Editing Johnny Young (section)

==Biography==

===Early life===
Johnny Young was born as Johnny Benjamin de Jong on 12 March 1947 in [[Rotterdam]],<!-- Birth details are verified by a number of sources, see note [A] below. Do not change without better references. --> the Netherlands.<sup id="nbFoot01a" class="reference">[[#noteFoot01a|[A]]]</sup> He was conceived as a result of an affair between his mother, Anna Wilhelmina (20 July 1913 – 29 December 1989) and a musician, Johannes.<ref name="NAADeJong"/><ref name="Aus Story"/><ref name="Money"/> He was raised as the youngest son of Anna and her husband Fokke Jan de Jong (22 March 1914 – 15 July 1989), who was in the [[Royal Dutch East Indies Army|Royal Netherlands East Indies Army]] and served in [[Indonesia]] after World War II.<ref name="NAADeJong"/><ref name="Aus Story"/> His [[half-sibling]]s are Cornellia (born 13 February 1936), Antonia (born 22 August 1937) and Ferdinand (born 13 November 1944).<ref name="NAADeJong"/><ref name="Aus Story"/> Their father was still in Indonesia from December 1946 until September 1948 when Young was one-and-a-half years old.<ref name="Aus Story"/><ref name="NAA DeJong 2"/> The family migrated to Perth, Western Australia, Fokke arrived in July 1953,<ref name="NAA DeJong 2"/> and they settled in the [[Perth Hills]] suburb of [[Kalamunda, Western Australia|Kalamunda]], in the 1950s.<ref name="McF"/> Fokke worked as a welder on industrial projects including the [[Kwinana Oil Refinery]]. His mother was in a choir and inspired his early interest in music.<ref name="Marner"/> On 25 August 1959 Johnny, Ferdinand and Fokke were [[Naturalization|naturalised]] as Australian citizens.<ref name="NAA DeJong 2"/>

Young's mother took him to Saturday morning radio shows for children and he would sing along. He performed solo songs wearing a specially made jacket.<ref name="Money"/> After leaving school, he worked as a trainee disc jockey and started singing at local dances.<ref name="McF"/> From the age of 14, for 18 months he was lead vocalist of the Nomads, later known as the Strangers (not the Melbourne group called [[The Strangers (Australian band)|the Strangers]]),<ref name="McF"/><ref name="Marner"/> which consisted of Young, John Eddy (guitar), Warwick Findlay (drums), Don Prior (bass guitar) and Tony Summers (guitar).<ref name="Strangers"/>

===Pop singer===
At eighteen-years-old, Young was host of [[TVW-7]] Perth television pop music show ''Club Seventeen'' in early 1965.<ref name="McF"/> As Johnny Young & the Strangers he released two singles, "Club Seventeen"/"Oh Johnny, No" and "No Other Love"/"Heigh Ho", both on the 7-Teen label.<ref name="McF"/><ref name="Miles"/> Young then signed with Clarion Records, a Perth-based label run by Martin Clarke.<ref name="McF"/> In an interview Clarke said "We just got together and he said he wanted to make a national hit and branch out, he was very ambitious." Clarke, armed with his recordings of Young, went to Sydney and secured a deal with [[Festival Records]] to have the Clarion label manufactured and distributed throughout Australia.<ref name="Clarke"/>

The following year, 1966, he formed Johnny Young & Kompany, As lead vocalist he was backed by Eddy (guitar), Findlay (drums), Summers (guitar) and Jim Griffiths (bass).<ref name="McF"/> After performing as supporting act to [[the Easybeats]] in early 1966, Young recorded "Step Back", which was co-written by the Easybeats' members [[Stevie Wright (Australian singer)|Stevie Wright]] and [[George Young (rock musician)|George Young]] (no relation).<ref name="McF"/> The single was released in May 1966 as a [[Double A-side|double-A-side]] with his cover version of "Cara-Lyn", originally by [[the Strangeloves]].<ref name="CaraLyn"/> The release peaked at number&nbsp;one on the ''[[Go-Set]]'' National Top&nbsp;40 in November.<ref name="GoSet"/> It was one of the biggest-selling Australian singles of the 1960s, behind [[Normie Rowe]]'s "Que Sera Sera"/"Shakin' All Over". In October, his EP ''Let It Be Me'' went to number&nbsp;four on ''Go-Set'' National Top&nbsp;40.<ref name="GoSet"/>

