Kevin Shegog

Kevin Joseph Alfred Shegog,{{cite web |publisher=APRA AMCOS (Australasian Performing Right Association, Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society) |title=Song Catalogue Search Results for 'Little Kangaroo' |url=https://www.apraamcos.com.au/works-search?works=true&title=Little%20Kangaroo&writer=&performer=Kevin%20Shegog |access-date=26 December 2024 }} was born on 20 August 1933 in Lower Turner Marsh near Launceston, Tasmania to Joseph (1902–1995) and Elvie Shegog ({{née}} 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.{{cite web |url=http://www.howlspace.com.au/comeback/index1204a.htm |title=Come Back Again... with Chris Spencer |first=Chris |last=Spencer |editor=Ed Nimmervoll |website=HowlSpace |via=National Library of Australia |archive-url=https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20120726201030/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/14231/20120727-0512/www.howlspace.com.au/comeback/index1204a.htm |archive-date=27 July 2012 |access-date=25 December 2024 }} 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.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article225928481 |title=Longford Concert |newspaper=The Examiner |volume=CXII |issue=69 |location=Launceston, Tas. |date=3 June 1953 |access-date=25 December 2024 |page=6 |via=National Library of Australia }} 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. They 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.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51396413 |title=Listen Here with Ainslie Baker |first=Ainslie |last=Baker |newspaper=The Australian Women's Weekly. Teenagers' Weekly |volume=28 |issue=29 |date=21 December 1960 |access-date=25 December 2024 |page=11 |via=National Library of Australia }} It had been issued earlier that year by fellow Country and Western singer, Johnny Ashcroft.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article56654991 |title=Listen Here with Ainslie Baker |first=Ainslie |last=Baker |newspaper=The Australian Women's Weekly. Teenagers Weekly |volume=28 |issue=5 |date=6 July 1960 |access-date=25 December 2024 |page=7 |via=National Library of Australia }} 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.{{cite web |url=http://www.poparchives.com.au/featuref26b.html | title=Feature Item: Kevin Shegog 'Wolverton Mountain' |first=Lyn |last=Nuttall |website=poparchives.com.au |via=National Library of Australia |archive-url=https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20070704050349/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/43557/20070704-1254/www.poparchives.com.au/featuref26b.html |archive-date=4 July 2007 |access-date=26 December 2024 }} 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.{{cite web |url=http://www.hotkey.net.au/~gwcoad/Tassie%20history.htm |title=Tassie History |website=hotkey.net.au |date=8 April 2004 |via=National Library of Australia |archive-url=https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20041214092250/http://www.hotkey.net.au/~gwcoad/Tassie%20history.htm |archive-date=14 December 2004 |access-date=27 December 2024 }}

Shegog married Shirley May (née Haas) (1936–1981).{{cite web |url=https://www.boxhillhistoricalsociety.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Newsletter-February_2021.pdf |title=Newsletter-February 2021 |website=boxhillhistoricalsociety.com.au |date=February 2021 |issue=1 |volume=27 |via=National Library of Australia |archive-url=https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20230518051933/https://www.boxhillhistoricalsociety.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Newsletter-February_2021.pdf |archive-date=18 May 2023 |access-date=27 December 2024 }} Shegog and Haas were dating by August 1954.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article265143310 |title=Social News |newspaper=Saturday Evening Express |volume=25 |issue=24 |location=Launceston, Tas. |date=28 August 1954 |access-date=25 December 2024 |page=14 |via=National Library of Australia}} 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.

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.

In 1983, Shegog was inducted into the Australian Country Music 'Hands of Fame' cornerstone.{{cite web|title=The Australian Country Music Hands of Fame |url=http://www.countrymusichalloffame.com.au/HandsOfFame/Shegog_Kevin.htm |accessdate=5 March 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321090632/http://countrymusichalloffame.com.au/HandsOfFame/Shegog_Kevin.htm |archive-date=21 March 2012 }}

{{Reflist}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20120321090632/http://countrymusichalloffame.com.au/HandsOfFame/Shegog_Kevin.htm Kevin Shegog at the Country Music Hall of Fame Website (Australia)]

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Category:1933 births

Category:2000 deaths

Category:Australian baritones

Category:Australian country singer-songwriters

Category:Musicians from Tasmania

Category:20th-century Australian male singers

Category:Australian male singer-songwriters

Category:20th-century Australian singer-songwriters