Simon Gallaher
{{Short description|Australian musician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1958|10|24|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Brisbane, Australia
| occupation = {{hlist|Actor| singer| director| pianist}}
}}
Simon Gallaher (born 24 October 1958)[https://web.archive.org/web/20060818062318/http://www.abc.net.au/talkingheads/txt/s1691802.htm Simon Gallaher biography] is an Australian singer, actor, director and pianist. He teaches Mouth Organ at Jomamma Music School Tamborine Mountain.
Biography
Gallaher was born in Brisbane and educated at the Anglican Church Grammar School.{{cite book|last=Mason|first=James|title=Churchie: The Centenary Register|year=2011|publisher=The Anglican Church Grammar School|location=Brisbane, Australia|isbn=978-0-646-55807-3}} and studied at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music.{{Cite web|url=https://www.qpac.com.au/corporate/about/organisational-structure/|title=Trust members|website=QPAC|access-date=3 January 2017}} Whilst studying, he joined the Queensland Light Opera Company.[http://www.davidspicer.com/ppm.htm Simon Gallaher interview] In 1977 he appeared on The Mike Walsh Show,{{Cite web|url=http://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2498653|title=Simon Gallaher interviewed by Bill Stephens [sound recording]|website=National Library Australia|access-date=3 January 2017}} he had his own television program, The Simon Gallaher Show on ABC-TV (1982–83), in which he sang and played the piano.
In 1979, Simon appeared again on The Mike Walsh Show, singing "Australia Be Proud" with the Marist Singers of NSW, with Artistic Director Paul Bateman.
With his own musical theatre company Essgee Entertainment, Gallaher produced and acted in stage productions of The Pirates of Penzance, H.M.S. Pinafore, The Mikado, The Merry Widow and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, among others.
For most of the 1980s his song "Australia Be Proud" was heard at the conclusion of each broadcast day on television station CTC Canberra, accompanied by a montage of video clips from across Australia. He and Jackie Love had a hit record "My Friend" written by Neil Sedaka.
In 2014 Gallaher returned to the stage to be reunited with Jon English for the first time in many years as they performed in Spamalot for Harvest Rain Theatre Company at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC). In 2015 he took over the role of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in the Australian production of Wicked and opened with it at the commencement of the Brisbane season. Gallaher recently directed a new production of his version of The Pirates of Penzance, which played at the QPAC to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Arts Centre and of the show's original opening.
He retired as deputy chair on the board of trustees of QPAC in 2018 and has been reappointed to the board of the Queensland Theatre Company (QTC). In 2018 he was appointed to the board of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra. He was formerly the chair of Harvest Rain Theatre Company (2012–15). He is patron to many arts organisations, including The Queensland Show Choir, Queensland Youth Symphony Orchestra, Spotlight Theatre Company, Gold Coast Theatre Alliance and the Canberra Area Theatre Awards. He is a member of Live Performance Australia (LPA) and sits on the Helpmann Awards nominating panel for Musical Theatre.
Personal life
Simon Gallaher married Lisa McKenney in 1990 and they have three children. She is the sister of Todd McKenney, with whom Gallaher had also had a relationship prior to marrying Lisa.{{cite web|url=https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity-life/simon-gallagher-and-wife-split-following-todd-mckenneys-bombshell-revelation/news-story/04d04541dac201de042ab18c7dfd0b85|title=Simon Gallaher and wife split following Todd McKenney's bombshell revelation|website=News.com.au|access-date=2022-04-06}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/nsw/all-eyes-on-todd-mckenney-ng-82068c65664e69e2363c10bc0b6143c8|title = All eyes on Todd's tipples|date = 19 June 2008}} They lived in Tamborine Mountain and had a property at Palm Beach on the Gold Coast.{{Cite web|url=http://citynews.com.au/2011/song%E2%80%99s-soul-mates/|title=Song's soul mates 19 October 2011|website=City News|access-date=3 January 2017}}{{cite web |url=https://joy.org.au/wordforword/2018/07/todd-mckenney/ |title=Todd McKenney {{!}} Word for Word |website=joy.org.au |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180730080359/https://joy.org.au/wordforword/2018/07/todd-mckenney/ |archive-date=2018-07-30}} They separated in April 2019.
