Molly Meldrum facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Molly Meldrum AM
Molly Meldrum at the 2014 ARIA Music Awards
Born	Ian Alexander Meldrum (1943-01-29) 29 January 1943 (age 82) Marlo, Victoria, Australia
Occupation	Music critic journalist record producer television personality author
Years active	1966–present
Known for	Countdown host Hey Hey It's Saturday entertainment news

Ian Alexander "Molly" Meldrum AM (born 29 January 1943) is a famous Australian music critic and producer. He is also a well-known TV personality. Many people know him for his trademark Stetson hat. He has worn it often in public since the 1980s.

Molly Meldrum became a big part of the Australian music scene in the mid-1960s. He started by writing for Go-Set, a weekly newspaper for teens. Later, he became famous for his role on the TV show Countdown. As a record producer, he helped create many top ten hit songs. These included "The Real Thing" for Russell Morris and "Day by Day" for Colleen Hewett.

In 1985, Meldrum hosted Oz for Africa. This was the Australian part of the global Live Aid concert. The next year, he was given the Member of the Order of Australia award. This was for his work in helping international relief and supporting young people. He is known for supporting Australian popular music. His efforts have been recognized with several awards. These include an Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Award in 1993. In 2014, Meldrum was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame. His TV show Countdown was also honored. He was the first person who wasn't an artist to get this award.

On 15 December 2011, Meldrum had a serious fall from a ladder. He was in critical condition and needed surgery. By April 2012, he had recovered well enough to give interviews and return to work.

Early Life and Music Start

Ian Alexander Meldrum was born in Orbost, Victoria, on 29 January 1943. His father, Robert Meldrum, was a farmer and a soldier. His mother was Isobel Elizabeth. Molly has two younger brothers, Brian and Robert.

Molly moved around a lot as a child. He spent much of his early years with his grandmother in Quambatook. He went to primary school there with future country music star John Williamson. He also stayed with aunts and was raised in the Church of England. He developed an early interest in music, especially Gilbert and Sullivan and Giuseppe Verdi.

In the early 1960s, Molly moved to Melbourne. He briefly studied at Taylors College. He first wanted to be a disc jockey and went to radio school. He also spent time at the University of Melbourne. He would carry law books to eat lunch with law students, even though he wasn't officially enrolled.

Soon after, he moved in with his close friend, Ronnie Burns. Ronnie later became a pop star. Molly's two-week stay with the Burns family turned into nine years. In June 1964, during The Beatles' tour of Australia, Molly was seen on TV climbing on their car. He and Ronnie were even kicked out of a Beatles concert for being "too excited."

In 1964, Molly also became friends with Lynne Randell. She became a pop star in the 1960s. Later, she worked as Molly's personal assistant. Molly started his music career as a roadie for his friends' band, The Groop.

The Go-Set Years: 1966–1974

Go-Set was a weekly pop music newspaper. It started in February 1966. Molly began writing for it in July of that year. He became friends with the editor, Phillip Frazer. Molly's first story was about Ronnie Burns. Soon, he was writing a weekly gossip column and special articles. He continued until the paper closed in August 1974.

Molly's writing style was very personal. He often wrote about his own experiences in the music scene. During this time, he got his famous nickname, Molly. His friend and fellow Go-Set writer, Stan Rofe, gave him the name. Molly's nickname first appeared in print in 1968.

While at Go-Set, Molly also became the editor of Gas. This was a monthly magazine for younger teen girls. It featured bands like The Monkees.

Molly learned about record producing at Armstrong Studios in Melbourne. He watched studio owner Bill Armstrong and engineer Roger Savage. Molly helped with many artists' recordings. He was an unlisted assistant engineer for The Masters Apprentices' song "Living in a Child's Dream." He also produced the first three singles for Somebody's Image. Their song "Hush" reached No. 14 on the charts. Molly also managed Somebody's Image and became good friends with their lead singer, Russell Morris.

Molly also worked on a daily TV pop music show called Kommotion. He would mime to popular songs. His time on Kommotion ended in January 1967. This was because Actors Equity banned miming other artists' work. He then moved to another music show called Uptight.

In January 1968, Molly moved to London. He wrote for Go-Set about the English rock music scene. He met international contacts, including Paul McCartney and John Lennon. He returned to Australia for his mother's funeral in May.

