John Edmond facts for kids

Quick facts for kids John Edmond
Born	(1936-11-18) 18 November 1936 (age 88) Luanshya, Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia)
Occupation	Singer songwriter musician
Years active	1956 – present
Spouse(s)	Teresa Edmond
Children	4
Musical career
Genres	Skiffle pop country folk rock and roll
Instruments	Vocals guitar bagpipes
Labels	Roan Antelope Music
Military career
Allegiance	Rhodesia and Nyasaland  Rhodesia
Service/branch	Rhodesian Army
Years of service	(1960–1963) (1971–1979)
Rank	Trooper
Unit	3rd (Northern Rhodesia) Battalion, Rhodesia Regiment
Battles/wars	Congo Border War Rhodesian Bush War

John Edmond, born on November 18, 1936, is a famous singer and former soldier from Rhodesia (now part of Zambia). He became very popular in the 1970s for his songs about his home country. People sometimes called him the "Bush Cat" during a time of conflict known as the Rhodesian Bush War.

John Edmond's Early Life and Music Talents

John Edmond was born in Luanshya, which was then called Northern Rhodesia and is now part of Zambia. His family had Scottish roots. As a child, he often moved between Scotland and Central Africa with his parents.

He went to school in different places, including Luanshya, Edinburgh in Scotland, and Pretoria in South Africa. John showed a natural gift for music from a very young age. When he was just three, his grandmother gave him a mouth organ, and he learned to play it in about half an hour!

As a Boy Scout, John played the bugle and was part of his local Scout bugle band. Later, while at school in Edinburgh, he was chosen to sing in the St John's Boys' Choir. He also often played lead roles in school plays at Christian Brothers College. John was even the lead drummer in his college's pipe band. In 1953, he won the South African Junior drumming championships.

Military Service and Starting a Band

After college, John Edmond worked at a copper mine for a while. Then, he joined the Royal Rhodesia Regiment in Southern Rhodesia. He served with the 3rd Battalion in different areas, including the Congo border.

During his time in the army, he bought a guitar and met a friend named Bill Coleman. John learned to play the guitar with Bill. In 1958, John formed his first band, the Bushcats Skiffle Group, with two army friends, Eugene van der Watt and Ian Kerr. The group was very popular and soon started performing cabaret and rock 'n' roll music.

After his time in the military, John went to England to study computers. In the mid-1960s, he moved to South Africa.

Becoming a Famous Singer

John Edmond became very famous in Rhodesia during the Rhodesian Bush War. His album Troopiesongs was especially popular. He also wrote many songs, including a well-known one called "The UDI Song".

Even after the war ended and Zimbabwe became an independent country, John continued to make music. He released albums like Zimsongs and Zimtrax. In 1982, his record label, RAM, published a book called The story of Troopiesongs and the Rhodesian Bush War. This book contained the lyrics from his Troopiesongs album.

Since 1987, John and his wife, Theresa, have owned a resort in South Africa called "Kunkuru." It's located in the Bela Bela area. John also has his own record label, Roan Antelope Music (RAM), which has released many of his albums.

John Edmond's Music Albums

John Edmond has released many albums throughout his career. Here are some of his well-known ones:

John Edmond's Singles

John Edmond also released many single songs. Here are a few of his popular ones:

See also

• Clem Tholet