30 November 2011 – HAPPY BIRTHDAY FRANK!
Earlier in the month at the Debonairs Charity Lunch in Sydney, Frank receives his birthday cake from mezzo-soprano Marienne Shepherd and applause from his many industry friends including (pictured) Bobby Bradford, Nicki Gillis, Annie Wright, Diane Northing and Terry Kaff.
2009 Frank Ifield International Spur Award winner and now MO Award Country Performer of the year NICKI GILLIS has a new E.P. out now! Featuring the songs: Always On My Mind, and her self-penned Remember The Wounded , Go My Own Way and Go My Own Way (Acoustic Version), the CD also includes a postage paid and pre-addressed postcard to send to Aussie troops serving in the Middle East over Christmas. It is available HERE…
A recommendation from Frank: Listen out for regular 2-weekly shows on Sunday nights from 9pm-Midnight (UK time) by our good friend PAUL HAZELL. Paul says, “As usual, I plan to make the shows cover country music old and new from around the world, embracing all styles but especially the more traditional sounds – western, yodelling, bluegrass, etc – that so many no longer play.You can listen by clicking on the ‘listen live’ facility. Latest dates for Paul’s show are Sunday 18th December, a special show ‘Paul Hazell’s Country Christmas’ on Christmas Eve (after the Carol Service at around 7.30pm-9pm UK time of course), and the first ‘World Of Country’ of 2012 will be on Public Holiday Monday 2nd January from 6pm-9pm (note the earlier time for this show).
Frank’s Jukebox Jury: BOB HOWE – COLOUR MY WORLD 
“After a very taxing couple of weeks I finally had a moment to sit down, relax and listen to a new CD that my friend Bob Howe recently gave to me. This proved to be just what the doctor ordered. I could feel myself smiling with delight as I heard some real music from a master’s fingertips. It started with an instrumental version of the title-song of the CD, Colour My World and moved to the best instrumental interpretation of A Whiter Shade Of Pale I have heard. If that ain’t enough, just listen to scintillating guitar work in How High The Moon. Then came The Bluebell Polka followed by Bob singing the ever-popular Candy Man. The beautiful theme from The Deer Hunter called Cavatina brought a tear to my eye, while the Bluegrass Medley got me tapping my feet a-yelling ‘Yee-ha’! Bob’s version of Green Onions, which was always a favourite of mine, gave me a fresh appreciation of the tune. We then move one to The Blue Heelers Theme called Reckless Eyeballin’ followed by The White Rabbit. Bob’s heartfelt singing on the old Irish folk style song Purple Heather colours a perfect picture of the theme of the CD, and the last track brings the precious metal Gold too, in the form of the James Bond Theme/Goldfinger. I loved the whole album and urge you to get one for your own listening pleasure. Congratulations – This is excellent Bob!”
A new CD compliation, compiled by Martin Erdman for his du Monde label. The Australian Spirit includes 19 tracks from artists such as Steve Passfield, Graeme Connors, John Waters and Rolf Harris. Also featured is an all-new version of the song Yerranderie, written and performed by FRANK IFIELD with vocals by Nicki Gillis and music recorded by Bob Howe. for more about The Australian Spirit…
21 June 2011: At the Debonairs Charity Lunch in Sydney, 2011 Frank Ifield International Spur Award winner JOHN STEPHAN finally received his plaque from Frank. John had been working in Las Vegas at the time of the original announcement of his win.
Meanwhile, 2011 Frank Ifield International Spur Award winner and MO Award Country Performer of the year NICKI GILLIS, has just completed a week of successful shows in Nashville, USA and has now begun her 3rd U.K. tour! Check out all her July 2011 U.K. tour dates here. Nicki is currently in the Top Ten of the U.K. Country airplay chart with her recording of The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down.
