1927–1953: Early personal and show business background edit

As a child growing up during the Great Depression in Australia, Ashcroft lived in a bag shack with a dirt floor. An interest in Indigenous cultures, in particular Australian Aboriginal culture, was possibly influenced by these humble beginnings. (See The Imagine That! Australiana Show example in Production Shows below.)

During World War II, Ashcroft began his career by playing guitar and singing mainly bush ballads. Ashcroft's first recording took place in 1946. It was "When I Waltzed My Matilda Away", and was distributed solely for radio airplay.^[2]

In the mid-1940s he traveled with vaudeville shows. While working in The Great Levante Show, he learned about show business traditions and the psychology of live performing from the Great Levante (Les Cole) and one of Australia's greatest vaudevillian comics, Bobby Lebrun. Bobby Lebrun Mo Fellowship Award

1954–1972: Early recordings edit

In 1954, Ashcroft laid down his first commercial recordings, six 78rpm sides for Rodeo Records.^[3] This was followed by his debut album Songs of the Western Trail in 1956, which was Australia's and New Zealand's first country and western vinyl microgroove album. It contained Highway 31, Australia's and New Zealand's first trucking song.^[4]

Ashcroft was the first Australian country artist to appear on Australian TV. In 1956, as the Australian Broadcasting Commission began transmitting from its tiny Arcon Studio at Gore Hill, Sydney, Johnny wrote and sang the show's title theme, Crazy Cross. He also performed in the show, which was set in Sydney's King's Cross, with actor Gordon Chater serving as its anchorman. Pre-television Tests and Australia's First C&W Television Performer

In 1957, Ashcroft recorded Gordon Parsons's, A Pub with No Beer with Graeme Bell.^[5] This 45rpm was also released in the US and during a beer strike in Canada. It was not only available on vinyl but anecdotally sold 110,000 copies in Australia, on plastic-coated cardboard records.^[6]

They're a Weird Mob, recorded in late 1958, also included the doyens of Australian jazz: Graeme Bell, Don Burrows, John Sangster, George Thompson, Ron Falson together with Noel Smith from the Royal Ballet Orchestra. This skiffle song became Ashcroft's first hit single.^[7]

Although the term had not yet been coined, Ashcroft's 1960 song, Little Boy Lost, was Australia's first country-rock song.

Again, it was arranged and recorded by jazzmen, including guitarist George Golla. This song, written by Ashcroft from DJ Tony Withers's idea, tells the story of Steven Walls who became lost from his parents' property at Tubbamurra near Guyra, NSW. Five thousand people and seven aircraft, together with Aboriginal tracker William Stanley, searched the rugged bush country, which was rife with dingos and deadly snakes. He was found alive and well four days later. The search for the Little Boy Lost continues to be Australia's biggest land and air search.^[8]

At the height of Little Boy Lost's success, Ashcroft withdrew his recording from airplay out of consideration for the family of 8-year old Graeme Thorne, the victim of Australia's first kidnapping.^[9]

Little Boy Lost was Australia's first 45rpm Gold Record, and New Zealand's first Gold Record.^[10] The painting, Little Boy Lost by Sir Sidney Nolan, hangs in the Broken Hill Regional Art Gallery. Accession No. 1984.0001

His album Mostly Folk, recorded in the mid-1960s, was re-released under the title, Little Boy Lost and went Gold. Mostly Folk, Cat. No.: Columbia 330SX 7734, and Little Boy Lost, Cat. No.: Columbia OEX 9511 are identical

The Little Boy Lost movie had its world premiere on 16 November 1978 at Armidale in the New England region of NSW. Johnny Ashcroft recorded a new version of Little Boy Lost with Gay Kayler, which was played at the end. They also recorded the voices on the movie sound track. Ashcroft made a fleeting cameo appearance as one of the exhausted searchers by the camp fire.

Johnny Ashcroft was the first country artist in Australia to have Gold Records presented on stage, when three were bestowed simultaneously before a live audience in Tamworth, in 1971.

During the ceremony, Ashcroft suggested that Tamworth might consider annual country music record-award presentations in that city. Consequently, two years later, in 1973, Tamworth began promoting itself as Australia's Country Music Capital. With Golden Guitars designed by John Minson, Tamworth had started its journey to eventually become recognised as one of the world's top ten music festivals (2002). History of Country Music in Australia

1973–1990: Continued success edit

In 1973, Johnny Ashcroft and Gay Kayler (Kahler) commenced working together, and recorded their Faces Of Love album. Each featured in solo performances and duets.

That same year, Ashcroft recorded his fourth hit – an American pop song, Clint Holmes's Playground In My Mind, which made No. 1 on general charts.

In January 1974, Johnny and Gay performed at the Sydney Opera House, four months after its opening, when they topped the bill in the first all-Australian country music show, as part of the Australian Festival of Performing Arts. Eight weeks later they starred in the Australian Variety Show, again in the main Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House. Both shows were markedly different. They appeared eight times in this iconic venue.Official website of Johnny Ashcroft & Gay Kayler

Ashcroft's 1975 song, Holy Joe the Salvo, became the Salvation Army's 1975 Red Shield Appeal Song. Its popularity was responsible for the Sallys becoming known as the Salvos.^[11]

Also in 1975, Johnny Ashcroft wrote Australia's first female trucking song, My Home-Coming Trucker's Coming Home, for Gay Kayler to record. It became a country hit, which was also programmed into general airplay. More information

Johnny's 1978 LP And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda, included a faithful cover-reproduction of Fredrick McCubbin's 1889 painting, Down On His Luck.

