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 John Edmond is somewhat of a legend around
campfires from Zambia to Zululand and from Walvis Bay to Vilanculos.
Singer, songwriter, entertainer, storyteller, author and bush pilot.
He has been there, done it all and fantastically still does it! His musical career has taken him through the 60's,
70's pop, country and TV era's with 7 smash South Africa hits in a row.
Along with Dave Mills, the only man in South Africa to ever do this. "Toy
train", "Pasadena", "Round and Around", the list is endless.
He is an icon in Zimbabwe and to this day has
dominated their charts. His Zimsongs CD was no 1 for the whole of
2001! John is also the creator of "Tales of the Game rangers" Series
— a 4 album set of bush songs and stories that are still selling
steadily since their release in 1989. Other well known albums in campfire circles are
"Circle of Life" (Long before Elton!) "Wild and Beautiful and free"
containing songs like "Jock of the Bushveld" (The original before
the movies) and "campfire 'n Jamboree" for Scouts and Guides.
John's latest CD. "Born in Africa" is selling
internationally following his tours to USA, U.K., Australasia and
Zimbabwe. On it are stunning new songs along with revivals of "The
Lion Sleeps Tonight", "Skokiaan" and "Meadowlands". John has represented South Africa at the World Song
festival in Tokyo, he is a regular at the International Game rangers
Convention held at Berg 'n Dal in the Kruger National Park and at almost
every Rhodesian and Zimbabwe reunion held around the world.
John is at home in venues from Tokyo's Budokan
Hall to Berg 'n Dal's
outdoor boma, Bakobang Bush lapa's to Mabula convention's. John is
still very much on life's journey and is still as creative as ever!
Click here
for John's full biography ........
John
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John's Full Biography
 John Edmond was born on 18 November 1936 of
Scottish parents in Luanshya, Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia), on
the Roan Antelope copper mine. His father, described by John as "a
colourful character" was a miner, prospector, war hero and
mechanical engineer who died in Scotland in 1992 at the age of 96.
His mother passed away during a heart operation while John was in
his teens.
John's childhood was a varied one with his parents moving between
Scotland and Central Africa. He attended school in Luanshya,
Northern Rhodesia, Edinburgh, Scotland, and in South Africa at
Christian Brothers College in Pretoria. He displayed a strong
affinity to music at an early age. Given a mouth organ as a birthday
gift from his grandmother, three-year old John mastered the
instrument within half an hour! As a boy scout in Luanshya he took
to the bugle and played in the local scout bugle band. ‘While at
school in Edinburgh he was chosen to sing in the famous St John's
boys choir and regularly featured in lead roles at Christian
Brothers College in Gilbert and Sullivan operettas. The college's
pipe band was John's first love however and, as leading drummer, he
went on to win the South African Junior drumming championships at
the Royal Scottish gathering at Wembley in 1953.
After school John found employment at the Roan Antelope copper mine
in their punched card division. After some time he opted to join the
(Southern) Rhodesian Army in Bulawayo which saw him serve in the
Congo (now Zaire), Nyasaland (now Malawi) and Southern Rhodesia (now
Zimbabwe). During this time John bought his first guitar at a
trading store for one pound.
 In the army he met Bill Coleman and as
two musically ignorant troopers they learnt to play the guitar by
trading chord shapes and ideas. John soon roped his army pals,
Eugene van der Watt and Ian Kerr in, to form the Bushcats Skiffle
Group. The group was a huge success among its peers and progressed
into cabaret and rock ‘n roll. After his military stint, an aptitude
test at the copper mine resulted in John's selection to study
computers at Moore Hall in England. During this time he hitch-hiked
around Europe and met up with Rob de Nijs in Amsterdam (who later
became the "Cliff Richard" of Holland). John and Rob played as a duo
in the pubs of Amsterdam's dock area.
On his return to Rhodesia, the Bushcats re-grouped, performing
around the country until the band's demise in 1967 when John applied
for the position of computer programmer/analyst with the Greatermans
group in South Africa. In his spare time, John concentrated on folk
music and played at the Nite Beat, the Troubadour and many other
Johannesburg folk music venues. Seeing the potential for a folk trio
he urged ex-Bushcat Allan Goodwin and Stevie van Kerken (Lange) to
leave Rhodesia and join him in forming the New Trends Folk Trio. A
two LP recording contract with Louis Combrink and Anton de Waal on
the EMI label brought them much acclaim and, after their hit, "Gypsy
Man", they were dubbed South Africa's "Seekers". After two years in
cabaret the group disbanded and each member went solo - Stevie later
singing as a backing vocalist for Elton John. In the meantime
song-writing had become John's major priority. After being rejected
as a singer by several record companies, he was bluntly informed: "stick to writing, you're no singer". Write he did, with great
success for artists such as Nick Taylor, Pat Gregory, John Berks,
Four Jacks and a Jill and many others.
Four
Jacks and a Jill's "Sad Little Pigeon" entered Billboard's chart in
the USA. Pat Gregory's "Mr Dreamer" charted in South Africa and John
Berks dented the LM hit parade with "Ek is ‘n Ge". In 1970 John won
the award for Best Folk Song in the South Africa Song Festival (previously
known as the Durban Song Festival) with "A New Generation", which
was sung by Ted Lynn.
