John Harley Weston | |
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| Background information | |
| Born | John Higgins (1967-04-24)24 April 1967 (age 58) |
| Origin | Glasgow, Scotland |
| Genres | Rock/Folk music/Blues/Alt Country |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter and musician |
| Years active | 20 |
| Labels | Independent (Polydor,Festival) |
| Website | http://www.johnharleyweston.com |
John Harley Weston (born 24 April 1967) is aScottish-born Australian based singer-songwriter, who also plays a variety of instruments including guitar, keyboards andpiano accordion[1] and, in 2005, won the Australian National Songwriting Contest[2] (rock category) with the song "Last Days of Summer" from his 2004 album,Hope Harbour.[3]
Born inGlasgow,John Higgins grew up in theEast Ayrshire town ofStewarton and subsequently immigrated to theTamborine Mountain region in the southeastern part of Australian state ofQueensland. Using theperforming nameJohn Harley Weston, he has been a professional musician since 1990. He won the 2005Australian National Songwriting Contest rock category with "Last Days of Summer", co-written with drummer/guitarist Tony Beard (who has worked withCrosby, Stills & Nash,Jeff Beck,Hall & Oates andJohnny Winter),[4] extending to its placement with a top 20 place at the Unisong International Songwriting Contest 2005–2006[5] and receiving an Honourable Mention from the 13th annualBillboard World Songwriting Contest. In the same year, atsingeruniverse.com,[6] Weston was voted one of the top 5 best vocalists in the Independent Music World by music publisher Dale Kawashima, former executive atSony/ATV Music Publishing,Irving Azoff'sGiant Records andMercury Records.
Another song (on the same album), "Brothers and Sisters", produced by Sandy Jones at Foundry Music Lab[7] inMotherwell, Scotland, andGraeme Duffin (Wet Wet Wet guitarist).[8] about the conflict between Israel and Palestine held the number one spot on Ison Live Radio (ILR Australian Indie Radio Charts) for an entire six months in 2007.[9]
In 2008, Weston released the albumWelcome Back to Reality. Two songs were chosen by Channel 7 Television Australia for their2008 Beijing Olympic Games playlist[10] and featured on Channel 9 Television's'The Voice'.
Readers of theGold Coast Bulletin (a newspaper servicingGold Coast, Queensland) nominated John Harley Weston for a Gold Coast Honours Award in Entertainment (2008) for his services to music and support of charities such asCancer Council Queensland.[11]
In 2016 Weston released another albumMusic Man, produced again by Sandy Jones of Foundry Music Lab, Motherwell.
In 2022 Weston released the single,Voices, which includes references to Glasgow'sGeorge Square statues of Scottish poetRobert Burns, Scottish novelist, poet and playwrightSir Walter Scott and the 18th century and early 19th century movement known asScottish Enlightenment.
In 1999, Weston wrote the song "Road To Victory" for theBrisbane Lions Aussie Rules football team (released via Festival Records Fido label nowMushroom Records).
Weston's music has been added to theNational Library of Australia[12] and theNational Film and Sound Archive a joint venture byMusic Australia to create a database of all written and musical works released in Australia.
As a solo artist, John Harley Weston has supportedIndigo Girls atKing Tut's Wah Wah Hut in Glasgow,Duran Duran atGlasgow Barrowlands, John Swan (Swanee) atSt Bernards Hotel onTamborine Mountain andLighthouse Family also at King Tut's. John has also performed at the Queensland Premier'sAustralia Day Celebrations at The Piazza,South Bank Parklands, Brisbane as well as shows forGold Coast City Council and the Gold Coast mayorRon Clarke MBE, theBeaudesert Shire Mayor,Palazzo Versace's flagship hotel, Gold Coast Arts Centre (Unplugged in the Basement),[13] Brisbane's Acoustic in the Park Festival,[14] Ric's Bar, Brisbane,[15] The centre, Beaudesert[16] and other local venues in South East Queensland.
In the early 1990s, Weston was signed (under his birth name John Higgins) toPolygram Records Vertigo label (nowMercury Records) as lead singer and co-songwriter with Scottish band Frontier[17] Frontier released two singles in 1992, original song "Lonely Heart" (produced by Steely Dan producerGary Katz) and a cover of theGraham Parker song "The Sun is Gonna Shine Again" (produced by Kenny McDonald). Frontier supported Wet Wet Wet during 1992 UK stadium tour which included gigs atWembley arena. They also supported the bandGun in the same year on their UK university tour, including venues such asLondon Astoria.
During his solo career, and as lead singer with Scottish band Frontier, John Harley Weston has worked with producers, engineers and session players such asGary Katz (Steely Dan), Sandy Jones (see link 8) andGraeme Duffin (Wet Wet Wet), Ian Kewley (Paul Young), Dave Bascombe (Peter Gabriel,Tears for Fears), Kenny McDonald (Texas), Steve Jackson (Bryan Adams), Adam Mosely (Rush), Tony Philips (Seal) and session playersPaul "Wix" Wickens (keyboard player forPaul McCartney,Bon Jovi,Bob Dylan), Tony Beard (drummer forCrosby, Stills & Nash,Jeff Beck,Hall & Oates andJohnny Winter, (see link 4))Graham Broad (drummer forVan Morisson,George Michael,Go West) and Donny Little (guitarist forPaulo Nutini).[18][19]
Weston has recorded atRockfield Studios inMonmouth, Wales,Peter Gabriel'sReal World Studios inBox, Wiltshire, England,George Martin'sAir Studios in London, Jacobs Studio inSurrey, England,[20] Jimmy Page's Old Mill Studio, Parklane Studios in Glasgow,[21]Pete Townshend'sEel Pie Studios on theRiver Thames in London, Rooster 2[22] in London, Swanyard Studio, London,[23] Red Zeds inBrisbane (Australia).
John Harley Weston is endorsed byTakamine Guitars,[24]D'Addario Guitar Strings[25] andNeumann Microphones.
