John Edmond
Encyclopedia
John Edmond is a Rhodesian folk singer who became popular in the 1970s for his Rhodesian patriotic songs. He reached the height of his fame during the Rhodesian Bush War
. He was sometimes called the "Bush Cat". During his childhood, he and his parents moved between Scotland
and Central Africa
. He went to school in Luanshya, Northern Rhodesia, Edinburgh, Scotland, and in South Africa
at Christian Brothers College in Pretoria
. He displayed a natural talent for music at an early age when he was given a mouth organ as a birthday gift from his grandmother at age three. John mastered the instrument within half an hour. As a boy scout
, he played the bugle
and was in the local scout bugle band. While at school in Edinburgh, he was chosen to sing in the famous St John's boys choir. He was regularly featured in lead roles at Christian Brothers College in Gilbert and Sullivan operettas. John was lead drummer in the college's pipe band. He went on to win the South African Junior drumming championships at the Royal Scottish gathering at Wembley in 1953. After college, John was employed at the Roan Antelope copper mine.
After some time there, Edmond joined Southern Rhodesia
's Royal Rhodesia Regiment
at Bulawayo
. He served with the 3rd Battalion in the Congo
, Nyasaland
(now Malawi) and Southern Rhodesia. During this time, he bought a guitar at a trading store and met Bill Coleman while in the army. After learning to play the guitar with Coleman, Edmond formed the Bushcats Skiffle Group in 1958 along with two friends from the army, Eugene van der Watt and Ian Kerr. The group was a success among its peers and progressed into cabaret and rock 'n' roll. After his military service was up, John went to England
to study computers and moved to South Africa during the mid-1960s. John became famous in Rhodesia during the Bush War with his album Troopiesongs. He was also a composer, writing such hits as "The UDI
Song". After the war, and Zimbabwean Independence, he continued to record albums such as Zimsongs and Zimtrax.
Since 1987, John and his wife Theresa have owned and maintained a resort in South Africa
named "Kunkuru". The resort is located in the Johannesburg
area. John also has his own record label, Roan Antelope Music (RAM).
Rhodesian Bush War
The Rhodesian Bush War – also known as the Second Chimurenga or the Zimbabwe War of Liberation – was a civil war which took place between July 1964 and December 1979 in the unrecognised country of Rhodesia...
. He was sometimes called the "Bush Cat". During his childhood, he and his parents moved between Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and Central Africa
Central Africa
Central Africa is a core region of the African continent which includes Burundi, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Rwanda....
. He went to school in Luanshya, Northern Rhodesia, Edinburgh, Scotland, and in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
at Christian Brothers College in Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
. He displayed a natural talent for music at an early age when he was given a mouth organ as a birthday gift from his grandmother at age three. John mastered the instrument within half an hour. As a boy scout
Boy Scout
A Scout is a boy or a girl, usually 11 to 18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement. Because of the large age and development span, many Scouting associations have split this age group into a junior and a senior section...
, he played the bugle
Bugle (instrument)
The bugle is one of the simplest brass instruments, having no valves or other pitch-altering devices. All pitch control is done by varying the player's embouchure, since the bugle has no other mechanism for controlling pitch. Consequently, the bugle is limited to notes within the harmonic series...
and was in the local scout bugle band. While at school in Edinburgh, he was chosen to sing in the famous St John's boys choir. He was regularly featured in lead roles at Christian Brothers College in Gilbert and Sullivan operettas. John was lead drummer in the college's pipe band. He went on to win the South African Junior drumming championships at the Royal Scottish gathering at Wembley in 1953. After college, John was employed at the Roan Antelope copper mine.
After some time there, Edmond joined Southern Rhodesia
Southern Rhodesia
Southern Rhodesia was the name of the British colony situated north of the Limpopo River and the Union of South Africa. From its independence in 1965 until its extinction in 1980, it was known as Rhodesia...
's Royal Rhodesia Regiment
Rhodesia Regiment
The Rhodesia Regiment was one of the oldest and largest regiments in the Rhodesian Army. It served on the side of Great Britain in the Second Boer War and the First and Second World Wars and served the Republic of Rhodesia in the anti-terrorist counter-insurgency war of the 1970s.During the First...
at Bulawayo
Bulawayo
Bulawayo is the second largest city in Zimbabwe after the capital Harare, with an estimated population in 2010 of 2,000,000. It is located in Matabeleland, 439 km southwest of Harare, and is now treated as a separate provincial area from Matabeleland...
. He served with the 3rd Battalion in the Congo
Belgian Congo
The Belgian Congo was the formal title of present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo between King Leopold II's formal relinquishment of his personal control over the state to Belgium on 15 November 1908, and Congolese independence on 30 June 1960.-Congo Free State, 1884–1908:Until the latter...
