Buddy Holly/Jerry Lee Lewis/Paul Anka/Jodie Sands/Johnny O'keefe Australian tour 1958

this is another new segment on Rockin Luke as we look at the rock'n'roll tours of Australia from the 50's,60's and 70's from the well known tours and to some that don't get a lot of mention so let's start off with the Buddy Holly tour of Australia in 1958.
Buddy holly & the Crickets/Jerry lee Lewis/Paul Anka/Jodie Sands/Johnny O'Keefe and the Dee Jays- The Big Show
promoter-Lee Gordon
Buddy Holly and the Crickets-Buddy Holly,Jerry Allison & joe B Mauldin
Jerry lee Lewis
Paul Anka
Jodie Sands
Johnny O"Keefe and the Dee jays- Johnny O'Keefe , John"Catfish" Purser, dave Owens, Johnny greenan, Lou Casch and Keith Williams
Dates-
Sydney Stadium January 30th 1958
Newcastle January 31st
Sydney Stadium February 1st
Cloudland Ballroom Brisbane February 3rd
West Melbourne Stadium February 4th and 5th
This tour in 1958 was the only Australian tour that Buddy holly ever did as well as the tour of the UK an month later as he would be killed in a plane crash an year with the big Bopper and Ritchie Valens in Clear Lake Iowa after finishing the show @ the Surf ballroom and there was even talk of buddy coming back to Australia when the crash occured. On that 1958 tour Johnny O'Keefe opened the shows along with Jodie Sands, Jerry lee lewis, Buddy holly and Paul Anka who closed the shows. This tour was the 2nd for Johnny O'Keefe and the Dee Jays as they toured with gene Vincent/Little Richard/Eddie Cochran tour in october 1957 and it was early january 1958 that Johnny O'keefe recorded the song that not only give him his first hit as well as the first Australian record to hit the Australian top 40 charts but would give him the name that he would be remembered for which was the Wild One(Real Wild CHild) which Jerry Allison did an version of it under the name "Ivan" as well as Jerry lee Lewis. Jodie Sands an 18 year old singer who was from Philadelphia who ahd an record in the charts with "All My heart". Jerry Lee Lewis who was from Ferriday, Louisiana who had been on the scene since 1957 with hits like Whole Lotta Shakin Goin On and Great balls Of Fire which was in the charts at the time which he was recording for the Sun label. Buddy Holly and the Crickets who been on the scene since 1957 with that'll be the Day, Peggy Sue and Oh Boy and had been an quartet with Jerry allison on drums, Joe b mauldin on Bass and Niki Sullivan on guitar until he left by the end of 57 just before the tour. Buddy was the first white rocker who wrote his own material as well as producing and with the Crickets set the standard of the 2 guitars,bass and drums which would influence people like the Beatles,the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, the Hollies and others. Paul Anka an Canadian who had just started at the time which he was an singer/songwriter which was rare back then signed up with ABC Paramount and he had first international hit with Diana an number 1 hit all around the world and had toured with Buddy holly before on the Biggest Show of Stars for 1957 tour in September 1957 as well as writing the single for Buddy which would be a hit after Buddy's death in 1959 "It Does'nt Matter Anymore. The Australian tour was a success with sell out shows with shows in Sydney,Newcastle,Brisbane and Melbourne which the Brisbane show was at the Cloudland ballroom in Bowen hills as the brisbane Stadium was dismantled and the Festival Hall was constructed but not yet ready so special seating plans were devised and both shows were sell outs despite the difficult access on a steep hill. Buddy was undoubtedly the star on the tour which even Jerry Lee Lewis said it as well in a interview and Lennie Holmes an part time disc jockey on 3SA in Melbourne did an interview with the stars at the international Hotel in broadbeach prior to the shows in brisbane as well as Pat Barton doing an interview with Buddy backstage @ Newcastle Stadium.