In 1969, while making a demo for Nick Taylor, John
was heard by producer, Terry Dempsey. Impressed, Terry offered him
a recording contract on the spot. John's success was immediate, with
his first single "Fairy Tales" entering Springbok's Top 20 hit
parade on 9 January 1970 where it peaked at no. 13, enjoying a five
week stay on the charts. His second single, "Round and Around"
repeated this success in July and August of the same year when it
reached no. 13 on the Top 20 and sojourned on the hit parade for
eight weeks. Written and produced by Terry Dempsey, the song was
South Africa's entry at the 1970 World Song Festival in Japan.
John
performed "Round and Around" in Tokyo, which was broadcast to
millions of viewers around the world. On a stopover in Australia, he
discovered two songs that would he his next hits: "Boom Sha La La
Lo" (written for The Seekers by Hans Poulsen and Bruce Woodley)
and "Pasadena" (penned by George Young of the Easy Beats, Harry Vanda and actor, David Hemmings). Released in May 1971,
"Boom Sha La
La Lo" peaked at no.10 on Springbok's Top 20 hit parade in July and
spent ten weeks on the charts. "Pasadena" peaked at no.17 on the
Top 20 in May 1972 and spent five weeks on the charts.
By now John had left the computer industry and secured a position at
Gallo Music Publishing. He worked his way up the rungs of the trade
under the guidance of his newly found mentor, the late Ralph
Trewhela, John and Terry Dempsey penned English lyrics to an Italian
melody John had heard while abroad. The result was "Every Day, Every
Night", which spent 17 weeks on the charts and peaked at no. 7 on
Springbok's Top 20 in September 1972. John discovered the song "Toy
Train" on an American sample record and decided to record it.
Produced by Terry Dempsey, the single would be his biggest success
locally, spending 18 weeks on the charts and reaching no.6 on
Springbok's Top 20 in June 1973.
Terry liked John singing continental songs and
penned lyrics for a German song called "Hallo Susann", which also
charted locally. John's next record was one written by himself, Patric van Blerk and Fransua Roos called
"Goodbye is the Saddest
Song". With brilliant guitar work by Trevor Rabin, John secured his
seventh consecutive South Africa hit — a feat only equalled by Dave Mills.
The song reached no. 10 on Springbok's Top 20 and spent seven weeks
on the hit parade. He was then much in demand and toured South
Africa with Vicky Leandros, Middle of the Road and Boomer.
Back in South Africa John rose to the position of
general manager at Gallo Music Publishing and represented Gallo
seventeen times at the Cannes Music Convention (MIDEM). Sport had
always played an important part in John's life and an early rugby
career earned him "Player of the Year" with the Roan Antelopes team.
In several matches he marked Springbok Ton van Vollenhoven and the
two became firm friends.
While in Japan, John was very taken with the art of karate and after
encouragement from Allan Goodwin (New Trends guitarist and a
black belt himself), John took up the sport earnestly. He eventually
graded to third Dan and ran his own karate school in Johannesburg. He
coached many champions and his eldest daughter, Shelley, became a
Springbok finalist and Transvaal Karate champion.
John has four children. His eldest, Grant, has
followed in his father's footsteps and is a successful musician who
doubles with his wife Gillian - the duo calling themselves
Stepping Up. Natalie, John's second daughter, is an accomplished
artist and was responsible for the artwork on several of John's album
sleeves. The youngest child, John Ross, is also a talented musician
and has mastered the flute, bagpipes and keyboards.
After leaving the Gallo group to do professional karate and run his
own publishing company, Roan Antelope Music, John had more time to
move into other spheres of interest. Alongside the karate school, his
wife Teresa, ran a successful modelling and dancing academy. An
accomplished model and dancer herself, she doubled as secretary and
professional manager to the music company and as a team, she and
John went from strength to strength with their entrepreneurship. She
assisted John with translations and phonetic coaching to record two
Afrikaans children's albums with Joanna Field. John and Joanna also
recorded two English nursery rhyme albums, which were released in
Britain, the United States and Australia. His single, "Portugal I
Love You", was released in Brazil.
John and Teresa bought a farm in the North Western Transvaal
bush veldt. After building and developing the property, they
established a private game farm and lodge called "Kunkuru" (Tswana
for Roan Antelope). After constructing an airstrip on their game farm, John trained as a pilot
and got his "wings" in 1990. The Edmonds successfully run their
publishing firm, recording studios, dancing and karate schools from
the lodge. Inspired by the bush veldt, John wrote stories and songs for
a successful album series entitled, Tales of the Game-Rangers. Other
projects include an album for scouts, Cubs, Girl-Guides and Brownies
entitled, Camp Fire 'n Jamboree.
As a song-writer, performer and producer. John's
talents have taken him all over the world. He was elected to the board of SAMRO (South
African Music Rights Organisation) and NORM (National Organisation
for Rights in Music) and carries the welfare of fellow musicians and
composers at heart. Credited with a prolific output of over 500
compositions (more than a hundred of which have been recorded by
other artists), 38 albums, 28 singles, 30 record productions and
three song books to his name, John Edmond has contributed much to
the music world.
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