Raised and schooled in the small Blue Mountain town of Lawson, Greg wasn’t the inspired scholar his mother may have desired, always looking out the window over the mountains to the outback where he longed to go, thriving on the stories of droving and mustering camps. So at the tender age of fifteen, he left school for the outback, hitchhiking out to Wilcannia near Broken Hill where he found employment as a jackaroo on the 200 000 acre Marra Station.
Greg took to the bush life readily, becoming head stockman after two years of working with aboriginal stockmen. He learned how to do the usual mustering and branding, and excelled in the art of horse breaking and training. It was while working at this trade that Greg learned to sing the many country songs that were to play such a large part in his later life.
Leaving Wilcannia after four years, Greg toured most of Queensland and the Northern Territory. He worked at everything from the buffalo camps in the Northern Territory, fencing in Central Queensland and mustering camps on the Diamantina Channel where the homestead wasn’t sighted for weeks at a time. Whether around the campfires or at a pub on trips to town, Greg was the life of many a party.
City lights proved to have strong allure for Greg on moving to Rockhampton for a stint of truck driving and stockwork at the local meatworks. A job of bouncing at a nightclub got Greg interested in the nightlife and world of bands and entertainment. Always having wanted to play guitar, Greg picked up all he could from travelling muso’s and worked weekends as a roadie, learning about the in’s and out’s of lighting and sound enforcement.
However, it was back to the bush life for Greg after a couple of years of city life. While horsebreaking in the Clermont area, Greg developed another interest in the form of Marie, a farmer’s daughter whom he married, making Clermont his home.
It was when he came to Clermont that Greg first stared playing in bands and often singing in the bar of a local hotel. Although he was actually paid to play, the drinks far outweighed payment. Thus was the start of a new career line, somewhat late in life.
From playing with Troy Cassar-Daly and the Blue Heeler Band at the local B&S Ball, and with the Dead Ringer Band at the Emerald Country Music Spectacular, Greg picked up some of the tricks that go with performing and also was encouraged to further his music career. Highlights include being the support act for Lee Kernaghan and Gina Jeffreys at Coppabella, and for Anne Kirkpatrick and Dragon at Moranbah. Also, he has been invited to appear in the Emerald Country Music Spectacular each year.
Branching into the recording area after attending songwriting workshops in Tamworth, Greg teamed up with a mate from Clermont, Phil Hodgkinson, releasing a single with two songs, "Growing Up" and "Love Keeps Them Here". Phil has since gone on to produce a book of his poetry, and becoming a finalist in the Tamworth Bush Poets competition.
Ray Doyle, a seasoned keyboardist from Ballarat, Victoria, was also very supportive of Greg’s endeavors in this direction, assisting in the production of both his albums. "Fresh Air Don’t Pay the Bills", the first album to be released, had four original songs and was widely supported by community radio stations and received very well by the public.
This encouraged Greg to release his second album, "Something A Little Stronger", to aspire him to fame and fortune. Consisting mainly of original material, Greg wrote two songs with "The Party Ain’t Over" coming second in the New Zealand Golden Guitar Awards in the songwriting section; Phil Hodgkinson and Greg doing two songs together; and Paul Hotchkiss, an American who has written hits for Dolly Parton and Mark Chesnut, among other, providing six songs.
The album, "Something A Little Stronger", has since won Country Album of the Year in the Queensland Sunnie Awards.
By travelling to so many different places, Greg has made many new friends and met up with many old mates. These people put the icing on Greg’s very full cake. With a wife, daughter and two sons behind him, as well as some great support from radio presenters and industry media, 1997 is a great year for Greg.
So look for something a little stronger in your life!!!
The song currently playing is Dieseline Cowboy from Something A Little Stronger
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