Johnny Young & Kompany moved to Melbourne in mid-1966. Mick Wade (ex-the Vibrants) joined on guitar and organ.<ref name="McF"/> Young was interviewed by ''Go-Set'' writer, [[Ian Meldrum|Ian "Molly" Meldrum]] for their 13 July issue.<ref name="KentThesis"/> Later that year Young compered the short-lived television pop show ''Too Much'' and in 1967 he hosted ''[[The Go!! Show]]'', following the resignation of [[Ian Turpie]].<ref name="Miles"/> In January the band released covers of the [[Everly Brothers]]' hits "[[When Will I Be Loved (song)|When Will I Be Loved?]]" /"[[Kiss Me Now]]" as another double-A-sided single which peaked at number&nbsp;three.<ref name="GoSet"/> He disbanded Kompany to go solo and supported [[Roy Orbison]], [[The Walker Brothers]], [[The Mixtures]] and [[The Yardbirds]] at the [[Festival Hall, Melbourne]] on [[Australia Day]] (26 January).<ref name="McF"/><ref name="Miles"/> While touring in Brisbane he met [[Barry Gibb]] of the [[Bee Gees]] and provided Gibb with airfare to Sydney for a television spot.<ref name="Miles"/> Another hit for Young was his slower version of the Beatles' song "[[All My Loving]]" which reached number&nbsp;four nationally in May; it later became his [[signature song]].<ref name="GoSet"/><ref name="AllMyLovin"/>

Young won a [[Logie Award|Logie]] for "Best Teenage Personality" in 1967 for his work on ''The Go!! Show''.<ref name="TV Week1967"/> On 9 August ''Go-Set'' published [[Australian pop music awards#1967|its annual pop poll]] and Young was voted third "Most Popular Male" behind [[Ronnie Burns (singer)|Ronnie Burns]] and Rowe.<ref name="KentThesis"/> However, the show was axed by mid-year and he relocated to London where he shared a flat with Gibb. In July, he released "Lady", written by Gibb especially for him, which reached the Top&nbsp;40.<ref name="Miles"/><ref name="GoSet"/> "Craise Finton Kirk", written by Barry and [[Robin Gibb]], was released in August and peaked at number&nbsp;14.<ref name="Miles"/><ref name="GoSet"/> It was followed by "Every Christian Lion Hearted Man Will Show You", written by Barry, Robin and [[Maurice Gibb]], but did not chart.<ref name="Miles"/><ref name="GoSet"/> Young briefly returned to Perth in September and teamed up with drummer Danny Finley (ex-[[MPD Ltd]]), they both flew to London to form Danny's Word with Rob Alexander on guitar and Pete Friedberg on bass guitar. After four weeks rehearsal in London the band played a residency at the Star Club in Hamburg as a precursor to touring Australia. Due to other commitments the band split on return from Germany when Pete Friedberg left to work with other bands including Ainsley Dunbar's Blue Whale and Dusty Springfield. Young returned to Australia in January 1968 with Rod Alexander and recorded "Unconcientious Objector" and his last Top&nbsp;40 single, "It's a Sunny Day".<ref name="McF"/> Subsequent singles did not reach the Top&nbsp;40. Young became a news and gossip writer for ''Go-Set'' from December 1968 to August 1969.<ref name="KentThesis"/>

===Songwriter===
While sharing a flat with Barry Gibb in London in late 1967, Young was encouraged to write songs. Gibb taught him that "there are no rules in song-writing, there is a structure, but what you need to do is find the 'hook', and it could be in the melody, the chorus, the words or even an identifiable riff, and that can be the difference in writing a hit record."<ref name="Marner"/> During 1968, back in Australia, Young wrote "[[The Real Thing (Russell Morris song)|The Real Thing]]" as a reaction against a Coca-Cola jingle, "Coke is the real thing". Young envisaged the song as a low-key acoustic ballad (in the style of the Beatles' "[[Strawberry Fields Forever]]") and he originally intended it for his friend and fellow singer [[Ronnie Burns (singer)|Ronnie Burns]]. Young was practising the song in a dressing room during taping of TV pop music show ''Uptight'' when pop producer and fellow ''Go-Set'' writer [[Ian Meldrum]] heard it. Meldrum (who was also manager for solo singer [[Russell Morris]] (ex-Somebody's Image) was greatly impressed by the song and immediately insisted that Young cut a demo of it for Morris. Under Meldrum's production and with the collaboration of engineer [[John L Sayers|John L. Sayers]] the song was radically transformed into a seven-minute psychedelic epic, with an elaborately edited backing track performed by an all-star band including ex-[[Zoot (band)|Zoot]] guitarist [[Roger Hicks (rock musician)|Roger Hicks]] (who composed the acoustic guitar intro), members of Melbourne band [[The Groop]] and backing vocalist [[Maureen Elkner]]. Reportedly the most expensive single ever recorded in Australia up to that time, it became one of the biggest Australian pop hits of 1969, peaking at number&nbsp;one in May and was number&nbsp;one on ''Go-Set'' Top Records for the Year of 1969, and made Morris an immediate national star.<ref name="GoSetRealThing"/> It was later covered by [[Kylie Minogue]] and by [[Midnight Oil]]. Young's next song for Morris, "The Girl That I Love", was released as a double-A-side with "Part Three into Paper Walls" (another epic extended production co-written by Morris and Young) which reached number&nbsp;one in October.<ref name="Marner"/><ref name="GoSetGirl"/>