29 May 2011: Listen out for FRANK IFIELD singing Forgettin’ About You – receiving extensive airplay across European radio stations and entering the U.K. Country airplay chart at #13 and moving up to #9 this week! Other Australians in the chart include 2011 Frank Ifield International Spur Award winner JOHN STEPHAN with Mascara and premier singer-songwriter ALLAN CASWELL with Behind Bars.
VALE KATHY KIRBY “It was with great shock I heard that my friend Kathy had passed away. We had shared so much of our early years struggling to make a mark in British showbiz from 1959 to 1962. During this time we played the role of support-acts on tour to many a-visiting artist. She was only a year younger than me and it seemed that our careers were also running in parallel and our first big break came when working on the Duane Eddy tour, which finished in the West End of London’s at Finsbury Park Empire. This was our initiation into the prestigious Moss Empire Theatre Circuit of which the jewel in the crown was the much-coveted London Palladium Theatre. Kathy had a well-trained beautiful voice that rang out as clear as a bell, and a stage presence that arrested your complete attention. Her persona on stage seemed so effortless and natural that I often found myself drawn to watch her act from the wings. The last time we actually worked together was when she and I topped the bill in a blockbusting summer season from the ABC Theatre Blackpool. I had my three number one hits and she had three hit’s also in ‘Let Me Go Lover’ ‘Secret Love’ and ‘Dance On’. Yes, Kathy was a one-off! They don’t make-em like that any more and I feel honoured to have known her. Farewell my friend.”
An updated link for the history of Richard Joseph (Dick) Ifield compiled by Frank’s brother Colin and dedicated to their father, a leading Australian inventor.
2011 Frank Ifield International Spur Award
“On the evening of Thursday March 10 at Canterbury-Hurlstone Park RSL, the stage of the Starlight Auditorium lit up with Canterbury Country’s special presentation of the ‘AWARD WINNERS SHOW’. The packed house, which included many celebrities including Wayne Horsburgh, Ray Burgess, Emma Hannah and Kenny Kitching, thrilled at the performances of TRACY KILLEEN: 2010 winner of the Golden Saddle Award; LUKE O’SHEA: 2010 Southern Star Award winner. KAREN O’SHEA: the winner of the first Frank Ifield International Spur Award in 2010 sang as beautifully as ever. While our more recent (2009) Spur Award winner NICKI GILLIS not only delighted us with her singing but also charmed us with her ability to host the show in the absence of our usual Canterbury Country‘s star host and guitar virtuoso BOB HOWE who was performing at the time aboard a cruise ship.
During the interval, the room was a-buzz with wonder and speculation as to who was to be the recipient of the 2011 International Spur Award. My entrance on stage was greeted with an enthusiastic welcome followed by a hushed expectancy as I called for our sponsorship representative Mr Richard Young of the Rotary Club Of Galston to bring the award on stage. And the winner for 2011 is… … JOHN STEPHAN.
During the applause I felt a little awkward, as I was aware that John was not in the room. I called upon the Chairman of The MO Awards, Mr Glenn Ware to accept the award on John’s behalf – Glen explained that John Stephan was sorry not to be here but at the moment he was actually in Las Vegas preparing for a show.
I took the liberty before leaving the stage of introducing an old friend of mine KENNY KITCHING who played steel guitar with me in the late 1950’s on several of my 78 Regal Zonophone recordings. He had turned up to proudly show me his especially custom-made double-neck ‘Dobro style’ guitar which he called a Resonator. So I not only got to see the guitar but we all had the joy of witnessing this unique guitar in the hands of a master as he played ‘Guitar Boogie‘. 
I was able on the night to announce that Nicki had reached the #10 slot in the UK & European Radio Chart that very week with ‘The Ballad of Lucy Jordan’ from her new album ‘Woman of Substance’. Since she has achieved a number one and all her releases over there have been in the top 10, She could be thought of as being an old hand at winning acclaim. But on the 14th I can say she has been joined by John Stephan’s debut release called ‘Mascara’ straight in at number #11.”
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