In September, he became Russell Morris's manager and producer. Molly produced Morris's first solo single, "The Real Thing". This song was originally written by Johnny Young. Molly worked with engineer John Sayers to make it a big, complex song. It was six minutes long, which was very unusual then. They added many instruments and sound effects. The song cost a lot to make for its time. "The Real Thing" was released in March 1969. It became a national number-one hit for Morris. It is still seen as one of Australia's best pop-rock songs. Molly also produced Morris's second number-one hit, "Part Three into Paper Walls."

Molly also produced other hits, like Ronnie Burns' "Smiley" in 1969. He continued writing for Go-Set and other magazines. He traveled to the UK and US, meeting many music stars. He even got an exclusive interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono. Lennon first announced The Beatles were breaking up in this interview.

After returning to Australia in late 1970, Molly kept writing for music magazines. He also went back to TV as a music reporter on Happening '70. In 1971, he became good friends with Elton John during John's first Australian tour. By September 1972, Molly was assistant editor for Go-Set. He stayed with the paper until it closed in August 1974. After Go-Set, Molly wrote for Listener-In TV and TV Week.

The Countdown Years: 1974–1987

In 1974, Molly was asked to be the talent scout for a new TV music show. This show was called Countdown. It was based on the British show Top of the Pops. Countdown started on 8 November 1974. Molly was the show's talent coordinator. At first, he didn't appear on screen.

By mid-1975, Molly started giving a weekly "Rock Report." This was later called "Humdrum." He became the face of the show. In "Humdrum," Molly would interview stars and talk about new music. Countdown became very popular. It was the most successful TV music program in Australia. It had a big impact on the local music scene.

The show helped make stars of Australian bands like Skyhooks and Sherbet. Countdown also used music videos a lot. This helped new songs and artists become popular. Molly produced the first album for Supernaut in 1976. He also helped The Ferrets get a record deal. He started producing their album, Dreams of a Love. Their song "Don't Fall in Love" became a No. 2 hit.

Countdown also helped international artists become famous in Australia. These included ABBA, Meat Loaf, Blondie, and Madonna. Molly traveled overseas and became friends with many artists. This helped Countdown get exclusive interviews.

Molly's on-screen style was unique. He sometimes rambled or asked confusing questions. When reviewing an album, he would often hold it awkwardly. He famously told viewers to "do yourself a favour" when recommending music. This became one of his well-known phrases. Other catchphrases included "So watch out for that one" and "So there you go!"

In October 1977, Molly interviewed Rod Stewart in New York. Stewart gave Molly a long interview, even though he was avoiding the press. In July 1978, a newspaper called Molly "sometimes outrageous, accident-prone and stumbling." But it also said he was an "authority in the industry."

In 1980, Molly's friend Lynne Randell became his personal assistant. From 1980 to 1987, Countdown presented music awards. Molly helped organize these events. In 1981, Molly co-hosted the awards with Suzi Quatro and Jermaine Jackson.

In February 1985, Molly was named King of Moomba. On 13 July, he hosted the Oz for Africa concert. This was part of the global Live Aid event. In December, he organized a charity single to help fairy penguins. He produced a cover of "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" by The Incredible Penguins. Many famous Australian singers took part.

In 1986, Molly created a new show called The Meldrum Tapes. It featured long interviews with artists. Molly was known for some on-screen mistakes. One famous moment was when he interviewed Prince Charles in 1977. Molly said, "I saw your mum in London in a carriage!" Prince Charles replied, "Are you referring to Her Majesty the Queen?" This moment was not shown until later as an out-take.

Molly became a big star himself. He strongly supported Australian music. He often pushed radio stations to play more local songs. His efforts helped Countdown make songs and artists instant hits. The show was very important in Australian popular music. However, by the mid-1980s, its influence began to fade. This was partly due to other music video shows on TV.

The last episode of Countdown aired on 19 July 1987. Molly appeared wearing his cowboy hat. He thanked the music industry and fans. He then showed his shaved head, like Midnight Oil's Peter Garrett. He said he regretted that Midnight Oil had never appeared on the show. Musician Dave Warner said Molly was "loved, loathed, reviled, respected, but above all, watched."

In November 1998, a stage play called Countdown: The Musical Comedy was created. It featured Molly as a character. Molly also appeared on a tribute show in 2014. It celebrated Countdown's 40th anniversary.

After Countdown

After Countdown, Molly continued his work in music. In 1988, he started a regular music segment on Hey Hey It's Saturday. It was called "Molly's Melodrama." He traveled widely for interviews. He even interviewed each member of The Rolling Stones.

Molly also made a small appearance in the TV show Neighbours that year.

