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Listen To Older Voices : Stan Azzopardi – Part 1

Rob Greaves
Rob Greaves
I have been with the Toorak Times since April 2012. I worked as Senior Editor of the Toorak Times until 2023, when I retired. I now work as a special features contributor for both the Toorak Times and Tagg. I've been in the Australian music scene as a musician since 1964, and have worked in radio and TV and newspapers (when they were actually printed on paper) as well as working in the film industry, as the Film Unit manager on Homicide for several years. I also have extensive experience in audio production and editing.

[vc_cta h2=”Welcome to Listen To Older Voices, a program produced by Rob Greaves for Uniting Melba and podcast through the Toorak Times and Tagg.” style=”3d” color=”orange”][/vc_cta]
Listen To Older Voices presents the stories, views and opinions of our older citizens. It is predominantly in a life & times format, with interviewees reflecting upon their lives from earliest memories. An underlying principle of the program is to promote the concept of positive ageing, reinforcing the principle that older people have & continue to make a valuable contribution to both their local & wider community.

 This is Part 1 of a new 3-part program featuring the Life and Times of 76 year old, Stan Azzopardi.

Born in Malta in 1943, during WWII, Stan shares some of the background story that led to him and his family coming to Australia, settling down in Melbourne and making it his lifetime home.

Listening to music, playing music and later recording other artists became a central feature of his life from a young age. We learn how he became a professional musician at around the age of 18. His first instrument was a piano accordion

Stan’s first band

 

However, Stan quickly moved to guitar where he showed a lot of natural ability.

It was with his band, the Premiers and while playing guitar that he became a full time musician.

The Premiers were a star attraction around the Melbourne music circuit of the late 1950’s and early 1960’s and they had some amazing talent up front, including Betty McQuade and Bobby Cookson.

We listen to Stan talk about his career and that early Australian music scene and we learn about the stark differences between the format and style of groups pre and post the British Beat music scene that hit our shores around 1963/64. In fact, by the mid 1960’s Stan quite the group the Premiers, the band he formed, due to classic Rock ‘n’ Roll losing favor and set up a duo with Lee Conway, who would go on to become a genuine Australian Country Music star.

 

Click to hear – Stan Azzopardi – Part 1Previous Listen To Older Voices Programs can be found in our archive, by clicking on one link or the other

2012 to 2016   

 –  2016 onward 

[Listen To Older Voices receives funding from the Commonwealth 
Government through the Commonwealth Home Support Program Program]

Rob Greaves

I have been with the Toorak Times since April 2012. I worked as Senior Editor of the Toorak Times until 2023, when I retired. I now work as a special features contributor for both the Toorak Times and Tagg. I've been in the Australian music scene as a musician since 1964, and have worked in radio and TV and newspapers (when they were actually printed on paper) as well as working in the film industry, as the Film Unit manager on Homicide for several years. I also have extensive experience in audio production and editing.

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