George Assang (1927–1997), also known by his stage name Vic Sabrino, was an Australian jazz and blues singer and actor from Thursday Island, Queensland, Australia. He performed under his own name and the stage name Vic Sabrino. Assang was of Aboriginal, Pacific Islander and Asian descent.
Assang was briefly married to actress Rowena Wallace in 1973; they divorced the following year.
Music career As Vic Sabrino, he may have made the first Australian rock and roll recording, with "Rock Around the Clock", but whether he recorded it before or after American Bill Haley, who the song is best known has never been established, a single he recorded with French jazz artist Red Perksey (Born; Siegbert Perlstein, in Berlin, Germany (1921–1995), known professionally as Robert Bernard "Red" Perksey (Jazz trumpeter, pianist, singer, composer, music director, orchestra leader and A and R) and His orchestra included this recording as a B-side. His version of the song has been described as having a distinct difference from Haley's more rock sounding recording, and said to more resemble a jazz-swing style more in the vein of Dean Martin.
This single may have been recorded in 1955, some three years before Johnny O'Keefe's recording of "Wild One" in 1958.The Age 4 June 2005 Discovered: rock'n'roll's scratchy start
Filmography
Television
Vic Sabrino Sings (1958) Skippy the bush Kangaroo (1968) Hunter (1968) Barrier ReefGreat Australian Television: Barrier Reef, http://www.classicaustraliantv.com/BarrierReef1.htm (1971–1972) Spyforce (1971) Boney (1972) Number 96 (1974)
Film
The Intruders (1969) And Millions Will Die (1973) Dot and the Kangaroo (1977)IMDb: George Assang, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0039768/, accessed 22 August 2012
Discography
George Assang with Trevor Jones' Orchestra "Daughter of Mona Lisa" (1955) Mercury
George and Ken Assang Just A Closer Walk (1965) Philips "Songs From Down Under" – The Colonials (1967) Phillips PD 200
Vic Sabrino "Dust in the Sun / Who Needs You" Festival
with Red Perksey & His Orchestra and Sheila Sewell "The End of the Affair/Drifting Along" Pacific AUS #19
with Red Perksey & His Orchestra "The Magic of Love/(We're gonna) Rock Around the Clock" (1955) Pacific "Merry-go-round/Time For Parting" (1955) Pacific "Blue Suede Shoes/Heartbreak Hotel" (1956) Pacific
with Dave Owens and his Blue Boys with The Blue Notes "Long, Long Lane/Painted Doll" (1957) Festival
with Gus Merzi's Orchestra and with Harry Willis Orchestra; and The Belltones & Iris Mason Singers "Fraulein/Hitch-Hiking Heart" (1957) Festival
with Graeme Bell and his Skiffle band "Sweet Georgia Brown/ Freight Train" (1957) Columbia "John Henry/Don't You Rock Me, Daddy-O" (1957) Columbia "The Gospel Train/Come Skiffle Chicken" (1957) Columbia "Gamblin' Man/Skiffle Board Blues" (1957) Columbia
References
THE FIRST WAVE: Australian rock & pop recordings, 1955–1963 by Ross Laird (pdf) Australian Popular Music Recordings 1955–1969 by Ross Laird (pdf)
External links Pop Archives feature National Library of Australia Biographical cuttings on Vic Sabrino, actor and singer