Discography
=Studio and live albums=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1"
|+ List of albums, with Australian chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:12em;" | Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:20em;" | Album details ! scope="col" colspan="1" | Peak chart |
| scope="col" style="text-align:center;" | AUS {{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|authorlink=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|edition=illustrated|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, N.S.W.|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6|page=120}}{{cite book|last=Ryan|first=Gavin|title=Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010|year=2011|publisher=Moonlight Publishing|location=Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia|edition=pdf}} |
|---|
| scope="row" | Opening Night
|
| align="center" | 45 |
| scope="row" | All in Good Time
|
| align="center" | 59 |
| scope="row" | One Voice
|
| align="center" | 15 |
| scope="row" | Unforgettable
|
| align="center" | 40 |
| scope="row" | Rising
|
| align="center" | - |
=Soundtrack and cast albums=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1"
|+ List of compilations ! Title ! Album details |
| scope="row" | The Pirates of Penzance (Australian Cast Recording) (with Jon English, The Fabulous Singlettes & Toni Lamond) |
|
|---|
| scope="row" | Cyrano De Bergerac The Musical (with Normie Rowe, Penny Hay, The Prestige Symphony Orchestra and singers) |
|
=Compilations albums=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1"
|+ List of compilations ! Title ! Album details |
| scope="row" | Silver Anniversary Collection
|
|
|---|
=Singles=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1"
|+ List of singles, with selected chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Year ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:32em;" | Title ! scope="col" colspan="1" | Peak chart ! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Album |
| scope="col" style="text-align:center;" | AUS |
|---|
| rowspan="2"| 1980
! scope="row" | "Sleeping Like a Baby" | style="text-align:center;" | - |{{n/a|non album single}} |
| scope="row" | "I'm Really Only Singing for You"
| style="text-align:center;" | - |rowspan="3"| Opening Night |
| rowspan="2"| 1981
! scope="row" | "Australia Be Proud" | style="text-align:center;" | 68 |
| scope="row" | "I'm Already Falling"
| style="text-align:center;" | - |
| 1982
! scope="row" | "My Friend" | style="text-align:center;" | 27 | All In Good Time |
| 1984
! scope="row" | "Please Don't Call" | style="text-align:center;" | - | {{n/a|non album single}} |
Awards and nominations
=Logie Awards=
The Logie Awards (officially the TV Week Logie Awards) is an annual gathering to celebrate Australian television, sponsored and organised by magazine TV Week, with the first ceremony in 1959, known then as the TV Week Awards, the awards are presented in 20 categories representing both public and industry voted awards.{{Cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/05/05/1051987638589.html|title=Don't bet on it 5 May 2003|website=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=5 May 2003|access-date=3 January 2017}}
{{awards table}}
|-
| Simon Gallagher - in The Mike Walsh Show (Nine Network)
| Logie Award for Most Popular New Talent
| {{won}}
|}
=Mo Awards=
The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards (commonly known informally as the Mo Awards), were annual Australian entertainment industry awards. They recognise achievements in live entertainment in Australia from 1975 to 2016. Gallaher won three awards in that time.{{cite web|url=https://www.moawards.com.au/awardwinners|title=MO Award Winners|website=Mo Awards|access-date=16 March 2022}}
{{awards table}} (wins only)
|-
| 1980
| himself
| Encouragement Award
| {{won}}
|-
| 1981
| himself
| Vocal/ Instrumental Act
| {{won}}
|-
| 1982
| himself
| Vocal/ Instrumental Act
| {{won}}
|}
- Queenslander of the Year Commendation
- Advance Australia Award for his contributions to the arts
- Nominated for 2016 Helpmann award for Wicked (Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical)
Selected theatrical bibliography
- 1984–86 The Pirates of Penzance (performing - Frederic){{Cite web|url=http://wickedthemusical.com.au/index.php/wicked-new-wizard/|title=Wicked has a new wizard! 29 December 2014|website=Wicked the Musical|access-date=3 January 2017}}
- 1985 Hello Dolly (performer){{Cite web|url=https://www.ausstage.edu.au/pages/event/60695|title=Hello Dolly!|website=AusStage|access-date=3 January 2017}}
- 1987 The Student Prince (performer - Karl Franz){{Cite web|url=https://www.ausstage.edu.au/pages/event/101875|title=The Student Prince|website=AusStage|access-date=3 January 2017}}
- 1988 My Fair Lady (performer - Freddy Eynsford-Hill){{Cite web|url=https://www.ausstage.edu.au/pages/event/418|title=My Fair Lady|website=AusStage|access-date=3 January 2017}}
- 1994 The Pirates of Penzance (creator of stage production, performing - Frederic) (the video of the stage production was accredited triple-platinum and the cast recording received an ARIA Award){{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0302519/|title=Simon Gallaher|website=IMDb|access-date=3 January 2017}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/classic/content/2011/09/18/3312213.htm?print|title=A lyric tenor pirate and coloratura soprano daughter 18 September 2011|website=ABC|access-date=3 January 2017}}
- 1996 The Mikado (creator of stage production) (also released on video)
- 1997 HMS Pinafore (creator of stage production) (also released on video)
- 1998 A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Producer)
- 1999 Master Class (Producer){{Cite web|url=https://www.davidspicer.com.au/author/simon-gallaher|title=Simon Gallaher|website=David Spicer Productions|access-date=3 January 2017}}
- 1998/99 Merry Widow (creator of stage production and performer - Camille)
- 2001 The Pirates of Penzance (created revival production)
- 2004 Eureka (producer in Association with Melbourne International Arts Festival)
- 2008/09 The Mikado (producer)
- 2012 Hairspray (performer){{Cite web|url=http://www.stagewhispers.com.au/community-theatre/simon-gallaher-star-harvest-rain%E2%80%99s-production-hairspray|title=Simon Gallaher to star in Harvest Rain's Production of Hairspray|website=Stage Whispers|access-date=3 January 2017}}
- 2014 Spamalot (performer){{Cite web|url=http://www.harvestrain.com.au/spamalot|title=Spamalot|website=Harvest Rain|access-date=3 January 2017}}
- 2015 Wicked (performer - Wizard) Brisbane and Perth
- 2015 The Pirates of Penzance (director){{Cite web|url=http://bmag.com.au/your-brisbane/brisbane-extra/2015/02/16/thirty-years-of-treading-the-boards/|title=Thirty years of trading the boards 16 February 2015|website=Bmag|access-date=3 January 2017}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{AusStage|contributor/9472}}
- {{IMDb name|0302519}}
- {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060828033318/http://www.sydneystage.com.au/content/view/231/0/ |title=Simon Gallagher – Sydney Stage |date=dmy}}
- {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060823232048/http://davidspicer.com/ppm.htm |title=Simon Gallaher and EssGee – David Spicer Productions |date=dmy}}
- [http://essgee.com/html/simonprofile.html Simon Gallaher biography]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gallaher, Simon}}
Category:Australian male stage actors
Category:Australian male television actors
Category:People educated at Anglican Church Grammar School
Category:Australian male pianists
Category:21st-century Australian pianists