John Young(1945-2026)
- Producer
- Actor
- Director
Johnny Young (birth name Johnny Benjamin Arthur de Jong) was born in Rotterdam, Netherlands) was an Australian singer, songwriter, record producer, television presenter and producer. His family migrated to Australia when he was a child and settled in Perth, Western Australia, where he grew up.
Young began his entertainment career as a pop singer in the 1960s. In 1966 he reached No. 1 on the Australian charts with the double A-side "Step Back" / "Cara-lyn" and also toured with major international acts. He subsequently established himself as a songwriter, writing several important Australian hits, most notably "The Real Thing" for Russell Morris, as well as "The Girl That I Love," "The Star" and "Smiley."
His greatest public legacy was Young Talent Time, which he created, produced and hosted from 1971 to 1988. The enormously popular Network Ten program ran for more than 800 episodes and provided an early platform for performers including Tina Arena, Dannii Minogue, Jamie Redfern, Debra Byrne, Sally Boyden and Karen Knowles.
Young was also a mentor to many of the show's young performers. Tina Arena has particularly credited him with having a major influence on her early career.
His contribution to Australian entertainment was recognised with induction into the TV Week Logie Awards Hall of Fame in 1990 and the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2010.
He is remembered principally as one of the most influential figures in Australian popular music and television, particularly for nurturing a generation of young performers through Young Talent Time.
Young began his entertainment career as a pop singer in the 1960s. In 1966 he reached No. 1 on the Australian charts with the double A-side "Step Back" / "Cara-lyn" and also toured with major international acts. He subsequently established himself as a songwriter, writing several important Australian hits, most notably "The Real Thing" for Russell Morris, as well as "The Girl That I Love," "The Star" and "Smiley."
His greatest public legacy was Young Talent Time, which he created, produced and hosted from 1971 to 1988. The enormously popular Network Ten program ran for more than 800 episodes and provided an early platform for performers including Tina Arena, Dannii Minogue, Jamie Redfern, Debra Byrne, Sally Boyden and Karen Knowles.
Young was also a mentor to many of the show's young performers. Tina Arena has particularly credited him with having a major influence on her early career.
His contribution to Australian entertainment was recognised with induction into the TV Week Logie Awards Hall of Fame in 1990 and the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2010.
He is remembered principally as one of the most influential figures in Australian popular music and television, particularly for nurturing a generation of young performers through Young Talent Time.
