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John Edmond
Born (1936-11-18) 18 November 1936 (age 87)
Occupation
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • musician
Years active 1956 – present
Spouse(s) Teresa Edmond
Children 4
Musical career
Genres
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • bagpipes
Labels Roan Antelope Music
Military career
Allegiance Flag of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland (1953–1963).svg Rhodesia and Nyasaland
 Rhodesia
Service/branch Rhodesian Army Flag.svg Rhodesian Army
Years of service Flag of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland (1953–1963).svg (1960–1963)
Rhodesian Army Flag.svg (1971-1979)
Rank Trooper
Unit 3rd (Northern Rhodesia) Battalion, Rhodesia Regiment
Battles/wars Congo Border War
Rhodesian Bush War

John Edmond (born 18 November 1936) is a Zambian folk singer and retired soldier who became popular in the 1970s for his Rhodesian patriotic songs. He reached the height of his fame during the Rhodesian Bush War where he was sometimes known as the "Bush Cat".

Background

Edmond was born on 18 November 1936 in Luanshya, Northern Rhodesia (modern day Zambia) to a family of Scottish descent; during his childhood, he and his parents moved between Scotland and Central Africa. He went to school in Luanshya, Northern Rhodesia; Edinburgh, Scotland; and in South Africa at Christian Brothers College in Pretoria. He displayed a natural talent for music at an early age when he was given a mouth organ as a birthday gift from his grandmother at age three. John mastered the instrument within half an hour. As a Boy Scout, he played the bugle and was in the local Scout bugle band. While at school in Edinburgh, he was chosen to sing in the famous St John's boys choir. He was regularly featured in lead roles at Christian Brothers College in Gilbert and Sullivan operettas. Edmond was lead drummer in the college's pipe band. He went on to win the South African Junior drumming championships at the Royal Scottish gathering at Wembley in 1953. After college, Edmond was employed at the Roan Antelope copper mine.

After some time there, Edmond joined Southern Rhodesia's Royal Rhodesia Regiment at Bulawayo. He served with the 3rd Battalion on the Congo border, in Nyasaland and Southern Rhodesia. During this time, he bought a guitar at a trading store and met Bill Coleman while in the army. After learning to play the guitar with Coleman, Edmond formed the Bushcats Skiffle Group in 1958 along with two friends from the army, Eugene van der Watt and Ian Kerr. The group was a success among its peers and progressed into cabaret and rock 'n' roll. After his military service was up, Edmond went to England to study computers and moved to South Africa during the mid-1960s. He became famous in Rhodesia during the Bush War with his album Troopiesongs. He was also a composer, writing such hits as "The UDI Song". After the war, and Zimbabwean independence, he continued to record albums such as Zimsongs and Zimtrax.

In 1982, Edmond's label RAM published The story of Troopiesongs and the Rhodesian Bush War, a collection of lyrics for Troopiesongs, in Johannesburg.

Since 1987, Edmond and his wife Theresa have owned and maintained a resort in South Africa named "Kunkuru". The resort is located in the Bela Bela area. Edmond also has his own record label, Roan Antelope Music (RAM).

Discography

Album Year Label Notes
Troopiesongs – Phase 1 1976 Map
Boom Sha-la-la-lo 1971 Storm
Troopiesongs – Phase 2 1977 Map
Johno! 1972 Storm
Goodbye Is The Saddest Song 1975 Satbel
The Greatest Hits of John Edmond 1975 Sounds Superb/EMI Note on back of cover by John Edmond written in English and Afrikaans dated May 1975
Wild And Beautiful And Free 1976 Satbel
The Best of John Edmond 1976 Satbel
Troopiesongs – Phase 3 1978 Jo'burg
Rhodesia The Brave 1979 Trutone
Hit Songs of John Edmond 1975 MFP This may also be known as the "Greatest Hits of John Edmond" (1975) as the inside record label on the Greatest Hits states that it is the "Hit Songs of John Edmond". The songs on the Hit Songs label match the jacket of the Greatest Hits (Sounds Superb/EMI).
Troopiesongs – Phase 4 1979 Gallo
Immortal Hits 1980 Gallo
Country Tracks 1981 Gallo
From The Heart 1982 Gallo
Troopies in Exile 1982 Gallo
Love in the Country 1984 Gallo
All Night Razzle 1984 Principal BUSHCATS re-formed for this recording
The British South Africa Police Centenary Album 1989 RAM
The Rhodesia Centenary Album 1890 – 1990 1990 RAM
Rhodesians of the World 1992 RAM
All Time Rhodesian Evergreens 1999 RAM Reissued 2011.
Troopiesongs Complete 1999 RAM 50th Anniversary edition reissued 2011.
Heritage – Where We Come From 2007 RAM
Party – All Night Razzle 2007 RAM
Aviation Songs RAM
Born in Africa RAM
By Request 2004 Gallo
Friends, Rhodies, Countrymen 2005 RAM
Wild and Beautiful and Free 1990 RAM
Heritage 2007 RAM
Zimsongs 2011 RAM
Songs of the African Bush 2013 RAM
Zimtrax RAM
Tales of the Game Rangers, Vol. 1 to Vol. 4 See notes RAM Volume 1 (1984), Volume 2 (1987), Volume 3 (1989), Volume 4 (1993)
Stories en Liedjies van die Wildtuin, Vol. 1 & 2 RAM
The Boer War in Song 2012 RAM Afrikaans version Die Boere Oorlog In Lied released 2014 by RAM.
Campfire 'n Jamboree 2013 RAM With The Campfire Singers
Songs of the African Battlefields 2014 RAM
Of Aeroplanes & African Plains 2014 RAM
Boer and Brit Battlefield Heroes 2016 RAM
Battlesongs of Brave Boer and Briton 2017 RAM
From the Pen of John Edmond 2017 RAM
Legends 2018 RAM
Tales of Bird Watches, Vol.1 2018 RAM
Songs of Kruger Park 2019 RAM
Tales of Bird Watchers, Vol.2 2019 RAM
Christmas in Africa 2020 RAM
Ian Douglas Smith: The Man 2021 RAM A series of interviews with Ian Smith, retelling the stories of his life, with occasional songs and commentary from Edmond
Singin' with the Birds 2021 RAM
Ballads of the Bushveld 2022
Singles Year Label Notes
Farewell Britannia 1969 Storm
Die Eerste Kersfeesnag 1969 Storm
Fairytales 1969 Storm This was his first hit record
Round and Round 1970 Storm Hit single
Boom Sha-la-la-lo 1971 Storm Hit single written for John by Bruce Woodley of The Seekers while they were in South Africa
Pasadena 1972 Map Hit single
Every Day, Every Night 1972 Map Hit single
Toy Train 1973 Map Hit single
Hello Susan 1974 Map
Jock of the Bushveld 1975 Map
Goodbye Is The Saddest Song 1975 Map Hit single
Nomad of the Kalahari 1976 Map
One Day He'll Call Me Daddy 1976 Map
It's Good To See You 1977 Jo'burg
Blue Brown Eyed Lady 1977 Jo'burg
Louie 1978 RSA
Bye Bye Butterfly 1979 EMI
Forever Young 1980 Gallo
The Electric Thing 1981 Gallo
The 124th Cavalry Regiment Lives On 2017 RAM Produced in cooperation with 124th Cavalry Regiment Association.

See also

  • Clem Tholet
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