In another departure from modern country music, Ashcroft appeared on the album, A Time for Change, as his disco-singing alter ego, the Baron. The album also featured Gay Kayler, Ashcroft's partner (and wife), as Lady Finflingkington, the Baron's jazz-scatting, eccentric consort.

From this LP, the Baron released Sixteen Tons of Hit the Road Jack, a 12-inch disco single. For album and disco single information

In 1989, the milestone historical album, The Cross of the Five Silver Stars, featuring Johnny Ashcroft, Gay Kayler, Bettybo and their musical director, Rob (Shep) Davis, was a finalist for the Heritage Award in Tamworth's Australasian Country Music Awards. See 'Changing Times'

Production Shows edit

Johnny Ashcroft combined a major part of his career with Australian country music star, Gay Kayler, whom he married in 1981. Although they created a reputation as a show-stopping duo, they still retained their individuality by incorporating solo highlights within their performances.

Their production shows, such as The Imagine That! Australiana Show, Here's To You, Australia!, The Goodtime Gotcha Show and Everything But The Drover's Dog, often included comedy segments with Gay and Johnny as themselves, and also as their alter egos, The Baron and Lady Finflingkington (The Baron's consort), who sang disco.

Parallel with their adult production shows, Johnny Ashcroft and Gay Kayler spent eleven years presenting Australian history to more than 750,000 school children with songs, stories and visuals in their NSW Education Department accredited shows.

In 2004, Johnny and Gay were adopted into the Gamilaraay Nation by Gamilaraay elder, Centennial Medal holder and United Nations keynote speaker, Barbara Flick, because of their 'ground-breaking' presentations of Australia's First Nations people, both traditional and present day, and for their stance against racism. See "Raising Awareness and Pride in Australia’s Rich History"

Ashcroft died on 19 May 2021, aged 94.^[12]

The Johnny Ashcroft and Gay Kayler Legacy Collection was presented to the Australian Country Music Hall of Fame in Tamworth (Gamilaraay Country) on 28 May 2022, with a Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony.

Nine Hundred and seventy-seven items, plus seventy-nine recordings, a variety of posters and eighteen recorded backgrounds joined their artefacts already in the Museum. Little Boy Lost, the Search, Song, Movie and Beyond (one hundred and three items) was part of this impressive Collection. Tamworth Regional Council news report

Albums (For 78rpms and 45rpms visit https://www.johnnyashcroft.com.au/JA_Discography.htm edit

Johnny Ashcroft was awarded the Medal of the Order Of Australia (OAM) in 1991 for his contribution to the Arts, the entertainment industry and Indigenous social justice.^[13]

In 1995, Ashcroft was appointed a Fellow of the Australian Institute of History and Arts (FAIHA), in recognition of “… his many years work in the field of Australian Performing Arts, whereby he has proved that he is an acknowledged leader….Future generations of Australians will forever be appreciative of this work, which has greatly enriched the archives of our country.”^[14]

Australian Roll of Renown edit

The Australasian Country Music Roll of Renown honours Australian and New Zealander musicians who have shaped the music industry by making a significant and lasting contribution to Country Music. It was inaugurated in 1976, and the inductee is announced at the Country Music Awards of Australia in Tamworth in January. Johnny Ashcroft's plaque states, ‘… The Johnny Ashcroft Show pioneered the breakthrough into the metropolitan registered club circuit. He was influential in establishing country music in this substantial market’.^[15]

Mo Awards edit

The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards (known informally as the Mo Awards), were annual Australian entertainment industry awards. They recognised excellence in on-stage performance and achievements in live entertainment in Australia from 1975 to 2016. Johnny Ashcroft received the first Country Male Entertainer Mo Award in 1979.^[16]

• Official website
• Johnny Ashcroft Facebook
• Gay Kayler
• Australasian Country Music Roll of Renown
• Australasian Country Music – Hands of Fame
• Little Boy Lost listing in No.1 Hits of 1960
• Johnny Ashcroft recordings in National Film & Sound Archive
• Little Boy Lost 1960 hit version in National Film & Sound Archive
• Johnny's Little Boy Lost song with clips from movie on YouTube
• Tamworth Capital News Editorial
• Oral History in National Film & Sound Archive
• Johnny Ashcroft’s suggestion gave birth to the Australasian Country Music Awards
• Kelly Fuller interviews Johnny on 50th Anniversary 7 Feb 2010 on ABC New England North West
• Spencer Howson, ABC Brisbane, interviews Johnny on 50th Anniversary 5 Feb 2010
• Tim Cox, ABC Hobart, blog re Johnny Ashcroft & Gay Kayler and 50th Anniversary 11 Feb 2010
• Johnny Ashcroft discography at Discogs
• Johnny Ashcroft at IMDb