"Digging" with Louis Armstrong and JOK - Leon's Story Part 1

In the early days of Rock 'n' Roll in Australia, Dig Richards & the R'Jays were one of the biggest bands in the land.

With movie-star good looks, Dig was Australia's very first teenage idol, and with his band the R'Jays, they were at the forefront of the Rock 'n' Roll revolution.

They were the first Aussie band to release a full length album through Festival Records and as a live act, they were as popular as any local band. They also appeared on many Lee Gordon Big Shows and more than held their own playing alongside the visiting American superstars.

At a time when the "establishment" was doing it best to stop this new form of music from taking hold, Dig Richards & the R'Jays led the way in spreading the gospel of Rock 'n' Roll. They even had their own TV show on Channel 7 called Teen Time.

I speak with R'Jays drummer Leon Isackson about his amazing musical journey hanging out with the like of The Bee Gees and Louis Armstrong and I also spoke with Dig's brother, Doug and gained some insight into Digs career.

Sadly, Dig died aged just 42-years-old in 1983 , however, his musical legacy lives on.

The Dynamic Hepnotics were one of the coolest bands in the land during the 80's. Their smooth, soulful style saw them stand out on the Aussie pub rock scene.

They topped the charts with the single Soul Kind of Feeling and backed it up with another Top 10 hit, Gotta Be Wrong.

Our special guest is the bands frontman and the songwriter of Soul Kind of Feeling, 'Continental' Robert Susz.

Ayers Rock were the first Mushrooms Records band to sign an international recording deal. And not just with any old 'Mickey Mouse' American record label either - no less than A&M Records run by the legendary Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss

Ayers Rock created some incredible rock jazz soundscapes and they were the first Australian band to tour the American stadium circuit, playing before massive crowds in the years prior to the Aussie onslaught by the likes of LRB, AC/DC, INXS.

Our special guest is Ayers Rock's multi instrumentalist Col Loughnan

This episode is part of our Anzac Day Special. We speak with the legendary singer Normie Rowe.

This episode is part of our Anzac Day Special. We speak with Australian music royalty Col Joye and his experiences touring Vietnam. 

This episode is part of our Anzac Day Special. We take a look at Digby Richards and his tour of Vietnam entertaining the troops.

This episode is part of our Anzac Day Special. We take a look at legendary group The Delltones and their time touring Vietnam entertaining the troops.

This episode is part of our Anzac Day Special and we remember Cathy Wayne, the 19 year old Australian singer who was tragically killed on stage while she was performing for American troops.

Fellow performers Col Joye and Leon Issackson talk about Cathy and that fateful day.

This episode is part of our Anzac Day Special and features The Rajahs, the first Australian band to entertain the Aussie troops during the Vietnam War.

They even filled in for Bob Hope at a New Years Eve gig abroad the 17 storey warship, the USS Kittyhawk before 5000 Americans troops. 

This episode of Awesome Aussie Songs is part of our Anzac Day Special and features another of our pioneer musicians Lucky Starr

We speak with the I've Been Everywhere Man about his time entertaining the troops in Vietnam and his incredible experiences.