POLOKWANE – John performed during the ‘Troopiesongs’ production at the Botha Shell Hole Hall on Saturday evening.
John was born, 81 years ago in Rhodesia (now Zambia). During his childhood, John began singing in a choir where he was payed a shilling a Sunday. As a three-yea- old boy, his grandmother gave him a mouth organ which he mastered in half an hour. He also played in a bugle band and won the South African Junior drumming championships at the Royal Scottish gathering at Wembley in 1953.
After school, he joined the Southern Rhodesian Army and during this time he bought his first guitar at a trading post in Congo.
“I did not know how to play, but with help from others who knew, I thought myself. My first band was called the Bushcats Skiffle Group. It was a huge success.”
John later studied computers and moved to South Africa. While he worked, he sang at nightclubs in the evenings where someone heard him singing and offered him a record contract. He concentrated on folk music.
“In 1969 or 1970 I represented South Africa at the World Song festival in Tokyo.”
His songs all tell some story like “I wish I was a blue job” that tells the story of a soldier dreaming of being a pilot, or “Jock of the Bushveld, that tells the story of a dog in the war. He writes his own songs and says that his inspiration are coming from above.
“I also like to tell people’s stories and I’m singing love songs as well as funny songs, about real happenngs.”
John’s wife, Teresa is his best friend, soundman, manager and much more as she also handle all the CD sales and the website. They have four children and six grandchildren.
