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John Harley Weston

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John Harley Weston
Background information
Birth nameJohn Higgins
Born (1967-04-24) 24 April 1967 (age 57)
OriginGlasgow, Scotland
GenresRock/Folk music/Blues/Alt Country
Occupation(s)Singer-Songwriter and Musician
Years active20
LabelsIndependent (Polydor, Festival)
Websitehttp://www.johnharleyweston.com

John Harley Weston (born 24 April 1967) is a Scottish-born Australian singer-songwriter who also plays a variety of instruments including guitar, keyboards and piano accordion[1] and, in 2005, won the Australian National Songwriting Contest[2] (rock category) with the song "Last Days of Summer" from his 2004 album, Hope Harbour.[3]

Success as songwriter and performer

Born in Glasgow, John Higgins grew up in the East Ayrshire town of Stewarton and subsequently immigrated to the Tamborine Mountain region in the southeastern part of Australian state of Queensland. Using the performing name John Harley Weston, he has been a professional musician since 1990, and the 2005 success of "Last Days Of Summer", co-written with drummer/guitarist Tony Beard (who has worked with Crosby, Stills & Nash, Jeff Beck, Hall & Oates and Johnny Winter),[4] extended to its placement in the top 20 at the Unisong International Songwriting Contest 2005–2006[5] and receiving an Honourable Mention from the 13th annual Billboard World Songwriting Contest.[6] In the same year, at singeruniverse.com,[7] Weston was voted one of the top 5 best vocalists in the Independent Music World by music publisher Dale Kawashima, former executive at Sony/ATV Music Publishing, Irving Azoff's Giant Records and Mercury Records.

Another song (on the same album), "Brothers and Sisters", produced by Sandy Jones at Foundry Music Lab[8] in Motherwell, Scotland, and Graeme Duffin (Wet Wet Wet guitarist).[9] about the conflict between Israel and Palestine held the number one spot on Isonlive Radio (ILR Australian Indie Radio Charts) for an entire six months in 2007.[10]

In 2008, Weston released the album Welcome Back to Reality. Two songs were chosen by Channel 7 Television Australia for their 2008 Beijing Olympic Games playlist.[11]

Readers of the Gold Coast Bulletin (a newspaper servicing Gold Coast, Queensland) nominated John Harley Weston for a Gold Coast Honours Award in Entertainment (2008) for his services to music and support of charities such as Cancer Council Queensland.[12]

In 1999, Weston wrote the song "Road To Victory" for the Brisbane Lions Aussie Rules football team (released via Festival Records Fido label now Mushroom Records).

Weston's music has been added to the National Library of Australia[13] and the National Film and Sound Archive a joint venture by Music Australia to create a database of all written and musical works released in Australia.

Solo career

As a solo artist, John Harley Weston has supported Indigo Girls at King Tut's Wah Wah Hut in Glasgow, Duran Duran at Glasgow Barrowlands, John Swan (Swanee) at St Bernard's Hotel[14] on Tamborine Mountain and Lighthouse Family also at King Tut's. John has also performed at the Queensland Premier's Australia Day Celebrations at The Piazza, South Bank Parklands, Brisbane as well as shows for Gold Coast City Council and the Gold Coast mayor Ron Clarke MBE, the Beaudesert Shire Mayor, Palazzo Versace's flagship hotel, Gold Coast Arts Centre (Unplugged In The Basement),[15] Brisbane's Acoustic In The Park Festival,[16] Ric's Bar, Brisbane,[17] The Centre, Beaudesert [18] and other local venues in South East Queensland.

In the early 1990s, Weston was signed (under his birth name John Higgins) to Polygram Records Vertigo label (now Mercury Records) as lead singer and co-songwriter with Scottish band Frontier[19] Frontier released two singles in 1992, original song "Lonely Heart" (produced by Steely Dan producer Gary Katz) and a cover of the Graham Parker song "The Sun is Gonna Shine Again" (produced by Kenny McDonald). Frontier supported Wet Wet Wet during 1992 UK stadium tour which included gigs at Wembley arena. They also supported the band Gun in the same year on their UK university tour, including venues such as London Astoria.

