Johnny Young
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Johnny Young, born in Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands, is an Australian singer, composer, producer, disc jockey and television producer and host.
Young grew up in Perth, Western Australia and rose to fame in the mid-1960s as a singer. One of his major hits was a slow cover version of The Beatles' "All My Lovin"). His biggest success was the double-A-sided hit Step Back (written by Stevie Wright and George Young of The Easybeats) backed with a cover of Cara-Lynn in 1966, which became one of the biggest-selling Australian pop singles of the decade.
He also hosted one of the most important Australia pop shows of the Sixties, The Go!! Show in 1967. In 1971 Young hosted and co-produced Young Talent Time, a combination children's talent quest and variety show, in which the winners of the quest became permanent members of the cast. The show was a launching pad for several notable Australian singers including Jamie Redfern, Debra Byrne and Tina Arena. It ran from 1971 to 1988.
As a songwriter, Young's most notable work is probably the psychedelic classic "The Real Thing", a seminal Australian pop song of the late 1960s recorded by Russell Morris and produced by another Australian music industry notable Ian 'Molly' Meldrum). He also wrote and produced hits for Ronnie Burns (Smiley) and former boxing champion Lionel Rose (I Thank You).
At several points in his long career, Young has worked as a radio disc jockey and he still occasionally performs live.