Jeff Apter at the Spice Cellar

Jeff Apter at the Spice Cellar

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Posted 2013-07-31 by Sandra Moorefollow

Tue 30 Jul 2013

In the dark and dim basement of the Chambers at Martin Place, sits a mystical bar call The Spice Cellar where Author Jeff Apter was promoting his new book, Johnny O'Keefe, Australia's first King and human dynamo.



Jeff's inspiration came from stories his father had told him about the legend rocker. Stories that would make your hair curl in some instances and then make you cry in others.



Jeff's biography of Johnny O'Keefe (JOK) speaks of Johnny's triumph with songs like Shout, The Wild One and how JOK played a huge part in establishing the Australian Music is industry. My take on Jeff's words were that Johnny O'Keefe was to Australia what Elvis Presley was to the US. Funny enough, Elvis was Johnny's icon and, like Elvis, Johnny died of a heart attack at the age of 43 (yes 1 year older than EP) but his memory lives on.

Jeff's admiration came from knowing that JOK constantly reinvented himself with every knock and breakdown, Johnny came back with something new and something different, from Shout to hosting Six O'clock Rock, this wild rocker didn't leave anything to chance and gave it all his best.

Introducing Jeff to the stage was his publisher, Matthew Kelly, a man familiar with all of Jeff's writings. I was honoured to meet Mark Evans, the world's loudest acoustic guitarist and, an absolute pleasure to share a table with JOK's photographer, Phillip Morris.



Johnny's demons tormented him. His addiction to marijuana and love for his family saw his fear of being a catholic and the guilt for his life drive him into two nervous breakdowns, which he spoke openly about back in the 70's, a time when mental health was not spoken of, something people just 'didn't do'. Then being brave enough to become a mental health activist was and is still admired in the 'wild one' as he was known.



The night was a history lesson on the life and death of a man who died in 1978 at the age of 43. JOK always said life began at 42, he would never have known, however the memory of the Australian King lives on through the eyes of an author, the hearts of friends and lovers of old Rock.

#literary
#fun_things_to_do
#books_writing
#city
#july
!date 30/07/2013 -- 30/07/2013
%wnsydney
172028 - 2023-06-15 09:52:39

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