Words by Jodie Powell
Having spent much of the past year without performing live, legendary singer John Paul Young is itching to hit the road in 2022.
With a show booked for the Redcliffe Entertainment Centre on March 24, Young is looking forward to being in front of a live audience.
“I’ve just had a small taste of it with the Apia Good Times tour, which we had to put on hold since May,” he says.
Young’s still putting the finishing touches to his JPY 50 Years Young – The Anniversary Tour, but said the first part of the show would be chronological, taking the audience through stories of his early childhood in Glasgow and the family’s move down under, where they landed on Australia Day 1962.
“My Dad didn’t have a lot of faith in the Britain of the 1950s,” Young recalls.
“He couldn’t see much opportunity for the kids and decided to make a leap.
“He was going to go to Canada, but Mum said ‘no, it’s too bloody cold’.”
Young says it was a series of coincidences that led him to record his first hit, Pasadena, with Simon Napier Bell.
Music royalty
“We were in a band called Elmtree and after we finished our sets at gigs we would watch the next band and Pasadena was one of the songs they (Pyramid) used to play.
“They recorded it and the record company didn’t like the result – all of a sudden it was me.”
Still going strong
Young says he never tires of his material because it feels fresh each time he performs.
“There’s so many moods on the stage and sometimes one song will go through two or three different moods.”
He feels blessed to have worked with renowned songwriters Harry Vanda and George Young, who were responsible for many of Young’s hits such as I Hate the Music, Love is in the Air and Yesterday’s Hero.
“I am so lucky to have been part of their success.
“I am very grateful to be doing everything I do.”
JPY 50 Years Young - The Anniversary Tour is at the Redcliffe Entertainment Centre on Thursday, March 24 at 8pm.
Tickets are $65, or $60 concession
redcliffeentertainmentcentre.com.au
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