BRODERICK SMITH

Broderick Bio• Found as a baby under a tree on the Yorkshire Moors by gypsies • Sold by gypsies to visiting Americans Mr. and Mrs H.C.Speir • Speir couple name him Broderick Speir after actor Broderick Crawford and take him back to their home in Jackson, Mississippi • Spends early childhood on a small farm in Mississippi. Remembers the Speir's odd chicken coops made out of old 78 metal masters and helping Mr Speir take100's of 78s to the tip ( Brod recently bought the site of the old Jackson Tip and plans to excavate) • Still has rare Charley Patton recording of " Rudy Vallee stole my woman" b/w "J Edgar Hoover's ballroom gown" • On a visit to Nashville with the Speirs he sees Slim Dusty performing at the Grand Ole Opry • Transfixed, he resolves to move to Australia and take up this kind of music. • Gets job on the railway as a gandy dancer( track worker) • Hops on a freight train to Los Angeles • Gets job on cruise ship heading for Australia playing blues songs and minstrel novelties • Arrives in Australia where he ingratiates himself with the Smith family of St Albans Victoria and is adopted by them . Becomes Broderick Smith. • Sees Australian music for the first time on TV. The show is "Brian Henderson's Bandstand" • Discouraged, he abandons music for some time but embraces the Australian Way of Life • Excells at every sport.......gains lots of friends and becomes head prefect at school • Starts Home brewing in Mr Smith's shed.........gains more friends • Gets part time job at Four and Twenty pie factory to get free pies......even more friends • Leaves school for Melbourne job • Sees boy with Charley Patton album in City street in early sixties • Strikes up friendship and discovers Melbourne Folk/Jazz scene • Goes to Frank Traynor's and is beaten up by young men with chin beards, dressed in tan duffelcoats • Grows chin beard and buys tan duffel coat • Is accepted into the folk/jazz scene • Now gets periodically beaten up by St Albans Rockers • Learns from this experience to be non-aligned with any group but friendly towards all. • Keeps duffle coat and chin beard but cultivates fantastic Rocker hairdo and trades in Vespa for Norton( Harleys are too expensive) • Gets drafted in late sixties but stays in Australia. • Gets out of service and while playing Footy is hit on head by full beer bottle • Comes to in daze and decides to be Rock God • Becomes minor effigy • Falls over, hits head again, forgets last 20 years, is accepted into Country Music scene, Folk Scene, Blues scene etc. • Possibly only Australian performer to play Tamworth, Port Fairy, Wangaratta Jazz Festival,Carols by Candlight, and Broadford • His personal motto is " Look friendly and keep your head down"