John Harley Weston
Music
General Info
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Genre: Folk Rock / Rock
Location Tamborine Mountain, Au
Profile Views: 26139
Last Login: 3/31/2013
Member Since 9/2/2005
Website www.johnharleyweston.com
Record Label cdbaby
Type of Label Indie
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Bio
John Harley Weston has been a singer-songwriter for over 20 years. Born in Glasgow, Scotland, he grew up in the country town of Stewarton, Ayrshire before calling Australia home in 1997. Although he had some success in the UK, it's only in the past few years that he has started to gain wider acclaim, having won the Australian National Songwriting Contest (2005 - rock category) and received accolades from Unisong and Billboard World Songwriting Contests amongst other things. His first taste of success was in the early 90's as lead singer and co-writer with Scottish band Frontier (Phonogram Records London). Frontier released 2 singles 'Lonely Heart' and 'Sun Is Gonna Shine Again' and recorded an album with some of the cream of the industry including Gary Katz (Steeley Dan producer), Ian Kewley (Paul Young's M.D.) and Adam Moseley (producer/engineer for U2, Wolfmother, Lenny Kravitz). They recorded the album at Peter Gabriel's 'Real World' studio, 'Rockfield' studio (the birthplace of Bohemian Rhapsody), Jimmy Page's 'Old Mill' and George Martin's 'Air Studios'. After Frontier split in 1992, John was managed as a solo artist by Elliot Davis (Wet Wet Wet manager) for a few years. John then formed the band John Harley & The Pack which included Donny Little, now guitarist for Paulo Nutini. After a few years of studio work and gigging John decided to move to Australia to escape the noises in his head. After moving downunder John quickly made musical inroads with the single 'Road To Victory' for Brisbane Lions Aussie rules football team (Festival/Mushroom Records) and 2 independent albums 'Hope Harbour' (2004) and 'Welcome Back To Reality' (2008), both of which have won national and international awards and accolades. John has played in venues ranging from pubs, clubs and universities to festivals and arenas, headlining and supporting acts like Wet Wet Wet, Gun, Duran Duran and Indigo Girls as well as performances for the Queensland Premier, Gold Coast Mayor and Scenic Rim Mayor. See 'Achievements' on the right of this page. -
Members
John Harley Weston -
Influences
John Mellencamp, Bruce Springsteen, Paul Rodgers, Ben Harper, Ray LaMontagne, Jimmy Webb (Glen Campbell), Cold Play, Paul Weller, Neil Young and Australian songwriters such as Paul Kelly, Troy Cassar-Daley, Bernard Fanning, Pete Murray, Keith Urban, Alex Lloyd, Joe Camilleri (The Black Sorrows), Ian Moss, Don Walker, Archie Roach......songwriters through and through.....from now and then. -
Sounds Like
Some have said John Harley Weston sounds like Paul Rodgers, Bernard Fanning, John Mellencamp, Neil Diamond, Brandon Flowers, Chris Isaak, Gordon Lightfoot and Bruce Cockburn.
Photos
Comments
Achievements
WHAT A VOICE! John's music was featured on Channel 9’s ‘The Voice’ Australia 2012. (Whatever Makes You Happy and Let Your Life Begin).
I HEAR THE WHISPERS. John recently composed the music for video book I Hear The Whispers
OLYMPIC DREAMS. Channel 7 Television added John's music to their Beijing Olympics playlist in 2008. (Believe In Yourself and Waltzing Matilda). Five million Australians, where the Scotsman is now based, watched the official broadcast. Freddy Celis of 'Rootstime' Europe says 'Weston's intimate translation of Waltzing Matilda has to be added to the gallery of the greatest'. Both songs featured on John's album Welcome Back To Reality.
WINNER OF THE AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL SONGWRITING CONTEST (rock category 2005) with 'Last Days Of Summer', co-written with Tony Beard. The song is featured on John's album 'Hope Harbour'.
GOLD COAST HONOURS. John was nominated for a Gold Coast Honours Award 2008 in Entertainment by readers of the Gold Coast Bulletin newspaper. (There are half a million people on the Gold Coast of Australia). The awards, now in their 6th year, recognise those who inspire the community with creative spirit, courage, sense of community and passion in their chosen field.
#1 FOR 6 MONTHS. John's humanitarian lament ‘Brothers and Sisters’, (produced and co-written by Sandy Jones and Graeme Duffin) spent the entire first 6 months of 2007 at number one on the Isonlive Aussie Radio Charts who syndicate shows to over 200 stations around the globe.
ONE OF THE TOP 5 BEST VOCALISTS. John was voted one of the top 5 best vocalists in the music world by heavy weight US Music Publisher Dale Kawashima (Sony ATV/Giant/Mercury) at singeruniverse.
JOHN SCORED TOP 20 at the Unisong international Songwriting Contest 2005/6 with ‘Last Days Of Summer’ co-written with Tony Beard. Also got a high honourable mention for 'Brothers And Sisters' co-written with Sandy Jones. This competition is judged by the likes of Desmond Child (Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, Robbie Williams, Kelly Clarkson) and Dianne Warren (Elton John, Mary J Blige, Christine Aguilera).
