Johnny Devlin

John Lockett Devlin (born 11 May 1938) is a New Zealand singer, songwriter, and rock musician known for his influential role in the country's early rock and roll scene.

He has often been compared to Elvis Presley.

John Lockett Devlin was born on 11 May 1938, the son of a railway ganger stationed in the mid-North Island.

He grew up in various towns, including in Wanganui or the nearby small town of Raetihi.

The family soon shifted to nearby Ohakune and then Marton before eventually settling in Wanganui, where John spent his formative years.

He received a guitar for his eleventh birthday and alongside his parents and three brothers, they formed a group called the Devlin Family.

The group performed country songs at Wanganui talent quests, playing songs from the Lever Hit Parade such as "Rock Around the Clock".

The Devlin Family had been performing regularly up until 1955, when the parents retired from the entertainment business.

The four brothers, plus the odd friend or cousin, continued to perform as the River City Ramblers, playing country and western, skiffle, and later Bill Haley style rock 'n' roll.

Phil Warren, a part-time drummer, began working at Begg's Music Store in 1955, and later formed Prestige Records, primarily to distribute overseas releases from independent labels.

Dunningham pressured Warren into recording Devlin, so they came to an agreement and selected a poor-selling Presley release, "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" for the debut single.

Throughout 1956, enthusiasm began to ebb, and one by one the brothers dropped out, and more frequently weekends would see Johnny performing as a soloist.

By the end of the year, the River City Ramblers were no more.

It was then that he heard "Heartbreak Hotel" and his life was changed forever.

Devlin entered every amateur talent quest he could find and chasing up every Elvis Presley recording he could lay his hands on, for the next eighteen months he would perform nothing but Presley material.

On weekends, Devlin would often go to Palmerston North and whenever he had the chance he would sing his Presley songs in talent contests run at the youth club there, by pioneering New Zealand rock 'n' roller Johnny Tahu Cooper.

The first to recognise potential in Devlin, Johnny Cooper took him under his wing, coached him in the art of stagecraft and persuaded him to practice his moves in front of a mirror.

Cooper told Devlin that with work he could become New Zealand's Elvis Presley.

In February 1957, aged 18, Devlin won his first talent quest as a rock 'n' roll performer.

Other talent quests followed.

In Palmerston North, he met Dennis Tristram, a rock 'n' roll dancer, who tried to persuade Devlin to move to Auckland.

Devlin was happy to stay where he was, but did run into Tristram again later, who persuaded Devlin to visit the Jive Centre, and sing with the resident band.

Owner Dave Dunningham gave him an audition and agreed to let him do a set that night.

Devlin's debut at the Jive Centre featured an all-Presley repertoire and, although there was a general buzz in the audience before he commenced, no-one was prepared for what was to follow.

By the time he completed his set, girls were screaming and the crowd was in awe and disbelief.

Dave Dunningham was impressed and offered him a regular spot.

His cover of Lloyd Price's "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" in 1958 went to number one in the New Zealand charts with sales of more than 100,000, launching a long-term career.

Back in Wanganui he thought it over and a month later, March 1958, he returned to Auckland.

Dave Dunningham became his manager and within a month he had made Johnny Devlin the talk of the town.

With Auckland conquered, Dunningham realised that the quickest way to break Devlin nationally was with a record release, but all the record companies in the country disapproved.

It was recorded at the Jive Centre one Sunday afternoon in May 1958, using the Dixielanders as the backing group, and given the primitive circumstances of the session and surroundings, the quality was awful, but "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" launched Johnny Devlin as New Zealand's first superstar, when it was released in June 1958 on the Prestige label.

Recorded at the same session was the flipside, "When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again".

A romping sax break replaces the guitar on Presley's version.

Although the single achieved little airplay, and the broadcast panel thought it was not of sufficient quality, it was snapped up by Auckland's teens in an unprecedented frenzy.

Once sales had topped the 2,000 mark, the radio stations could no longer ignore it, with the disc topping the Lever Hit Parade within a few weeks.

By now, the Dixielanders were out of the picture and Devlin was working with the Bob Paris Combo as his back-up band.

Devlin was now in great demand, and by August, his record sales had passed the 10,000 mark.

This prompted further recording.

He spent much of his time in Australia from 1959 touring in support of The Everly Brothers and making appearances on Australian television shows such as Bandstand, Six O'Clock Rock and The Go!! Show.

In 1964, he toured Australia and New Zealand as a support act for The Beatles.