Gavin Wood's Podcast

On this episode of Gavin Wood’s Countdown podcast, Gavin catches up with Australian record company legend – Bill Duff.

With a career spanning decades, Bill Duff is a true icon of the Australian music industry. His contributions to record companies and artist development have left an indelible mark on the landscape of Australian music. Bill worked behind the scenes with major artists, helping to shape the careers of some of the most successful musicians in the country and abroad, including Elton John, Cat Stevens, and Skyhooks.

From discovering new talent to managing the intricacies of the recording business, Bill’s influence has been felt far and wide. His passion for music and dedication to nurturing home-grown talent has made him a beloved figure within the industry, and his insights continue to resonate with both artists and executives.

Listen to the podcast now to hear Gavin and Bill’s chat about his incredible journey through the highs and lows of the music business:

Boyzlife, the musical supergroup formed by Brian McFadden of Westlife and Keith Duffy of Boyzone, are thrilled to announce their upcoming tour to Australia and New Zealand in 2025.

Brian Nicholas McFadden (born 12 April 1980) is an Irish pop singer and television presenter. He rose to fame in 1998 as a member of the Irish boy band Westlife. Following his departure from the group in 2004, McFadden released his debut solo album, Irish Son. He has since released four studio albums: Set in Stone, Wall of Soundz, The Irish Connection, and Otis.

Keith Peter Thomas Francis Julian John Duffy (born 1 October 1974) is an Irish singer, actor, radio and television presenter and drummer who began his professional music career as part of Irish boy band Boyzone alongside Ronan Keating, Mikey Graham, Shane Lynch and Stephen Gately in 1993. The band decided to focus on solo projects in 2000 since which Duffy has taken acting roles in soap operas such as Coronation Street and Fair City. He has also presented The Box and You're a Star.

Duffy has been an autism awareness campaigner since his daughter was diagnosed with the condition at age 18 months, and acts as the patron for Irish Autism Action holding regular fundraising events and informational talks.

Duffy was the winner on the British reality series The Door in 2010 and came third in the first series of Celebrity Big Brother in 2001, and in the second series of Splash! in 2014

Melissa Morrison Higgins (born 19 August 1983), stage name Missy Higgins, is an Australian singer-songwriter and musician. Her Australian number-one albums are The Sound of White (2004), On a Clear Night (2007) and The Ol' Razzle Dazzle (2012), and her singles include "Scar", "Steer" and "Where I Stood". Higgins was nominated for five ARIA Music Awards in 2004 and won 'Best Pop Release' for "Scar". In 2005, she was nominated for seven more awards and won five. Higgins won her seventh ARIA in 2007. Her third album, The Ol' Razzle Dazzle, was released in Australia in June 2012 (July 2012 in the US). As of August 2014, Higgins's first three studio albums had sold over one million units.[1]

Higgins's fourth studio album, Oz, was released in September 2014 and consists of cover versions of Australian composers, as well as a book of related essays.

Alongside her music career, Higgins pursues interests in animal rights and the environment, endeavouring to make her tours carbon neutral. In 2010 she made her acting debut in the feature film Bran Nue Dae and also performed on its soundtrack.

Darren Stanley Hayes (born 8 May 1972) is an Australian singer, songwriter, music producer and composer. He was the frontman and singer of the pop duo Savage Garden until their disbandment. Their 1997 album Savage Garden peaked at number 1 in Australia, number 2 in the United Kingdom and number 3 in the United States. It spawned the singles "I Want You", "To the Moon and Back", and Australian and US number 1 "Truly Madly Deeply". The duo followed the success of their debut album with Affirmation (1999), which provided additional hits such as Australian and US number 1 "I Knew I Loved You", and Australian number 3 "The Animal Song". Savage Garden parted ways in 2001.

Hayes released his first solo album Spin in 2002. The album sold two million copies worldwide, debuted at Number 2 in the UK and number 3 in Australia. It delivered the hit single "Insatiable". Hayes's second album, The Tension and the Spark, preceded by single "Pop!ular", was released in 2004. Hayes parted ways with his record label Columbia Records in 2006 and started his own independent record label, Powdered Sugar, from which he would release his third and fourth solo albums, 2007's double-album This Delicate Thing We've Made and 2011's Secret Codes and Battleships. After a decade-long hiatus, Hayes returned in 2022 with his fifth studio album; Homosexual, which was released in October 2022, spawned the singles "Let's Try Being in Love", "Do You Remember?", "Poison Blood", "All You Pretty Things" and "Feels Like It's Over". Hayes' autobiography is due for publication by Penguin Books in 2024.