At the ARIA Music Awards of 1988, Molly was a presenter. He had a disagreement with a band manager. Later, in 1993, Molly received an ARIA Special Achievement Award. This was for his contributions to the music industry. He gave one of the longest acceptance speeches in the ceremony's history.

In 2004, Molly was a judge on Popstars Live. This was a TV talent show. He judged alongside Christine Anu and John Paul Young.

Molly's cowboy hat and his love for music are still well known. He has visited Egypt over 30 times. He is an amateur Egyptologist and collector. He showed his wide knowledge on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?. He won $500,000 for charity. He also appeared on Dancing with the Stars in 2006. He dressed as a pharaoh and danced to "Walk Like an Egyptian".

Molly Meldrum at the ARIA Music Awards of 2009

In September 2006, Molly's interview with Prince Charles on Countdown was listed as a top TV moment. Molly also co-authored a book in 2007, Molly Meldrum Presents 50 Years of Rock in Australia. He appeared in Hey Hey It's Saturday reunion specials in 2009.

In February 2010, Molly was again appointed King of Moomba. In November 2011, he introduced Prime Minister of Australia, Julia Gillard, at the ARIA Awards. Gillard inducted Kylie Minogue into the ARIA Hall of Fame.

On 15 April 2012, Molly was inducted into the Logie Hall of Fame. Elton John said Molly had done more for Australian music than anyone else. In November 2014, Molly and Countdown were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame. He was the first non-artist to receive this honor.

In 2016, a TV miniseries called Molly aired. It showed flashbacks of his life. Samuel Johnson played Molly. The series ended with Molly returning to public life after his accident. In November 2018, Molly was inducted into the Music Victoria Hall of Fame.

Personal Life

Molly Meldrum has an adult adopted son, Morgan Scholes. Morgan lives overseas and has a son, who is Molly's grandson. Molly's younger brother Brian is a former racing writer. His youngest brother Robert is an actor and director.

Since 1986, Molly has lived in Richmond, Melbourne. His house is called "Luxor" and has an Egyptian theme. Molly is a big fan of the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He also supports the Melbourne Storm in the National Rugby League (NRL).

In 2014, he published his autobiography, The Never, Um... Ever Ending Story: Life, Countdown and Everything in Between. He wrote it with journalist Jeff Jenkins. A second book, Ah Well, Nobody's Perfect: The Untold Stories, followed in 2016.

2011 Accident

Molly Meldrum, September 2011, two months before his accident.

On 15 December 2011, Molly Meldrum was found unconscious at his home. He was taken to Alfred Hospital in critical condition. He was believed to have fallen from a ladder. He had head and spinal injuries, a broken shoulder, broken ribs, and a punctured lung. He had surgery for his injuries.

By 27 December, his condition improved. His brother said Molly was speaking some words. On 8 January 2012, his brother Brian said Molly was breathing on his own. He was also having conversations. On 19 January, Molly moved to a rehabilitation center. In April, he gave his first public interview since the accident. Later in 2012, he interviewed Elton John and Katy Perry.

Awards and Honors

On Australia Day (26 January) 1986, Molly Meldrum was made a Member of the Order of Australia. This was for his service to international relief and to youth. At the ARIA Music Awards of 1993, he received a Special Achievement Award. This honored his contributions to popular music. In 1994, he received the Ted Albert Award at the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) Awards.

Music journalists Toby Creswell and Samantha Chenoweth called Molly "The single most important person in the Australian pop industry for forty years." In November 2014, he was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame. His TV show Countdown was also inducted. He was the first person who was not an artist to receive this honor. At the Music Victoria Awards of 2018, Molly was inducted into the Music Victoria Hall of Fame.

Discography

Molly Meldrum's production work includes:

• The Masters Apprentices ("Living in a Child's Dream", 1967) (audio engineer)
• Somebody's Image ("Heat Wave", September 1967; "Hush", November; "Hide and Seek", April 1968)
• Russell Morris ("The Real Thing", "Part Three into Paper Walls", both 1969)
• Ronnie Burns ("Smiley", 1970)
• Colleen Hewett ("Day by Day", 1972)
• Various Artists (Godspell – Original Australian Cast, 1972)
• Supernaut ("I Like It Both Ways", 1976)
• The Ferrets ("Don't Fall in Love", Dreams of a Love, 1977)
• Cheetah ("Walking in the Rain", 1978)
• The Incredible Penguins and various artists ("Happy Xmas (War Is Over)", 1985)

See also

• Molly: Do Yourself a Favour (2015)