On this edition of Vinyl Vibes, Jack Hodgins interviews Lonnie Lee.
Lonnie grew up before rock and roll, when artists like Johnny Ray and Nat King Cole dominated the airwaves. That changed in 1955 when he first heard Bill Haley, sparking a lifelong passion for rock and roll. In 1957, he won a national competition to find “Australia’s Elvis,” launching his career with gigs across Sydney. After a car accident in 1958 forced a break, he made his comeback the following year.
Signed to Lee Gordon’s Leedon label, Lonnie scored his first hit with Ain’t It So, co-written with Johnny O’Keefe in just 20 minutes. The song reached Sydney’s top ten in 1959, followed by more hits like Starlight Starbright and I Found a New Love.
Recently, Lonnie released Almost a Star, the first in a four-part autobiography, reflecting on his early musical journey, his rise to fame, and milestones including Australia’s first full-colour album cover and his 2019 album Back to Base X.