In 1970, Brewster, with his brother Rick Brewster and Doc Neeson, formed Moonshine Jug & String Band in Adelaide, the band evolved into The Keystone Angels in 1973 An appearance at the 1975 Sunbury Pop Festival, resulted in touring with AC/DC, and with Chuck Berry as his backing band. By the end of 1975 they become The Angels. Other members included Chris Bailey on bass guitar. Brewster left the band and joined The Party Boys in February 1986. He remained with The Party Boys until mid-1989, before teaming up with his friend, Alan Lancaster to form The Bombers.

Marty Rhone was born as Karel (or Karl) Lawrence van Rhoon on 7 May 1948 in the Dutch East Indies  (Indonesia) His father was Eddy Emile van Rhoon, his mother was Judith Olive.  She was a singer and actress, who met Eddy through the Sydney jazz scene; he was a visiting pianist.   The couple married in 1947, and migrated to Australia on 21 April 1950 and briefly lived in Sydney and Brisbane, and then moved to Darwin.  

Rhone was taught piano by his father but he preferred singing. In August 1959, aged 11, he first performed publicly at Darwin's Mitchell Street Town Hall in Around the World in 80 Minutes – a charity variety concert – alongside his father on piano and his mother. After he finished primary school, the family moved to Sydney.

In mid-1961, Rhone appeared on a talent quest segment of ATN7-TV series, Tarax Show, and was offered a singing spot on a children's show, 

During 1966 Marty Rhone and The Soul Agents supported The Rolling Stones on the United Kingdom rock group's tour of Australia. They also performed on the bill of the P.J. Proby Show at the Sydney Stadium with Wayne Fontana, Eden Kane and The Bee Gees appearing.  Rhone moved to Melbourne and issued five singles on Spin Records but had "limited success".

In March 1970, Rhone was conscripted for National Service until 1972. During his service he attended the Royal Military College, Duntroon, as a member of their band, for 18 months.

From April 1972 to July 1973 he acted in the Australian stage version of Godspell at The Richbrooke, Sydney with Rod Dunbar, Peita Toppano and John Waters. The Australian cast soundtrack album was issued as Godspell: a Musical Based on the Gospel According to St. Matthew on His Master's Voice. He attended the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and in July 1973 he released a new single, "Goodbye in May". He composed the music for Ruzzante Returns from the Wars, which starred Ivar Kants  Rhone followed with appearances on TV soap operas, Number 96 (1974) and Class of '75 (1975).

By mid-1975 Rhone had signed with M7 Records and issued his next single, "Denim and Lace", which peaked at No. 8 on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart. It was promoted on the Class of '75 soundtrack album. It was co-written by L Lister (aka Jack Aranda) and F Lyons (aka Shad Lyons). Lister and Lyons also produced Rhone's debut album, Denim and Lace, recording at Alberts Studio 139. At the end of the year "Denim and Lace" was the second highest selling single in Australia. His next single, "Star Song", reached the Top 50, the next two were less successful, while the last one for the year, "On the Loose" reached the Top 40. Of the four singles, "On the Loose (Again)" – co-written by Bryan Dawe and Steve Groves (ex-Tin Tin)– was used by Rhone to win the 1976 Australian Popular Song Festival and represented Australia at the World Popular Song Festival.  In June 1977 he had another hit with "Mean Pair of Jeans", which reached No. 10. In July 1978 Rhone relocated to London. In June 1979, Rhone took the role of Lun Tha in the London Palladium presentation of The King and I alongside Yul Brynner and Virginia McKenna. By September 1981 he had returned to Sydney.

In 1987 Rhone became a business manager for a trio of brothers, the Australian boxers: Dean, Guy and Troy Waters. In December 1988 Rhone organised the "Battle on the Beach" for January 1989 with Dean Waters, as Australian heavyweight champion, to fight New Zealand's title holder.

In 2007, Rhone  performed a repertoire of tracks by Cliff Richard; a gig at the Crown Casino, Melbourne, in late 2008 it was filmed and broadcast in February the next year as Marty Rhone: A Tribute to Cliff Richard and The Shadows.  In May 2011 on the Cliff & Dusty presentation he performed with Sheena Crouch as UK pop singer Dusty Springfield and in June 2012 with his own "musical theatre fantasy" covering Richard's and The Beatles' material in Cliff Joins The Beatles.

In August 2016, Rhone released 50th Anniversary Album, a career spanning compilation album.