BILLBOARD AWARDS Two songs ‘Believe In Yourself' and 'Let Your Life Begin' receive Highest Level Honourable Mention and Honourable Mention respectively at Billboard World Songwriting Contest 2006/7 (14th Annual). Highest level Honourable mention for 'Last Days of Summer' and Honourable Mention for humanitarian lament, 'Brothers & Sisters' in the 2005/6 (13th Annual) and another Honourable Mention (2006/7 - 14th annual) for 'Be Careful What You Wish For' co-written with John's old band mate, Frontier guitarist Brian BJ Cunningham, after Frontier fans asked for a new song over a decade after the band split.
YOU CAN TAKE THE BOY FROM GLASGOW BUT YOU CAN'T TAKE GLASGOW FROM THE BOY. John is featured in a book Minstrels, Poets and Vagabonds written by Glasgow rock aficionado Robert Fields about 5 decades of rock music in Glasgow, Scotland. The foreword is by the great Frankie Miller and Mick Box (Uriah Heap).
ENDORSEMENTS. John Harley Weston is endorsed by Takamine Guitars, D’Addario Strings and Neuman Microphones.
QUOTES FROM WELL KNOWN INDUSTRY PEOPLE:
MARK HOLDEN - (Australian Idol judge, music producer and songwriter) says 'Hi John.....really good site you have for listening - excellent material - good onya...'....
KHALIQ GLOVER (Los Angeles based Grammy award winning recording/mixing engineer for Prince, Justin Timberlake, John Mayer, Christina Aguilera, Stevie Wonder, Santana, Sting, Marcus Miller) says 'Wow, you sound great. Great songs and craftsmanship and your singing is spot on..'....
TONY BEARD (drummer/guitarist with Crosby, Stills & Nash, The Bee Gees, Daryl Hall, Jeff Beck, Wyclef Jean, Madonna & McCartney) says new song ''Whatever Makes You Happy' is a hit and a great metaphor'.......
PAUL PITICCO (manager of one of Australia's biggest bands Powderfinger, Bernard Fanning and the Grates) says 'Congrats mate. DIY has worked great for you .....you should write a "how to" book. It has been great to watch it grow. Here's to your continued success'.
Official John Harley Weston site is johnharleyweston.com
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Shows & Events
No upcoming shows/events
Top Friends (33)
- Frontier
- BJ Cunningham
- Bud Greenwood
- peter devine
- Indy Clark
- Paul Rodgers - The Voice
- Paul McCartney
- Michael Caine
- Lucy Piller
- Neil Young
- Bob Dylan
- JOHN MELLENCAMP
- Bernard Fanning
- D'Addario Australia
- Takamine Guitars
- Debbie
- Australian Songwriters …
- *:•♫Pen♫•:*
- Freddy Celis
- John Butler Trio
- John Swan
- Paolo Nutini
- K i T a N a
- Richard
- Stevie Higgins
- Neil Diamond
- Lucy Piller
- ANNE SAVAGE
- Mark Maverick Coon
- berrie koetsier
- Michelle ♫
- AL GREGOR
- Dustin from Rocket Radio

































John Harley Weston 3 months ago
Unplugged In Basement 
3 years ago
BJ Cunningham 3 years ago
VAL 3 years ago
Michael Bell Wishing you a wonderful holiday season. Thank you for all your friendship and support... Michael

3 years ago
Adam Toms 3 years ago
Jack Campbell 3 years ago
Paul Rodgers - The Voice 3 years ago
VAL 3 years ago
Glasgow Songwriters Club 3 years ago
10 of 119MoreJust making sure my music friends are aware of this.
There’s a post on the website called Scam Exposure dedicated to digital record label Blue Pie Records and it’s CEO, Damien Reilly. I know there’s a lot of misinformation on the internet but this is worth checking out.
http://www.scamexposure.com/scam-report/hurricane-healing-blue-pie-records-record-label-claims-to-c60788.html
I share this info, not because I’m the type of person that spreads rumours but because I want my fellow independent musicians to make an informed decision should this label approach them to license and sell their music. My personal experience with Blue Pie? Without going in to detail let’s just say, I won't go there again.
COME ONE COME ALL!!!!
Cheers John - Hope 2010 brings some good rhythm to you all.
Bri
Just sending you some wishes for a Wonderful New Year!
Hey, How's it going?
I have'nt heard from you in ages :), I hope everything is going well.
Thanks heaps for all your support!
-Adam
Hey just droppin in to let you know about a new Lisa McCune Page! Check it out and add her if you like!
www.myspace.com/503563927
Greetings John !!!!
Hi...just stopped for a visit...I very much like your new album!!! Have a good week...val
Thanks for being a friend . . maybe when you're back here one day you could pop in and visit us !