Mike Jackson (Australian entertainer)

For other persons of the same or similar name, see Michael Jackson (disambiguation).
Mike Jackson
Born (1946-11-23) 23 November 1946
Fishtoft, Lincolnshire, England
Origin Melbourne, Australia
Occupation(s) Children’s Entertainer, Recording Artist, Songwriter, Radio Show Host
Instruments Anglo concertina; Autoharp; Bandoneon; Bodhran; Bones; Hammered Dulcimer; Harmonica; Hurdy-gurdy; Jaw Harp; Kazoo; Melodeon; Mountain Dulcimer; Ocarina; Spoons; Ukulele; Vocals
Years active 1971–present
Associated acts Mike and Michelle Jackson, Colonial Experience, Pageant, The Higgins Municipal Bush Band, Mike Jackson and Peter Hayes, Mike Jackson and Thom Jackson
Website www.mikejackson.com.au

Mike Jackson OAM is an Australian children's entertainer, recording artist, songwriter, radio show host, and author. He is perhaps best known for his version of Bananas In Pyjamas and appearances on ABC Television.

History

Early Years

Melbourne-based Mike Jackson (born in Fishtoft, nearBoston, Lincolnshire, UK) immigrated to Australia in 1970 as an assisted migrant with wife, Lynn on board the P & O ship, SS Himalaya.

The pair settled in the Sydney suburb of Mosman and there, at the Elizabeth Hotel Folk Club in the centre of town they rediscovered the folk music Mike had grown up with through his Grandfather’s singing and playing.

Having taught himself harmonica in high school and acquired a taste for comic songs from his grandfather and the radio, he branched out onto other instruments and acquired a reputation for being able to get a tune out of almost anything.

1972

In 1972 the pair moved from Sydney to Canberra with Mike’s work as a salesman and their interest in folk music grew as Mike began regularly playing at sessions and singing and playing at Folk Clubs. This was the same year Mike Jackson performed his first professional gig at The Dan O’Connell Hotel in Melbourne suburb of Carlton.

1973

Mike Jackson began hosting and presenting the radio programme, The Lark in the Morning on Canberra public radio station 2XX FM, a programme which continues to run to this day. During this time he founded Pageant.

1974

1974 was the year Mike Jackson cemented his status as a recording artist and regular Radio Show Host. He performed his first solo Main Stage Concert performance at a National Folk Festival,[1] performed as a backing musician on the Larrikin Records album Man of the Earth, and Pageant released an eponymous album of unaccompanied harmony songs.

1975

Mike Jackson founded The Higgins Municipal Bush Band, which consisted of three of Pageant’s members. Often, concert, dances and festivals would feature both solo performances by the band members plus items by the two bands.

1976

Pageant gave its last performance at that the 1976 National Folk Festival. Using the advice from mentor Alex Hood, an Art’s Council Grant to tour 13 regional schools and a full diary of bookings, Mike Jackson resigned his position as Area Sales Manager and became a full-time professional musician/entertainer.

1979

In 1979, Mike Jackson met Michelle Freeman on stage at the Kapunda Celtic Music Festival and they soon married.[2] From there they toured Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the U.S. almost non-stop for 7 years as Mike and Michelle Jackson. During this time, Mike and Michelle Jackson featured in a national TV Show (Playmates on ABC Television),[3] created three songbooks, co-wrote an instruction book for string figure novices and recorded ten albums, with their second, Playmates going Platinum and the rest of their first four kids' disks going 'Gold' in Australia.[4] They had two North American releases, Bunyips, Bunnies and Brumbies and Playmates, which were released in Canada on Sharon, Lois and Bram's Elephant Records label, distributed by A&M Records. In 1986 the pair went their separate ways.

1980

During 1980, whilst looking for Australian songs for their first album for kids, Mike Jackson wrote his first song The Bondi Tram. It was written on a paper tray mat at 2am in a cold motel room in the Sydney suburb of Miranda. 1980 was also the year that, inspired by British album The Funny Family, Mike and Michelle Jackson recorded their first children's album Bunyips, Bunnies and Brumbies, an album which went Gold.