TV pop music show, ''Uptight'', was hosted by [[Ross D. Wyllie]] who recorded the Young-penned, "[[The Star (Ross D. Wyllie song)|The Star]]" – it was later covered by [[Herman's Hermits]] as "Here Comes the Star" – which replaced "The Girl That I Love" at number&nbsp;one in November.<ref name="GoSetStar"/><ref name="PopArchiveStar"/> It had been written to describe the loneliness associated with fame in show business.<ref name="Marner"/> Young also wrote and produced hits for Burns including "Smiley", which peaked at number&nbsp;two in February 1970.<ref name="GoSetSmiley"/> It described their mutual friend, Rowe, who had been conscripted to serve in the [[Vietnam War]].<ref name="Miles"/> Rowe recorded his own version on ''Missing in Action'' (2007). Young wrote "I Thank You" for former boxing champion [[Lionel Rose]] which reached number&nbsp;one in March.<ref name="Miles"/><ref name="GoSetThankYou"/> It was used by comedy duo, [[Roy and HG]], for their calls of football grand finals in the 1990s.<ref name="Miles"/> On 11 July 1970, ''Go-Set'' pop poll voted Young as most popular 'Composer' of the year and in 1971 he finished second behind Morris.<ref name="KentThesis"/>

===''Young Talent Time''===
In 1970, Young formed a production company with Kevin Lewis (former [[Festival Records]] executive), Lewis-Young Productions, which developed the pop music television show ''Happening '70'' – hosted by Wyllie and later hosted by Jeff Phillips – for the [[ATV (Australia)|ATV-0]] channel, it was subsequently followed by ''[[Happening '71]]'' and ''Happening '72''. Lewis-Young Productions also developed ''[[Young Talent Time]]'' from April 1971, a children's variety show and talent quest with Young as host. Regular cast members were known as the Young Talent Team, the show was a launching pad for several Australian performers including [[Jamie Redfern]], [[Debra Byrne]], [[Dannii Minogue]] and [[Tina Arena]]. The directors were Garry Dunstan and Terry Higgins. Each episode typically ended with Young and the team singing "[[All My Loving]]" as a lullaby. Young established the Johnny Young Talent School for performance arts in 1979, some of its students became contestants and regulars on ''Young Talent Time''. 2004 ''[[Australian Idol]]'' runner-up [[Anthony Callea]] trained with the school, as did the 2008 winner, Wes Carr.<ref name="Miles"/>

As well as producing the television series, Lewis-Young Productions distributed related merchandise including records on their own label (L&Y), books and magazines, a board game and a set of chewing gum cards.<ref name="MemTVYTT"/> In 1972, ''Caravan Holiday'', a short film, featured the original six Young Talent Team members plus two recently recruited new members, Greg Mills (later to be musical director in last years of YTT) and Julie Ryles (who died in early 2011) with cameos by pop star [[John Farnham|Johnny Farnham]] and long term judge [[Evie Hayes]]. Young was cast in multiple cameo roles as a service station attendant, farmer, speed boat attendant and camping park manager.<ref name="TroveYTT"/>

In 1989, Ten Network (formerly ATV-0), axed ''Young Talent Time'' quoting poor ratings against the popular variety series ''[[Hey Hey Its Saturday]]''. Young had committed to building his own television studios to film ''Young Talent Time'' and was forced to sell his family home to finance the debts.<ref name="Miles"/> During the year his stepfather died and, with his mother, he tracked down his biological father. Soon after his mother also died, and his marriage was in trouble.<ref name="Aus Story"/> On 9 March [[Logie Awards of 1990|1990]], Young was inducted into the ''[[TV Week]]'' Logie Awards' [[Logie Award|Hall of Fame]] for "an outstanding and sustained contribution to Australian television."<ref name="LogieHoF"/>

From 24 October 2006, weekly magazine ''[[New Idea]]'' featured articles on Byrne's autobiography, ''Not Quite Ripe'', which alleged that from the age of 12 she was introduced to sex, drugs and alcohol on ''Young Talent Time''.<ref name="Edmonds"/><ref name="Whiting"/> The claims were vigorously denied by Young, he stated that Byrne was already 14 when she started and that drugs were not available on set, "Any drug-taking Debra did, she certainly didn't do it on our show."<ref name="Whiting"/><ref name="Newton"/> He said no-one on the show was aware of her affair with "Michael", a boom operator ten years her senior. According to Byrne the pair had run off together for a weekend when she was 15.<ref name="Whiting"/><ref name="Newton"/> A producer for the show had "Michael" replaced as boom operator.<ref name="Newton"/> Byrne also claimed that her parents knew of her relationship with "Michael".<ref name="Edmonds"/><ref name="Whiting"/>

