Mickey Riff's Hot Pick - Graham Gould

Graham Gould
BIOGRAPHY

I first played guitar at the age of nine, playing a small bodied acoustic that my parents gave me for my birthday. Nothing much happened until The Beatles came along redefining the music that had been the inspiration for my learning. Until this, inspiration had come from the Everly Brothers, Marty Robbins and Guy Mitchell. As a result of the new generation of music, school-work took a back seat and found playing music became more appealing. Playing in a school band called The Phables did nothing to dampen my enthusiasm. I wanted more.

My more serious playing days started in 1969 in a band called 'FUZZ' appearing on Television's 'Uptight' show and playing the dance halls alongside bands such as the 'Master's Apprentices' and 'The Valentines' in venues such as Festival Hall. A year or so later I joined a band called 'LIVE SOUND DIMENSION', a recording and cabaret act that occasionally doubled as a backing band for many floorshow acts. The band was also sought for recording sessions for other artists because of their harmony abilities.

I had some fun dabbling in acting working on the television series Prisoner and The Sullivans. I also appeared as an extra in the movie Thirst during 1979-80.

In 1979 I joined the band STONEY CREEK. The band carved a name for itself on Australia's country music circuit, head lining at most of the major music festivals in the eastern states. The band leaned heavily on their harmonizing abilities and were often called upon as a back up band for solo artists, such as the legendary Jimmy Little, Patsy Riggir, Col Elliott and Alison Durban. Because of the band's backing abilities they were also chosen as the support band for Tom T. Hall and Diana Trask. They were also the backing band for the contestants in the Tamworth Starmaker Talent Quest in 1981- 1982, an event that was to launch the careers of several of today's stars, including Lee Kernaghan and Keith Urban. The band won a talent quest at the famed Wandong Country Music Festival and Most Popular Vocal Band at the FEIP Southern Hemisphere awards in 1983 and 1984. It was felt that each member should be a multi-instrumentalist, so in addition to guitar I learned to play bass and banjo.

During this period I was writing more songs than Stoney Creek could use and had little use for them, so I entered the New Zealand Gold Guitar Awards winning Best Composition with Lady Right and also fourth prize.

In 2001 I recorded an album with ex-Stoney Creek member Steve Cross. It was produced by another ex- Creek member Charlie Kneale and scored radio air-play in Malta and the Channel Islands. Some of the people I have backed, toured and worked with are; Jimmy Little - Tom T. Hall - Diana Trask - Reg Poole - Patsy Riggir - John Williams - Lee Conway - Smokey Dawson - Buddy Williams - Lee Kernaghan - Mike McClellan - Beeb Birtles - George McArdle - Daryl Cotton - Johnny Ashcroft - Alison Durban - Leanne Douglas - Denise Morrison - Gordon Parsons - Col Elliott - Terry Gordon - Paul Jenkins - Banshee - Alan Bowles - Gene Bradley Fisk - Johnny Heap - Tom McIvor - Chad Morgan - Dave Pincombe - Eureka Smith - Lenore Somerset - Lucky Starr - Marty Rhone - Shirlene Clancy and probably many more.