1993

Finalist ARIA Award for Best Children's Album.

2013

Received 2013 National Folk Festival, Lifetime Achievement Award

Festival Director, Sebastian Flynn read out this preamble before presenting the award to Mike Jackson: "The most recently established award is the National Folk Festival Lifetime Achievement Award. It is awarded to an artist of long-standing for his or her lifetime contribution to enriching the culture of folk music and arts in Australia, together with an ongoing contribution to the National Folk Festival. The inaugural recipient in 2013 is a worthy awardee on both of these counts and has also been a unique example in nurturing the talents and enthusiasm for folk music in young people over many years. He has travelled the length and breadth of Australia as well as being a wonderful ambassador for Australian folk music during his extensive travels overseas. He is said to have played ‘live’ to more children than the Wiggles and is a generous performer who connects with people of all ages and walks of life."

2015 Australia Day Honours

Presented with Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the general division[5]

The citation read: Mr Mike Jackson, 17 Rayleigh Avenue, Queenscliff VIC 3225. For service to the performing arts as a musician, composer and entertainer.

Groups/Bands including Mike Jackson

Colonial Experience

In early 1973 Mike joined the Monaro Folk Music Society's Bush Dance Band Colonial Experience. At that time, there was a huge upsurge in interest in traditional folk dance in Australia so the band was kept very busy playing for Woolshed dances, weddings, etc. They never recorded but did have the distinction of being chosen as one of the bands to test the acoustics of the Concert Hall in the Sydney Opera House before it was officially opened

Pageant

Mike founded the 6-piece a cappella group Pageant in Canberra, Australia late in 1973, with their first performance at the Wagga Wagga Folk Festival. Originally formed to sing Christmas carols, Pageant rapidly expanded to singing songs gathered from and inspired by English bands like Steeleye Span, The Watersons, The Copper Family and others. Pageant recorded one self-titled album (Pageant) in 1975 and played numerous festivals before disbanding after their last performance at the 1976 Australian National Folk Festival.

The Higgins Municipal Bush Band

Mike Jackson’s next band, The Higgins Municipal Bush Band, were unusually quick to come together, having formed, chosen a name for themselves and performed on National Television within twenty minutes of their first meeting. As a part of the publicity for the 1975 Australian National Folk Festival, the members of the band had arrived separately at the TV studios to dance for another band. That group failed to show so they hastily grabbed their instruments invented a name and performed as if they'd been together for years. Once formed, the band performed together almost weekly for several years despite living in towns spread across 1000 km (Gosford, NSW; Canberra, ACT; Steiglitz, VIC).

Duos (featuring Mike Jackson)

Musical Instruments Mike Plays

Anglo concertina; Autoharp; Bandoneon; Bodhran; Bones; Hammered Dulcimer; Harmonica; Hurdy-gurdy; Jaw Harp; Kazoo; Melodeon; Mountain Dulcimer; Ocarina; Spoons; Ukulele

Other performance skills

String games; Juggling; Storytelling; Poetry

Discography

Albums

Bibliography

Books and Book & CD Kits

Movies/Television

Movies

TV

ABC TV
Channel 9

Video

Notes

  1. ↑ National Library of Trust http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/33666060?q&versionId=41401984
  2. ↑ https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1301&dat=19801106&id=Rf9jAAAAIBAJ&sjid=N-cDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4141,2336805&hl=en
  3. ↑ The Sydney Morning Herald Mar 26, 1984 The Guide - page 7
  4. ↑ Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Accredited Awards - April 1993 Playmates ARIA accredited Platinum Disk, May 1993 Bunyips Bunnies and Brumbies ARIA accredited Gold Disk, January 1995 Dances for Little Kids ARIA accredited Gold Disk, November 2007 Ain't it Great to be Crazy ARIA Accredited Gold Disk
  5. ↑ Derkley, Evahn. "Australia Day 2015 Honours List". www.gg.gov.au. Retrieved 2015-12-23.
  6. ↑ Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120756/

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/1/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.