In 2009, Young indicated that he was in talks with Network Ten to create an updated version of [[Young Talent Time]]. The new series aired on Network Ten from 22 January to 4 May 2012 and was hosted by [[Rob Mills]], with Young serving as executive producer and judge.<ref name="Sydney"/><ref>[http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2011/08/ten-2012-programming-launch.html TEN 2012 Programming Launch | TV Tonight<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

===Philippines controversy===
In the early 1990s, Young learned that Terry Higgins, a former ''Young Talent Time'' studio director, had contracted [[HIV]].<ref name="Miles"/> By 1993, Young had financially supported Higgins, who sought alternative [[ozone therapy]] in the [[Philippines]], but the clinic turned out to have a forged license<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1W_Zuj3ggcI|title = – YouTube|via = [[YouTube]]}}</ref> and when it was raided, the Filipino authorities mistook Young for the owner and arrested him under charges of running an illegal AIDS clinic after accompanying Higgins.<ref name="NAADeJong"/><ref name="Aus Story"/><ref name="Money"/> Young was tested for [[HIV]] and threatened with [[deportation]] back to Australia. Subsequently, all charges were dropped, but Young's public image was damaged by media coverage of rumours regarding his sexuality. ABC Television produced an episode on ''[[Australian Story]]'' in February 2000 in which he discussed the events and their effect on his life and career.<ref name="Aus Story"/> A year after seeking the ozone therapy, Higgins died of AIDS with Young still supporting him.<ref name="Miles"/>

===Later career===
After ''Young Talent Time'', Young continued in entertainment, he worked as a radio disc jockey and occasionally performed live. In 1999 he produced ''Cavalcade of Stars'' for [[Foxtel]] including repackaging segments of ''Young Talent Time'' and showcasing new Australian bands.<ref name="Miles"/>

In December 2000, Young relocated to Perth to become the breakfast host on Perth AM station [[6IX]]. During 2001 to 2004, he periodically performed with Rowe, [[Buddy England]] (ex-[[The Seekers]], The Mixtures) and Marcie Jones ([[Marcie and The Cookies]]) as the 'Legends of Sixties Rock' at venues across Australia – all four had appeared on ''The Go-Show''.<ref name="Miles"/><ref name="KentThesis"/> While living in Perth, Young established a new outlet for his Johnny Young Talent School franchise. In 2001, the 30th anniversary of ''Young Talent Time'' was celebrated by Network Ten with a special documentary, ''Young Talent Time Tells All'', which was followed on 4 November by a reunion party for former cast members.<ref name="Miles"/> Young attended with his daughter Anna – who had appeared on the show. Back in Perth, Young hosted ''The Pet Show'' on [[ABC Television (Australian TV network)|ABC Television]] in 2006.

On 27 October 2010, Johnny Young was inducted into the [[Australian Recording Industry Association]] (ARIA) [[ARIA Hall of Fame|Hall of Fame]].<ref name="Cashmere"/><ref name="ARIAHoFAAP"/> On news of his impending induction Young said "I have always felt like the luckiest kid on the block to be able to continue working in the music industry for 50 years in so many areas when basically I am just a rock and roller. To receive this honour is the cherry on an amazing cake. I am very grateful to all those who supported and encouraged me."<ref name="APRA"/> Young was inducted by Tina Arena, a former Young Talent Team member, who performed his song, "Here Comes the Star" as a musical tribute.<ref name="ARIAHoFAAP"/><ref name="McCabe"/> Twenty-first century pop group, [[Short Stack]] performed Young's version of "Cara-Lyn".<ref name="Treuen"/> In late September 2021, ''Young Talent Time: Unmasked'', a special celebrating the 50th anniversary of ''Young Talent Time'', was broadcast,<ref name="Knox Sep 2021">{{cite web | url = https://tvtonight.com.au/2021/09/airdate-young-talent-time-unmasked.html | title = Airdate: ''Young Talent Time: Unmasked'' | last = Knox | first = David | work = TV Tonight | date = 15 September 2021 | access-date = 13 October 2021 }}</ref> with Young, Dannii Minogue and Arena reminiscing via teleconferencing.<ref name="HAGN 1">{{cite web | url = https://www.haveagonews.com.au/news/johnny-young-reflects-on-the-50th-anniversary-of-young-talent-time/ | title = Johnny Young reflects on the 50th anniversary of ''Young Talent Time'' | last = Tate | first = Lee | work = Have a Go News | date = 8 October 2021 | access-date = 13 October 2021 }}</ref>