November 19, 2024 • 22 mins
Join Cheryl Lee - That Radio Chick on STILL ROCKIN' IT for news, reviews, music and interviews with some of our favourite Australian musicians.
I sit down with the remarkable Karin Keyes, whose new book "It's Because I Love You" captures the essence of a rock and roll romance that spanned 35 years in the Australian music scene. Karin's life story, filled with love, loss, and a journey through the chaos of rock and roll royalty, is both inspiring and deeply touching.
Karin opens up about the inspiration behind her book, initially centered on her son William, who tragically passed away. The narrative has since evolved, focusing on her enduring love with her late husband, Jim. Karin's authentic storytelling offers profound insights and hints at an exciting sequel, promising to continue exploring themes of love, loss, and music, with intriguing connections to figures like Annette Day.
We also honor the legacy of the great Jim Keyes, celebrating his induction into the SA Music Hall of Fame and his diverse contributions to the music world, including the Brisbane Lions club song.
His heartfelt reunion with his biological mother adds an emotional layer to his story, reflecting his deep impact as both an artist and a person.
This episode serves as a heartfelt homage to Jim's enduring influence in music and family, while also providing a glimpse into future musical releases and a second book.
Connect with Karin's moving journey and celebrate the legacy of a true icon in the Australian music scene.
What has Karin Keays been up to lately? Let's find out!!
Get out when you can, support local music and I'll see you down the front!!
Visit: ThatRadioChick.com.au
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
That Radio Cheek Cheryl Lee here.
Welcome to the Still RockingPodcast where we'll have music
news, reviews and interviewswith some of our favourite
Australian musicians and artists.
Today we chat with Karin Keyesabout her new book.
It's Because I Love you is thestory of Karin Keyes' real-life
(00:21):
rock and roll romance andpossibly the first such book to
be written from the uniqueperspective of a woman who has
lived and worked for 35 years inthe inner sanctum of rock and
roll royalty, at times vastlyamusing, fascinating, insightful
and also deeply tragic.
The story of a fairy tale lifethat goes suddenly and
(00:43):
shockingly wrong, turning into anightmare of maternal loss and
grief.
Amidst the dizzying highs anddevastating lows of life in the
Australian music industry,karin's is an inspirational
story of healing and redemption,woven through a true love story
for all time.
(01:04):
To catch up on podcasts fromother favourite artists, simply
go to that radio chickcomau.
You're with Cheryl Lee and I'dlike to welcome into the Zoom
room today Karin Keyes, and shehas got an amazing story to tell
that I'm sure we're all goingto be really interested in.
And there's also a previouslyunreleased album of hubby gyms
(01:29):
that we must remember to hearall about before we leave today.
But first your new book.
I'm halfway through, I'velaughed, I've cried.
And before we chat about that,how was the launch last Friday?
Oh, it was magical.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
It was fabulous.
Thanks, Cheryl.
It was a beautiful courtyard.
It was early evening.
I spent most of the timesigning books.
I didn't get to do a lot ofsocialising, but perhaps there
are friends there that are inthe book from early on, For
instance, Lisa.
You'll read about her in thebook.
She was looking after ourchildren.
When I was in hospital havingWilliam, our daughters, she and
(02:05):
her husband David were there.
It was a wonderful, magicalevening.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
So glad it's not a book about being married to a
rock star, is it?
Although obviously you weremarried to a rock star, so Jim
is in it.
But it's about love and lossand fighting for what's right
and surviving together andcoming through another loss yet
again.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Yes, exactly it's about my life.
Originally, I started to writeabout William, our son, after he
died.
I learned a lot from thecoronial process and, you know,
just dealing with all the legalaspects of that, you know, I
thought I wanted to write aboutit and share it.
It took me a long time and Ithought you know what?
I can't just write aboutWilliam without writing about
(02:46):
the love that he was createdfrom.
So that was how the bookstarted.
I started writing like that,but then, when I finally sat
down to write it, I wrote it asmy love story, or my love story.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
It absolutely is a love story and I love reading it
because the way that you writeit's just like you write, it's
just like you know.
We're sitting down and we'rehaving a conversation and we're
we're old friends and you'retelling me all about it and I
love that.
Such a beautiful read so far.
Now, jim, he fell in love withyou at first sight, didn't he?
(03:19):
The very first time he laideyes on you, he I didn't know it
at the time.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
I thought he couldn't stand me because he wouldn't
look at me.
This is not going to work,because I was a prospective
tenant, you know, in his house.
I thought, oh, he hates me.
So, as it turns out, he told melater he just didn't know where
to look because he was policed.
