Genres Rock n roll, country Record label Festival Records | Labels Festival | |
Also known as Lucky Starr and The Hepparays Origin Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Years active 1957 (1957)–1963 (1963) Past members Tony Caperero
Bruce Gurr
Lucky Starr
Dave Taylor
Owen Smith | ||
The Hepparays were an Australian rock n roll music group which formed in 1957 with Tony Caperero on lead guitar, Bruce Gurr on piano, Lucky Starr (aka Les Morrison) on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Dave Taylor played bass and Owen Smith played drums and percussion. Starr had met his band mates on the train on his way to work at a power station. Their initial gigs were playing instrumentals in a gym while people exercised.
In 1959 the group issued one of Australia's first rock n roll instrumental singles, "Xmas Rock Medley". In March 1962 they released the novelty single, "I've Been Everywhere", which name drops 94 Australian locations. It peaked at No. 1 on the Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide singles charts, No. 2 in Melbourne and No. 4 in Perth. Starr and the song's writer, Geoff Mack, travelled to the United States where an Americanised version written by Mack became a hit for Hank Snow. By early 1963 The Hepparays had disbanded and when Starr returned to Australia later that year he pursued a solo career.