During his solo career, and as lead singer with Scottish band Frontier, John Harley Weston has worked with producers, engineers and session players such as Gary Katz (Steely Dan), Sandy Jones (see link 8) and Graeme Duffin (Wet Wet Wet), Ian Kewley (Paul Young), Dave Bascombe (Peter Gabriel, Tears for Fears), Kenny McDonald (Texas (band)), Steve Jackson (Bryan Adams), Adam Mosely (Rush), Tony Philips (Seal) and session players Paul "Wix" Wickens (keyboard player for Paul McCartney, Bon Jovi, Bob Dylan), Tony Beard (drummer for Crosby, Stills & Nash, Jeff Beck, Hall & Oates and Johnny Winter, (see link 4)) Graham Broad (drummer for Van Morisson, George Michael, Go West) and Donny Little (guitarist for Paulo Nutini).[20][21][22]

Weston has recorded at Rockfield Studios in Monmouth, Wales, Peter Gabriel's Real World Studios in Box, Wiltshire, England, George Martin's Air Studios in London, Jacobs Studio in Surrey, England,[23] Jimmy Page's Old Mill Studio, Parklane Studios in Glasgow,[24] Pete Townshend's Eel Pie Studios on the River Thames in London, Rooster 2[25] in London, Swanyard Studio, London,[26] Red Zeds in Brisbane (Australia).

John Harley Weston is endorsed by Takamine Guitars,[27] D'Addario Guitar Strings[28] and Neumann Microphones.[29]

References

  1. ^ Australian Government Cultural Portal – short biography
  2. ^ Australian Songwriting Contest list of winners 2005 – scroll down to rock category
  3. ^ Interview on Channel 9 Television Australia after winning Australian Songwriting Contest 2005
  4. ^ Blues artist Johnny Winter biography – mentions his drummer Tony Beard
  5. ^ Unisong Intl Songwriting Contest winners – 10th Annual – 2005 – top 20 position rock category
  6. ^ Billboard World Songwriting Contest – general
  7. ^ Singer Universe Competition – top 5 position – scroll down to see and hear 'Last Days Of Summer'
  8. ^ Foundry Music Lab recording studio owned by producers Sandy Jones and Graeme Duffin (Wet Wet Wet guitarist)
  9. ^ Wet Wet Wet guitarist/producer Graeme Duffin news page – mentions working on John Harley Weston's song 'Brothers and Sisters'
  10. ^ Isonlive Radio ILR Australian Indie Radio Charts – song 'Brothers and Sisters held #1 spot for entire 6 months of 2007
  11. ^ Songs used by Channel 7 during Beijing Olympics 2008 Gold Coast Bulletin feature article
  12. ^ List of Honours Awards nominees 2008 Gold Coast Bulletin
  13. ^ National Library of Australia – lists John Harley Weston releases
  14. ^ St Bernard's Hotel, Tamborine Mtn, Australia – live music venue
  15. ^ Gold Coast Arts Centre – live music venue
  16. ^ Acoustic In The Park Music Festival Brisbane – general info
  17. ^ Ric's Bar, Brisbane – live music venue
  18. ^ The Centre, Beaudesert – live music venue
  19. ^ The official myspace site for the band Frontier – John Harley Weston was lead singer/co-writer
  20. ^ Website of Frontier guitarist Brian Cunningham – lists artists/producers/engineers Frontier have worked with
  21. ^ Website of Brisbane's Original Music Directory – John Harley Weston biography
  22. ^ John Harley Weston's official biography
  23. ^ Jacob's Recording Studio, Surrey, England
  24. ^ Parklane Recording Studio, Glasgow, Scotland
  25. ^ Rooster Studios, London, England
  26. ^ Swanyard Recording Studio, London, England
  27. ^ Takamine Guitars – page shows endorsed artist John Harley Weston
  28. ^ D'Addario Guitar Strings – page shows endorsed artist John Harley Weston
  29. ^ Neumann Microphones website
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