So yeah, it was very romanticwhen he told me, but before that
(03:45):
it wasn't.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
We don't want to give the whole thing away, because I
absolutely encourage thoselistening to grab the book and
have a read for yourself, butyou mentioned a couple of things
early on your day out or nightout with Annette Day who of
course is R Daisy's widow fromSupport Act, because I'm on the
committee.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
I love Support Act.
I love Support Act.
Support Act will actuallyfeature in the sequel to this
book, in the second book.
I won't give anything else away.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
Is that a scoop?
There's a sequel coming.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
There is there is because you haven't read the end
of the book yet.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
No, that's right, how exciting.
We love Annette.
We have a fundraising luncheonevery month here in South
Australia.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
I should go to Adelaide more often because
there's so many people who Ijust love out there, such as
Annette, and I haven't seen themfor ages, for instance, annette
and I our lives often veryparallel similarities.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
That's right.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
In the best ways and also in the saddest ways and the
worst.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
You both lost husbands.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
you know relatively young really yes that's true
Since then, because this willcome in the second book.
I'm actually no, maybe Ishouldn't say that, because I
don't want to give anything away.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Watch this space.
It's set against the backdropof the music industry, obviously
, and tours and gigs and albumsand other rock stars, and you
and Jim have two beautifuldaughters together, and then the
unthinkable happens.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
I was pregnant.
Very soon after having Bonnie,I fell pregnant with William.
He unfortunately died about sixand a half hours after he was
born as a result of, in myopinion, being induced
artificially.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
Losing a child, which I just cannot imagine, and I
think one of your girlfriendssummed it up the best when she
walked into your hospital roomand she just thought how are you
still breathing, stillbreathing.
But to lose a child is badenough, but to think that it
(05:50):
possibly could have been avoidedsomehow must just be hard.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
That's when I cried obviously, yes, you know, to let
it be, you know, to just get onwith it, and I did try for a
while, until I'm not sure whereyou are in the book, but
something happened that made itobvious that I couldn't turn the
other way it's very brave ofyou to follow that through,
because anything that anybodycan do to avoid this sort of
thing happening to anothermother, another family, you're
(06:15):
so, so brave, thank you brave?
I don't know.
I just feel like it's somethingI had to do.
I almost felt like I couldn'tlive with myself if I didn't do
it.
You had to do it for William,yes, and for my daughters,
because one day, hopefully,they'll be mums themselves,
mothers-to-be, and their friendswho are not, love and adore all
my children's friends.
(06:35):
You know they're like daughtersto me as well.
How could I, if that everhappened to one of them and I
hadn't said or tried my best tomake sure that it didn't happen
again?
Speaker 1 (06:45):
whatever you can do to pinpoint the errors and stop
them from ever happening again,creating change for the better.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
You are listening to still rocking it it, the podcast
with Cheryl Lee.
Speaker 1 (06:59):
Let's hear.
Turn Up your Radio one ofMasters Apprentice's most
recognisable songs, a hit forthem in 1970, making it to
number seven on the Australiancharts.
And then back to speak somemore to Curran Rock and a roll,
and you're still doing it now.
Just a little bit of history,although I think everybody
(07:26):
listening to my podcast would befully aware of the
rockstarmness of your hubby,inducted into the ARIA Hall of
Fame in 1998, we have actuallyseen each other before current,
ten years ago at the GoodwoodInstitute here in Adelaide, when
Jim was to be inducted into theSA Music Hall of Fame with the
Masters Apprentices, butunfortunately you lost him just
(07:47):
a few weeks before that event.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
Very sadly.
Yes, he did.
He succumbed finally to well.
It was the cancer treatmenttaking its toll on his body the
cancer slash treatment, and hegot a an infection and be turned
into pneumonia and he justcouldn't fight it off.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
Yes, such a sad, sad loss.
It was our third essay musichall of fame induction.
I'm just reading from some ofthe reviews of that night.
There was an overwhelming airof dignity and respect for the
late Jim Keyes, former leadsinger of iconic Australian
group the Masters Apprentices.
(08:26):
He was inducted alongsidefellow original band members
Brian Thornton, mick Bower, rickMorrison, gavin Webb.
Accepting the award for Jimimwere his wife, karen, and
daughters holly and bonnie, whospoke highly of their late
father and were very excited tosee the original members
reunited for the very first timein almost 50 years.
(08:48):
And your beautiful daughterssang that night with the
master's apprentices amazingbecause they do not sing.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
It's not that they can't sing.
Often I've found a thing withthe children of people who are
in the music industry orwhatever.