, Nyasaland
Nyasaland
Nyasaland or the Nyasaland Protectorate, was a British protectorate located in Africa, which was established in 1907 when the former British Central Africa Protectorate changed its name. Since 1964, it has been known as Malawi....
(now Malawi) and Southern Rhodesia. During this time, he bought a guitar at a trading store and met Bill Coleman while in the army. After learning to play the guitar with Coleman, Edmond formed the Bushcats Skiffle Group in 1958 along with two friends from the army, Eugene van der Watt and Ian Kerr. The group was a success among its peers and progressed into cabaret and rock 'n' roll. After his military service was up, John went to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to study computers and moved to South Africa during the mid-1960s. John became famous in Rhodesia during the Bush War with his album Troopiesongs. He was also a composer, writing such hits as "The UDI
Unilateral Declaration of Independence (Rhodesia)
The Unilateral Declaration of Independence of Rhodesia from the United Kingdom was signed on November 11, 1965, by the administration of Ian Smith, whose Rhodesian Front party opposed black majority rule in the then British colony. Although it declared independence from the United Kingdom it...
Song". After the war, and Zimbabwean Independence, he continued to record albums such as Zimsongs and Zimtrax.
Since 1987, John and his wife Theresa have owned and maintained a resort in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
named "Kunkuru". The resort is located in the Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
area. John also has his own record label, Roan Antelope Music (RAM).
Discography
| Album | Year | Label | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Troopiesongs - Phase 1 | 1970 | Map | |
| Boom Sha-la-la-lo | 1971 | Storm | |
| Troopiesongs - Phase 2 | 1975 | Map | |
| Johno | 197? | Storm | |
| Goodbye Is The Saddest Song | 1975 | Satbel | |
| Wild And Beautiful And Free | 1976 | Satbel | |
| The Best Of John Edmond | 1976 | Satbel | |
| Troopiesongs - Phase 3 | 1977 | Jo'burg | |
| Rhodesia The Brave | 1979 | Trutone | |
| Hit Songs Of John Edmond | 197? | MFP | |
| Troopiesongs - Phase 4 | 1980 | Gallo | |
| Immortal Hits | 1980 | Gallo | |
| Country Tracks | 1981 | Gallo | |
| From The Heart | 1982 | Gallo | |
| Troopies In Exile | 1982 | Gallo | |
| Love In The Country | 1984 | Gallo | |
| All Night Razzle | 1984 | Principal | BUSHCATS re-formed for this recording |
| The British South Africa Police Centenary Album | 1989 | RAM | |
| The Rhodesia Centenary Album 1890 - 1990 | 1990 | RAM | |
| Rhodesians Of The World | 1992 | RAM | |
| All Time Rhodesian Evergreens | 1999 | RAM | |
| Troopiesongs Complete | 1999 | RAM | |
| Heritage - Where We Come From | 2007 | RAM | |
| Party - All Night Razzle | 2007 | RAM | |
| Aviation Songs | RAM | ||
| Born in Africa | RAM | ||
| By Request | RAM | ||
| Campfire 'n Jamboree | RAM | ||
| Friends, Rhodies, Countrymen | RAM | ||
| Wild and Beautiful and Free | RAM | ||
| Zimsongs | RAM | ||
| Songs of the AFRICAN BUSH | RAM | ||
| Zimtrax | RAM | ||
| Tales of the Game Rangers, Vol. 1 to Vol. 4 | RAM | ||
| Stories en Liedjies van die Wildtuin, Vol. 1 & 2 | RAM | ||
| Singles | Year | Label | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Farewell Britannia | 1969 | Storm | |
| Die Eerste Kersfeesnag | 1969 | Storm | |
| Fairytales | 1969 | Storm | This was his first hit record |
| Round and Round | 1970 | Storm | Hit single |
| Boom Sha-la-la-lo | 1971 | Storm | Hit single written for John by Bruce Woodley of The Seekers while they were in South Africa |
| Pasadena | 1972 | Map | Hit single |
| Every Day, Every Night | 1972 | Map | Hit single |
| Toy Train | 1973 | Map | Hit single |
| Hello Susan | 1974 | Map | |
| Jock Of The Bushveld | 1975 | Map | |
| Goodbye Is The Saddest Song | 1975 | Map | Hit single |
| Nomad Of The Kalahari | 1976 | Map | |
| One Day He'll Call Me Daddy | 1976 | Map | |
| It's Good To See You | 1977 | Jo'burg | |
| Blue Brown Eyed Lady | 1977 | Jo'burg | |
| Louie | 1978 | RSA | |
| Bye Bye Butterfly | 1979 | EMI | |
| Forever Young | 1980 | Gallo | |
| The Electric Thing | 1981 | Gallo |
See also
- Clem TholetClem TholetClem Tholet was a Rhodesian folk singer who became popular in the 1970s for his Rhodesian patriotic songs. He reached the height of his fame during the Rhodesian Bush War....