Glenn Wheatley facts for kids

Glenn Dawson Wheatley (born January 23, 1948 – died February 1, 2022) was an Australian musician, talent manager, and music promoter. He was very important in the Australian music scene. He helped many famous artists become successful.

Glenn Wheatley's Career

Glenn Wheatley started his career as a musician in Brisbane in the mid-1960s. He became well-known as the bass player for the rock band The Masters Apprentices. Later, he built a large business that included radio stations and managing music artists.

Wheatley is best known for managing John Farnham for a long time. People called him an "iconic industry figure." He also helped start the career of Delta Goodrem. He is also known for helping the Little River Band become famous in the United States.

As a Musician

Bay City Union

Wheatley's first big step into music was playing guitar in a blues band called Bay City Union. The band's singer was Matt Taylor. Matt later became famous as the lead singer of the blues band Chain.

The Masters Apprentices

In 1968, Wheatley joined The Masters Apprentices as their bass player. This band was a very popular pop-rock group in Melbourne. He played with them for four years, until 1972.

During this time, they recorded many hit songs. These included "Turn Up Your Radio" (1970) and "Because I Love You" (1971). They also recorded their 1971 album Choice Cuts at Abbey Road Studios in London.

Wheatley learned a lot about the music business during his time with the Masters. He saw how bands were often treated unfairly. They faced many problems with bad management and not enough support from record labels. These issues eventually led to the band breaking up in 1972.

One important event happened in 1969. The Masters Apprentices played a show in Brisbane Festival Hall. Over 7,000 people came, which was a record for the venue. Wheatley realized that the band only got a small amount of money for the show. The promoters made a huge profit. This made him want to help artists get a fairer deal.

As a Talent Manager

Little River Band

In 1974, Glenn Wheatley met with some musicians in London. They decided to form a new band called Little River Band. Wheatley became their manager. He used his past experiences to help the band.

He helped Little River Band become the first Australian group to have great success in the US. In 1975, they signed with EMI Records. They also started recording their first album, which Wheatley helped produce.

Wheatley traveled to Los Angeles to find a record deal for the band. Capitol Records signed them on Christmas Eve. Under Wheatley's management, Little River Band sold over 30 million records. Many of their albums and singles became big hits in Australia and the US.

John Farnham

After Little River Band's success, Wheatley returned to Australia in 1986. He started managing his friend, John Farnham. John Farnham had been a popular singer before, but his career had slowed down.

Wheatley took a big risk to help Farnham. He used his own house as a guarantee to pay for Farnham's 1986 comeback album, Whispering Jack. This risk paid off! The album became a massive success. It is still the biggest-selling Australian album by a local artist. Wheatley continued to manage Farnham's career, including tours and records. They remained close friends.

Later Management Work

Wheatley also managed Australian actress and singer Delta Goodrem. He helped her become very successful in her music career.

Radio Stations

In 1980, Glenn Wheatley helped start EON-FM in Melbourne. This was Australia's first commercial FM radio station. He later bought and sold parts of this and other radio stations. He played a key role in developing commercial radio in Australia.

Personal Life and Death

Glenn Wheatley was married to actress Gaynor Martin. They had one son and two daughters.

He died on February 1, 2022, at the age of 74. He passed away due to problems from COVID-19.