Kevin Joseph Alfred Shegog (20 August 19339 November 2000) was an Australian country music singer from rural Tasmania. From 1960 to 1962 he released three top 40 singles, "Little Kangaroo", a cover version of Claude King's hit "Wolverton Mountain" and "One Small Photograph".
Biography Kevin Joseph Alfred Shegog, was born on 20 August 1933 in Lower Turner Marsh near Launceston, Tasmania to Joseph (1902–1995) and Elvie Shegog ( Briant, 1910–1989). His parents were dairy farmers. When he was nine years old, Shegog taught himself to play guitar by listening to country songs on radio. He was also a member of the choir at Lower Turner Marsh State School. At the age of fourteen, he started performing at venues and began to write songs. He performed "western music" at a concert in Longford in June 1953. In 1955 the singer relocated to Melbourne (and later to Shepparton, Victoria) and joined the Gold-Toppers. He recorded his first tracks in 1959 with Planet Records, Melbourne, who released recordings by The Andre Schuster Ensemble and Judy Banks.Punk Journey - AUSTRALIAN RECORD LABELS, INDEPENDENT AUSTRALIAN LABELS 1955 to 1990 COMPILED BY MICHAEL DE LOOPER Page 150 PLANET RECORDS, EP’S, PZ 017 IN EXOTIC RHYTHM ANDRE SCHUSTER ENSEMBLE; PZ 018 SALAD DAYS JUDY BANKS Shegog's Planet recordings appeared on a five-track extended play, Deep Down in Shegog (1959) and include his cover versions of "Riders in the Sky", "High Noon", "Mule Train" and "The Cry of the Wild Goose".
Kevin Shegog and the Gold-Toppers released Shegog's written single, "Little Kangaroo", in late 1960 via W&G Records. It had been issued earlier that year by fellow Country and Western singer, Johnny Ashcroft. It depicts Ned Kelly's girlfriend "The Roo". Shegog's most popular single, "Wolverton Mountain" (1962), is a rendition of Claude King's song, which was released in the United States in the same year. A W&G executive had learned of King's proposed single and arranged for the Australian to record it before the US version had appeared. Shegog's version reached No. 3 on the Melbourne singles chart. His next charting single, "Fall Out Shelter" (1962) reached the top 40. Shegog continued touring into the mid-1970s.
Personal life Shegog married Shirley May (née Haas) (1936–1981). Shegog and Haas were dating by August 1954. n.b.: includes photo The couple had five children, Dallas, Susan, Lorena, Angela and Travis (1972–1994). From 1970 the family lived in Melbourne's suburbs of Preston, Reservoir and then Box Hill. Shegog was a distant cousin of Vivian Bullwinkel.
Death Shegog died on 9 November 2000 in Wallaroo, South Australia at the age of 67 from complications of a stroke he had seven years earlier. His ashes were buried with Shirley and Travis in Springvale, Victoria.
Legacy In 1983, Shegog was inducted into the Australian Country Music 'Hands of Fame' cornerstone.
Discography
Albums TitleLabelYear Kevin Shegog W&G 1962 Country Concert W&G 1962 Great Country & Western Songs W&G 1963 Kevin Shegog's Greatest Hits W&G 1964 A History of Country and Western Music W&G 1965 The Kevin Shegog Album W&G 1965 The Best of Kevin Shegog Master 1966 Kevin Shegog Goes Nashville W&G 1968 Big Country Songs W&G 1970 Modern Country Songs W&G 1972 Rodeo Man W&G 1973 Kevin Shegog W&G 1974 Honky Tonk Girl R&H 1985
Compilation albums Title Label Year Greatest Hits W&G n/a Ballad of a Hillbilly Singer Canetoad Records 2004
Extended plays
TitleLabelYear Deep Down in Shegog Planet Records 1959 The Best of Kevin Shegog W&G 1960 Songs of Praise W&G 1962 Wolverton Mountain W&G 1962 King of Country & Western W&G 1964 Great Country & Western Songs (Vol, 2) W&G 1964 One Small Photograph W&G 1964 Kevin Shegog Sings Favourites W&G 1965
Singles TitleLabelYear "Little Kangaroo" W&G 1960 "My Blues & Me" W&G 1961 "One Small Photograph" W&G 1961 "I'm So in Love with You" W&G 1961 "A Prayer for Baby" W&G 1961 "Jambalaya" W&G 1961 "Wayward Rambler" W&G 1961 "Knoxville Girl" W&G 1961 "Big Old Lazy River" W&G 1962 "Fall-Out Shelter" W&G 1962 "Your Answer to Me" W&G 1962 "I'm on the Right Road Now" W&G 1962 "Cutie" W&G 1962 "I Can't Stop Loving You" W&G 1962 "Oh Gee, What's Wrong with Me" W&G 1962 "Wolverton Mountain" W&G 1962 "You Weren't Invited, but You Were There" n/a 1962 "Cowboy Boots " n/a 1963 "Love Me a Little Bit" n/a 1963 "From Here On" n/a 1963 "Lorena" n/a 1963 "I've Got the World by the Tail" n/a 1963 "Silent Tears" n/a 1963 "Talk Back Trembling Lips" W&G 1963 "Wealthy John" n/a 1963 "The Strange Little Melody" n/a 1963 "When I Gave You My Heart" n/a 1963 "Don't Bug the Beatles" n/a 1964 "If You Were in My Shoes" n/a 1964 "Great Big Casey" n/a 1964 "Pretty Blue Ribbons" n/a 1964 "Saginaw, Michigan" n/a 1964 "A Huggin' and a Kissin'" n/a 1964 "It Hurts So Much (To See You Go)" n/a 1965 "Phar Lap (The Red Terror)" n/a 1965 "Johnny Was a Friend of Mine" n/a 1965 "Apple Blossom Belle" n/a 1967 "Sault St. Marie" n/a 1967 "Teacher's Pet" n/a 1968 "Miss Personality" n/a 1968 "Little Frisco" n/a 1970" Little Curly Hair in a Highchair" n/a 1970 "Melbourne Airport, Tullamarine" n/a 1971 "Ballad of Hillbilly Smith" n/a 1971 "Redbacks Don't Eat Meat" n/a 1971 "Daddy Frank" n/a 1971 "Top Forty" n/a 1971
References
External links Kevin Shegog at the Country Music Hall of Fame Website (Australia)