LOVERS of classic rock 'n' roll are in for a treat, with community radio station 2RRR set to broadcast an interview with Col Joye.
The Ryde-Hunters Hill based station will present a three-part interview with the Australian singer, songwriter, musician and front man of the Joy Boys over the next three weeks.
Rising to stardom in the late 1950s, Col was the first Australian rock 'n' roll singer to have a number one record.
He enjoyed a string of hits on the local and national singles charts, starting with his third single Bye Bye Baby, which reached number three in 1959.
This was followed by Rockin Rollin Clementine, which also peaked at number three. His fifth single, Oh Yeah Uh Huh, reached number one and became his biggest hit.
Col was an original member of the hugely popular TV show Bandstand and remained a mainstay for 14 years, touring with a number of other regular acts.
Waning popularity and resurgence
He entered a career lull around the time of the British music invasion, but enjoyed a strong resurgence when his hit My Woman's Love was released in 1973.
He went on to produce a string of other chart successes and has enjoyed a career spanning more than 60 years.
Col embraced a number of other musical styles, including easy listening and country.
He and his brother Kevin also built an influential entertainment management, publishing and recording business, playing a big role in developing Australian artists, including the Bee Gees.
The interview
In the first of the three interviews, Col talks about growing up in Sydney in the 1940s and his first public performances.
He also talks about being offered a recording contract with Festival Records, his first recordings and hits, and the need to be inventive with musical instruments in a small studio.
During week two, Col talks about Bandstand, performances for Lee Gordon's Big Shows at the Sydney stadium and some of the American stars he met.
In the final instalment, he talks in more detail about The Joy Boys, developing different musical styles and managing other artists.
The interviews will feature on presenter Brian Crabbe's popular There Goes That Song Again program. You'll find the station at 88.5 on the FM band. The one-hour interviews will be aired at 2pm on Tuesdays starting on September 22.
They will also be repeated at 10am on Fridays. Those living outside the station's circulation area can listen on the station's website, with the first part to be uploaded on September 25.
For more information, or to listen to digital broadcasts, click here.