Some Major Achievements
Sydney Stadium September 1959
LONNIE LEE – SOME ACHIEVEMENTS JUNE 2024 1197 Words
On Sept 18 1940 a little babe was born to David and Nancy from a sheep station in Rowena in the far outback of NSW. They could never have imagined that years later, Australia would celebrating his 80th birthday as one of Australia’s true music legends for over 60 years..
He got his first break at 15 year old, in 1956 on radio 2UW Amateur Hour and then a few months later at the Trocadero, became Australia’s first Elvis Presley. He then started what some say, was the first Rockabilly combo in Australia.
In 1957, he was the first Rock’n’Roll singer to appear on TV’s Sydney Tonight at ATN7 the in 1959 became a regular on the ABC’s Six O’Clock Rock TV Show. He was publicly voted the most popular star on that show, even over his friend and compere Johnny O’Keefe and was voted second most popular star on TCN9’s Bandstand.
His barage of major national hits is legendary, from the song he wrote with Johnny O’Keefe in 1959, ‘Ain’t it so’ to ‘Starlight Starbright’, ‘I found a new love’, ‘Defenceless’, ‘When the Bells stop ringing and many more top 10 hits.
In late 1961, he was awarded the most coveted award, ‘The Golden Microphone’ as Australia’s most popular record star.
Here are just some of his achievements..
1956 Australia’s Amateur Hour doing Johnnie Ray impersonation – Came 2nd
1957 Feb – Became Australia’s ELVIS, then Sydney’s ELVIS did 1st TV show, ‘Sydney Tonight’
1957 ‘Sunday Sun’ feature 1st local rock star story – Feb Started the first Rockabilly Band.
1959-First of 8 Top Hits start with ‘Ain’t it So” written by Lonnie & J.OK.
1959 With Johnny O’Keefe, takes 1st Rock’n’Roll tours through Australia.
1960-ABC Public vote Most Popular Star on TV’s 6 O’Clock Rock. – Non stop National hits
1961- Public vote 2nd most popular star on TV’s Bandstand
1961- Won Golden Microphone Award as Australia’s Most Popular Star
1962- Press Award “Australia’s Most Consistent Hit Parader
1959-1970-8 No 1 Hit Records – 5 Gold Records many Albums
Concert tours with every major US superstar of the era, Everly Bros, Johnny Cash, Crash Craddock, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ricky Nelson, Bobby Rydell etc..
More hits in Australia than Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry etc.
1st to have an Australian Stereo LP in 1964
1st to have a full colour LP album cover in Australia 1960
1st artist to record a Bee Gee song, 1960 “I’d like to leave”
1st Australian to top NZ parades and successfully tour New Zealand 1962- 1965 -1969
1960’s Wrote & produced for many Australian stars of Leedon and Sunshine Records
1960’s Tours of England, Europe, Pacific, Central America, USA.
1970’s Living in Nashville for 9yrs – wrote for and with Roy Orbison and other stars.
1970’s-80’s. Owned record label & promo company in Nashville & Las Vegas.
1970s-80s Lived in Las Vegas total 4 yrs performing with own music companies.
1970’s Performed and had own shows with major stars touring across USA
1972 Hollywood, producer and GM for Mickey Stevenson writer of ‘Dancin’ in the Street’.
1980 was made an ‘Honourary Delegate to the USA House of Representatives’ Tennessee
1983 Las Vegas was a founder Director of the American Society of Country Music
1994 Created ‘Australia’s Newest Stars’ LP series to help new Australian talent
1998 and 99 was awarded by Australia Post, ‘Best Performing Nostalgia Artist’ .
2001 was awarded Australia Post, ‘Best Nostalgia Act’
1980’s Re-introduced Nostalgia Rock’n’Roll back into Australia with Fabian tour and Lonnie Lee’s ‘Rock’n’Remember Show’ live plus own program weekly on radio 2GLF FM.
1980’s Took new young singing talent on NSW tours
ABC TV Anniversary representing pop music on TV. Picture now in ABC lobby.
Ausmusic Melbourne launch, chosen to represent the first Australian Rock Stars.
One of the most featured stars at Powerhouse Museum’s “Real Wild Child” exhibit.
Major attraction at Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne and major provincial events.
For 3 years, had the major show at Darling Harbour, ‘Australia Day’, celebrations
Still tours theatres, clubs, casino’s, outdoor events and corporate shows. Across Oz.
Since 1989 he has released 32 albums, 8 DVDs, 2 books and other merchandise
2001 One of the most popular stars on, the ‘Long Way to the Top’ tour and TV
2024 Inducted into Hands of Fame Tamworth.
Recent and Now
One of the major stars of NSW Premiers Concert to 32,000 people January 2019.
Each year a Victorian Government Seniors tour and since Covid-19, 2020 Live Stream event.
2020 Released album ‘Back to Base X’ songs he wrote and by other leading writers
got 4 star review in SMH and by reviewers around the world.
In 2022 released his first Christmas album of popular and his own songs..
During Covid-19 lockdown in March, 4 times a day, every week, he streamed past live shows and interviews to, YouTube, Facebook, Mix, Twitch and MobCrush.
Nearly every week he is interviewed by radio stations somewhere across Australia.
Like other artists, because of Government Lockdowns his live shows were cancelled for 2020 and 21
Currently he is writing his autobiography and preparing follow ups for his Photo, Letter and Poster Memory books. His large coffee table photo book features 700 photos and is a best seller.
Live Shows
Lonnie Lee is unique – one of a kind – his music style, his vocal style and energy levels are all very different to his peers. Both Johnny O’Keefe and Brian Henderson are on record saying Lonnie had the best voice of his era and with Johnny Farhnam the best record voice in Australia.
His solo show today, reflects his past record success in a unique, high energy audio-visual presentation incorporating many personal favourite songs, his own hits, and tributes to his friends and peers.His shows are either 2 hours or 90 minutes and they feature 40 plus songs.
In 2022 he created and produced his solo theatre show ‘1959’ which is currently touring theatres and major clubs across Australia.
He performs most music festivals and is in his 18th years at the Tamworth Festival.
Business Interests
Solar Expo
In the 1970s and 80’s he lived in Hollywood, Las Vegas and Nashville, writing with Roy Orbison and for many other stars and in 1980 became an Honorary Delegate to the American House of Representatives from Tennessee Congressman Bill Boner.
In Nashville in, 1980, he created and promoted the first American environmental expo with his, ‘Living in the 80’s’, where solar, holograms and many other cutting edge ideas were first publicly exposed in an expo by major corporations.
Computers
Before Apple and Microsoft desktop computers came into being Lonnie became interested and involved with Main Frame computers and he started the first computerised record promotion service in USA and this led to him to writing many computer programs for the entertainment, auto and other businesses.
In the mid 1980’s he started possibly Australia’s first Internet business directory with his ‘Sydney Internet Directory’ and still today his company, ‘SydneyBiz’, hosts many businesses online.
Promoted major tours for these stars
In the 1970’s he helped promote tours for these stars. Ray Charles, Tom T. Hall, The Hollies, Gene Pitney, The Diamonds, Roy Orbison, others.