They'll either go there,they'll really take after their
parents and just run with it, orthey'll say, no, not for me,
I'm going the other way.
I can't even get them to singat home, but they did that night
.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
It was so beautiful.
That's actually one of myquestions for later.
I was going to ask if either ofyour daughters did follow into
the family business the musicindustry no.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
No, and it's not because they just don't want to.
They want to make their own way, and I think Jim would admire
that too, because he was verymuch a man who made his own way
in life, an individual, and hedid what he wanted to do and was
what he wanted to be so they'redoing their things, their own
individual things, quitesuccessfully in life.
I'm very proud of the girls andI know Jim would be too.
(09:46):
Holly's actually living andworking in London at the moment.
Lucky duck she is, and she'sover there with Tim Wheatley.
She's not with him.
They're in London and I believethey're going to be meeting up
very shortly to get in together.
Tim has a daughter and partnerand it'll be lovely for them to
meet up again.
I think the last time we sawTim all together was in West
(10:07):
Hollywood.
All these amazing places.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
Tim, of course, is the son of Glenn Wheatley, the
bass player in MastersApprentices, Before becoming a
talent manager, tour promoterand radio entrepreneur.
Longtime manager of JohnFarnham, launched the career of
Delta Goodrum and helpedestablish the Little River Band
in the US.
I was just reading in the bookabout your and Jim's trip to
London your wonderful trip andwe went earlier in the years.
(10:35):
Your book brought back somewonderful memories for me as
well yes, isn't London amazing.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
That was our fifth, and after that we went every
year or two until Jim got sickand then he couldn't travel.
In fact, he fell sick while wewere over there on a trip.
I love England, love London.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
Medieval history is my hobby, so it's the right
place for me it certainly soundslike you were in your element,
which almost surprised you alittle bit, didn't it?
And what did Jim say?
I told you so yeah, I know.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
I know because I was what I always said when I get
travel I want to go to Spain.
You know, always on fame.
He said, no, I've been to Spain, it wasn't, it wasn't that good
, I'm going.
But yeah, but that was you, Iwant to go to Spain.
I said, let's go to Englandfirst.
I, okay, look, I'm happy justto be going, really, you know.
So let's go to England, youknow, because you'll love it.
He was right, I love it, it'sbeautiful.
Don't you hate it when they'reright?
(11:24):
You've got to think.
You've got to think.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
Well, actually, that just shows how well he knows me.
The SA Music Hall of Fame.
It was lovely that all the guysare there again.
They've been so supportive andso honoured that Dad touched so
many people he did, you know.
He was the soundtrack to somany of our lives.
(11:46):
He and the masters and CottonKeyes and Morris.
Of course there was a beautifulmoment at the end when there
was a standing ovation for aremark of respect for one of
Australia's greatestentertainers.
I loved reading that andremembering that night 10 years
ago here.
It was a beautiful night.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
And Jim, he would have loved to have been there
because he intended to be there.
Speaker 1 (12:09):
The iconic chorus of Do what you Want To Do, Be what
you Want To Be was sung by allof us in the crowd in unison.
It was a beautiful thing.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
It is a beautiful thing, isn't it?
Yeah, it never fails.
It never fails.
Jim would sing it.
Usually, it was always theencore, even with Cotton Keys
and Morris.
If it wasn't Because I Love you, it would be the real thing.
Speaker 1 (12:32):
Still off in the podcast with that radio chick,
cheryl Lee.
Back to speak to Karen shortly,but here it is now the song
that was often the encore duringCotton Keys and Morris shows
Because I Love you.
Interestingly, last week JohnBywaters from the Twilights, who
(12:55):
was the very first inducteeinto the SA Music Hall of Fame,
inducted our 153rd inductee, guySebastian, and we were there on
the red carpet to interview himlast week and it's just a
lovely thing to go in and seethe artists and their
memorabilia at the display.
I'm just so glad that Jim is apart of it.
(13:18):
He comes from fabulous, strongScottish stock, doesn't he?
Speaker 2 (13:24):
He does, he certainly does.
Keyes is his adoptive name.
The Keyes came from sort ofdown the river Clyde Clyde Bank,
I think they call it and whenJim was very young, they
emigrated to Adelaide and Jimwas about six months old when
his mother, his single mother,unmarried mother, gave him up
for adoption.
Jim and Jessie Keys had passedaway in the 70s, when he was
(13:47):
about 40, his natural mother hadbeen looking for him ever since
she gave him up and she foundhim.
It really was amazing.
I mean, it was just before Imet Jim, not too long a year or
so before I met Jim, maybe ayear or two.
