Post 716 - Nev Nicholls & His Country Playboys - Hit The Road Jack

Born on th 16th September 1930 at Millthorpe in the central west of NSW,  (which is only about 30 minute drive from where I live) Nev Nicholls spent his childhood on a farm at Tallwood. Tallwood is not a town merely a district of small farms and in the depression years it was a grind for the whole family to eke out an existence. In the early forties the family moved to a larger property in the Blaney area. Despite the move the work load never changed. On a mixed farming property there was always the daily grind, milking cows, planting crops.. peas, patoes, corn, wheat, turnips etc. And also tending a flock of sheep, shearing, crutching and lambing, it finally found a breaking point for our Nev. After travelling to Sydney on his motor cycle to appear on "Australia's Amateur Hour" and later on "Tim McNamara's Talent Quest" the call of the big smoke got to be too strong.  Nev had been playing guitar since the age of 11, learning mainly on songs of Buddy Williams whose influence is apparent in Nev's early records. Alan Crawford, manager of Southern Music Publishers, discovered Nev at a studio where he was recording some songs on acetate. He signed him to a publishing contract and also introduced Nev to Regal Zonophone Records who also signed him up. Having a record around helped to get established in Sydney and his early efforts included some appearances on the "McKean Sisters Show" on radio 2KY. Nev recalls his first meeting with "Slim Dusty" on one of those occasions that was in the days before Slim and Joy were married. In 1957 Nev did his first country tour with "The Reg Lindsay Show" up the north coast of NSW. On that show were: Reg Lindsay, Heather McKean, Rick & Thel Carey, Judy Stone and comedian Freddy Merideth also part of that troupe was Chad Morgan. Chad and Nev shared a caravan for the two weeks and when the group returned to Sydney the touring bug was alive and well. Reg had a lot of commitments and was not in a position to embark on extended tours at that time so Nev, Chad and Rick & Thel enrolled Kevin King in a new show which was called "The All Star Western Show" which also included fiddle player Peter Mollerson. After little more than a year there were many personality clashes and that show broke up. In 1968 Nev got a call to audition for a night club job in Kings Cross and that led to a ten year stint at the famous "Texas Tavern".  The Texas Tavern wasn't a job. It was an unforgettable event. Playing for American servicemen on R&R from Vietnam, meeting celebrities who were making appearances at the Chevron Hotel across the street, and being accepted in the local population, as country music had never been accepted before.  This is why Nev wrote "I Like Beer".  Five Years into the Texas tavern Nev signed with RCA records to do an album of truckin' songs. "Keep On Truckin'" was the vanguard of more than twenty albums in the years to follow. These albums yielded five "Gold" albums and also an instrumental which won a "Gold Guitar" in the "Australasian Country Music Awards" in 1975. All good things usually come to an end and the Texas Tavern gig finished in 1978 when new owners took over. Here for you to download is his 1976 album from 1976 for RCA “Hit The Road Jack” (VAL1 0117) produced by Rocky Thomas. In 1992 Nev was inducted into the "Australasian Country Music Roll Of Renown" at Tamworth, the most prestigious award in Australian Country Music. Nev had always been a prolific writer and besides recording vast numbers of his own songs he had also had many covered by other artists among these are: "Reg Lindsay", Chad Morgan", Frankie Davidson", "Johnny Garfield", Terry Gordon", "The Wayfarers", "Truckin Stevens" and by no means least his long time friend "Lucky Grills". Lucky and Nev shared an album in 1998, a truckies album of course, titled "Ya Wanna Screw Driver".Together with all his activities and four marriages behind him it's little wonder Nev says "If I had my life to live over, I don't think I'd have the strength". Thanks to Tim for sending me this LP for the Blog. Flac