performing “Swanee River” and “Coming In On A Wing And A Pray” his natural talent even being obvious at this stage. His cousin Gloria was a well known entertainer at Sammy Lee’s and the Roosevelt two of Sydney’s popular night spots in the Forties. Harry Ashcroft’s Dance Band was the resident band at the Savoy in Sydney around the same time.
Johnny’s father was not impressed with the entertainment industry so he insisted that he learn a trade at the same time as he dabbled in entertainment. Starting off as a wool classer he traveled New South Wales and Queensland. During his travels he learnt timber cutting, corn pulling, fencing and other rural practices at the same time singing where ever he could from near the bush camp fire to pubs, talent quests or where ever he could find an audience.
The first Johnny Ashcroft recording contract was with Rodeo Records in Sydney Australia in 1954 (the first of which was produced in May 1956).
1958 saw him record fourteen tracks with the Graeme Bell Orchestra. “They’re A Weird Mob” (penned by George Daisey and based on the book of the same name) which was off this album recorded at Bell Records became his first hit.
In February 1960 at Llangothlin a village just north of Guyra in New South Wales New England Ranges a four year old boy by the name of Stephen Walls was lost in the bush. A group of nearly 5000 people searched for the child making it the largest land and air search’s in Australia’s history. Sydney DJ Tony Withers ask Johnny to collaborate on a song about the incident and he did (Johnny having worked at Kangaroo Flat in the New England Ranges in1946). They did the song and after some disagreements about the title they went with Johnny’s title of “Little Boy Lost”.
Three days later the song was performed by Johnny for Jack Argent at Leeds Music who immediately took Johnny to Ron Wills at EMI and the song was released in a week making a new mark in our history for the speed at which it had been composed, arranged, recorded and marketed. “Little Boy Lost” was a major hit in Australia while at the same time being released in the USA, UK and South Africa. “Little Boy Lost” going on to become an Australian Classic. Johnny cut another ten tracks with EMI in 1960 including a re-release of “Fisher’s Ghost”.
“The Girl Behind The Bar” was a very successful hit in 1962. He followed it with the album of true Bushranger Songs “They All Died Game” that he was requested to do by the Paul Hamlyn Group. The album was later re-released as “Johnny Ashcroft Country” on EMI.
Gay Kayler joins the Johnny Ashcroft Show in 1972 and goes on to become Johnny’s duo partner.
“Play Ground In My Mind” was a top ten hit in 1973, it was followed with “Holy Joe, The Salvo” in 1975 which was later used as the theme song for the first Salvation Army Red Shield Appeal.
1977 saw Johnny Ashcroft inducted into the Australasian Country Music Hands of Fame.
Johnny Ashcroft was named Best Male Country Entertainer at the Mo Awards on February 14th 1980. (Johnny and his duo partner Gay Kayler were nominated for best country group at the Mo’s several times).
Johnny Ashcroft was inducted into the Australasian Country Music Roll of Renown in 1986.
Johnny Ashcroft was one of Australia’s best country music pioneers as it was the Johnny Ashcroft Show that managed to break into the metropolitan entertainment circuit and create a demand that allowed other country music bands and shows to follow in its wake.
