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John Michael O'Keefe, known as Johnny O'Keefe (19 January 1935 – 6 October 1978), was an Australian rock and roll singer whose career began in the 1950s. Some of his hits include "Wild One" (1958), "Shout!" and "She's My Baby". In his twenty-year career, O'Keefe released over fifty singles, 50 EPs and 100 albums. Often referred to by his initials "J.O.K." or by his nickname "The Wild One", O'Keefe was the first Australian rock 'n' roll performer to tour the United States, and the first Australian artist to make the local Top 40 charts. and He had twenty-nine Top 40 hits in Australia between 1959 and 1974. Johnny O'Keefe was the younger brother of Australian jurist Barry O'Keefe (a former head of the New South Wales ICAC). His father, Alderman Ray O'Keefe, was Mayor of Waverley Council in the early 1960s.〔(Welcome to Waverley Library )〕 Through Barry, Johnny O'Keefe is the uncle of Australian TV personality Andrew O'Keefe "She's My Baby" was added to the National Film and Sound Archive's Sounds of Australia registry in 2007. ==Early life== O'Keefe was born in the eastern Sydney suburb of Bondi Junction on 19 January 1935. He was the second of three children of Raymond Moran O'Keefe and Thelma Edna Kennedy. He was raised as a Catholic and attended the local Catholic primary school, followed by secondary schooling at Waverley College in nearby Waverley.〔(Family history )〕 Johnny had a solid musical background and listened to the radio almost constantly at home although he did not often sing around the house.〔Damian Johnstone, 2001; ''The Wild One: The Life and Times of Johnny O'Keefe'' (Allen & Unwin, Sydney), p.6〕 His parents were both good singers. His mother was an excellent pianist〔Johnstone, p.2〕 and his father occasionally played in a jazz band. O'Keefe made his stage debut at the age of four when he played the role of 'Dopey' in the Waverley College production of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs".〔Johnstone, 2001, p.3〕 Being unable to read or memorise the script, the young O'Keefe improvised his part.〔(Johnny O'Keefe - Nostalgia Central )〕 The young O'Keefe was intelligent and perceptive, with a great sense of humour, although his school grades fluctuated due to his misbehaviour and the fact that he was easily distracted; Sydney radio personality Gary O'Callaghan,〔()〕 who was a classmate, later recalled that O'Keefe was often in trouble.〔Johnstone, p.4〕 During his time at high school Johnny joined the school cadets, where he made good progress learning trumpet,〔Johnstone, p.3〕 and he (reluctantly) sang solo in the school choir. He was also a keen swimmer, surfer and sailor and often sailed with the Vaucluse Juniors sailing club. He matriculated in 1951, gaining an 'A' in French and a 'B' in English, mathematics, physics and economics.〔Johnstone, p.7〕 In 1952 he enrolled in a part-time economics degrees course at the University of Sydney, but soon abandoned it and enrolled in a short course at the College of Retailing in Sydney, after which he went to work in his father's furniture store in Pitt Street, Sydney.〔 He had already begun performing at dances and 'socials' while at high school, but his interest in music blossomed after he left school. A strong early musical influence was the American singer Johnnie Ray, who toured Australia to great acclaim in the 1950s and O'Keefe began his singing career as a Ray impersonator.〔(Australian Dictionary of Biography, online edition )〕 During this period he met and became good friends with Alan Dale, also an aspiring singer, who was then employed at the O'Keefe's furniture business. In December 1952 Dale and O'Keefe were called up for National Service. Dale went into the Army and O'Keefe went into the RAAF. Johnny was stationed at Richmond in western Sydney, and served his six-month period in two blocks, from December–February 1952 and December–February 1953.〔Johnstone, p.8〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Johnny O'Keefe」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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