Ross Hannaford

Ross Hannaford
Birth name Ross Andrew Hannaford
Also known as Hanna
Born 1 December 1950
Genres Rock and roll, progressive rock
Occupation(s) guitarist, songwriter
Instruments Singing, guitar, harmonica
Years active 1960s–present
Labels Sparmac
Wizard
Sony/BMG
Liberation
Associated acts The Pink Finks
The Party Machine
Sons of the Vegetal Mother
Daddy Cool
Mighty Kong
Website myspace.com/rosshannafordtrio

Ross Andrew Hannaford (born 1 December 1950) is an Australian musician. He is often referred to by his nickname "Hanna". Widely regarded as one of the country's finest rock guitarists, he is best known for his long collaboration with singer-songwriter Ross Wilson, which began as teenagers, and with whom he formed the seminal early '70s Australian rock band Daddy Cool.

Biography

Main article: The Pink Finks

Hannaford and Wilson first teamed up in the hometown of Melbourne in early 1965, in the R&B band The Pink Finks, which enjoyed moderate local success.[1] This was followed by the more progressively-oriented The Party Machine,[2] They released a single "You've All Gotta Go" in 1969; their printed songbooks were confiscated and burned by the Victorian Vice Squad for being obscene and seditious.[2][3] The Party Machine disbanded in 1969, with Wilson travelling to London.

After a short stint in the UK, Wilson returned to Australia and reunited with Hannaford ca. 1970 in the even more avant garde Sons of the Vegetal Mother, which embodied Wilson's enthusiasm for the music of Frank Zappa.[4]

Main article: Daddy Cool (band)

This band eventually evolved into Daddy Cool, which had started out as an informal offshoot of the Vegetals but soon overtook. After the release of their hugely successful debut single "Eagle Rock" and their debut LP Daddy Who? Daddy Cool, the band became one of the most popular and successful rock acts of the decade, breaking all previous sales records for an Australian act.

Hannaford's unique guitar stylings won wide praise from critics and his goofy stage presence, distinctive baritone voice and trademark 'helicopter' cap made him a favourite with fans. He also wrote several of the group's songs and co-designed the sleeve of their second album, Sex, Dope, Rock'n'Roll: Teenage Heaven.

After the first split of Daddy Cool at the end of 1972, Wilson and Hannaford formed the short-lived Mighty Kong with former members of Spectrum and Company Caine and they recorded one album, All I Wanna Do Is Rock, but they split just after the record was released.

Daddy Cool reformed in 1974 and continued until 1976, when they split again. Hannaford and Wilson's last collaboration in this period was on the soundtrack for the 1976 movie Oz.[5]

Hannaford subsequently did a considerable amount of session work and played in many bands. His group and recording credits including The Black Sorrows, Paul Madigan & The Humans, Ian Moss, Steve Hoy, Mark Gillespie, Billy T, Ram Band and Goanna. In the 1990s he and his band Dianna Kiss had a long-standing residency at the famous Esplanade Hotel in St Kilda, Melbourne.

In 2005 the original members of Daddy Cool reunited for a one-off performance at a Melbourne benefit concert in aid of the Asian Tsunami disaster, and this led to the 2006 reformation of the group and the recording of a new single and album.

In November 2007, the original Daddy Cool line-up reformed for a national tour of Australia with the Beach Boys & Christopher Cross. The tour took in Melbourne, Hunter Valley, Adelaide, Perth, Wollongong & Sydney.

Discography

Main article: Daddy Cool (band)

References

  1. ↑ "Long Way to the Top". ABC-TV. Retrieved 6 May 2008.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "The early years". Mike Rudd and Bill Putt. Retrieved 7 May 2008.
  3. ↑ "Ross Wilson". Sound Vault Records. Retrieved 7 May 2008.
  4. ↑ "Sons of the Vegetal Mother". Milesago. Retrieved 7 May 2008.
  5. ↑ "Oz (1976) soundtrack". IMDb. Retrieved 16 May 2008.

External links