So yeah, it was an incredibletime.
It was a happy, sad storybecause she said she would never
(14:08):
have another child until shefound her boy.
So, yeah, and in thoseapparently what they used to do,
they would fudge the trail, soit wasn't made easy to find him.
Speaker 1 (14:19):
So glad that they found each other.
That's just another part of thewhole fabric of this amazing
story, isn't it?
Speaker 2 (14:27):
It is, it is.
And I gained wonderfulparents-in-law Well, you'll read
my father-in-law, to whom I wasvery nice, and Nancy, she was
amazing.
She passed away early in themillennium.
I should stop there, becauseyou wouldn't be up to that yet.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
No, no spoilers Everyone else.
You'll have to grab the bookand read it, like me.
A little bit more about you,karen.
You live in Melbourne and theGold Coast you lucky bugger.
Speaker 2 (14:56):
Yes, I know, I know, um, quite by accident, I was
born and raised on the GoldCoast.
I'm a Gold Coast girl.
Right now I'm at my parentshouse on the Gold Coast.
I moved to Melbourne.
Well, when I met Chip, gotmarried, raised a family there
all of that I never thought I'dcome back to the coast either.
By the way, I thought if I wasgoing to move anywhere it would
be to England.
But yes, I did A couple ofyears ago.
(15:18):
It was, after all, the chaos ofthose three years, and what I
found at some points in timethere is I'd be in Melbourne,
locked down, and both of myageing parents were in hospital
at the same time and I couldn'tget to them.
I were in hospital at the sametime and I couldn't get to them.
I couldn't even cross theborder.
And even if I did cross theborder, I wasn't allowed into
the hospital.
After the three weeks hotelquarantine, I still wouldn't
(15:40):
have been allowed into thehospital.
I thought so Bonnie moved out acouple of years ago and I
thought oh, okay, what am Igoing to do?
I could be anywhere I want.
So I thought well, I don't everwant to be separated from my
parents again, if the governmentpulls anything like that again,
I don't want to be apart fromthem.
I want to be Queenslander again.
So technically I'm aQueenslander, but I do spend a
(16:00):
lot of time in Melbourne.
You are listening to StillRocking it, the podcast with
Cheryl Lee.
Speaker 1 (16:08):
Here's an interesting one I found for you Jim Keyes'
Southern Cross Band, theirversion of Undecided and back to
speak again to Karin Keyesshortly In your book we learn
(16:28):
that you and Jim were bothfabulous AFL supporters.
Do you still get along to?
Speaker 2 (16:35):
the footy?
I don't.
I haven't been yet, mainlybecause I can't work out where I
am at any given time.
Should I be a Melbourne memberor should I be any?
But so, yes, I was actuallyoriginally a Brisbane Bear, one
of six, paid up, fully paid up,melbourne members of the Bears.
Then they merged with Fitzroyand that's because I was known
(16:57):
at the club, because there wasonly six of us.
So the club gave me a call andsaid do you think Jim would help
us with the lyrics to the newclub song?
I've gone, yes, yes, so therewe are.
Jim wrote the lyrics to theBrisbane Lions club song and he
went in, produced it, recordedthe first one.
It's been re-recorded since,but the lyrics are all Jim's.
There's another feather in hiscap.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
He has many.
That's right and part of thewhole fabric of the story.
The launch of your first bookcoincides with the release of
new music by Jim.
Don't give it all away.
The album is called Caledonia.
How did that stay hidden for 23years?
Speaker 2 (17:40):
Yes, that's amazing.
It's amazing.
I'm going to backtrack right tothe start because I haven't
written this part in the book.
When we first became engaged,roy Orbison who Jim loved and I
loved too, by the way had justreleased an album Mystery Girl,
I think it was called MysteryGirl and he died just as it was
released, very sadly, and itwent number one all around the
(18:02):
world.
It was, you know, immense andJim said that's the way to do it
.
You know he said always haveone in the can for when I die.
Those were his words back in 88.
He various albums and and thenhe recorded caledonia and it did
sit there because I was heavilypregnant with bonnie.
I had her in september.
This was recorded in middle ofthe year.
In 2001 he was busy with coltonkeys and morris and then
(18:25):
leading into the long way to thetop tour, which masters
apprentices, the stadium tour,was on.
That was huge.
After that there was the uh,the, the regional tour for a
long way to the top, and then Iwas pregnant with William and
then William was born and passedaway and it just sat there.
There wasn't the right time torelease it and he did write a
few songs from it in 2006 thathe re-recorded and put on
(18:48):
Resonator the acoustic album.
But the whole album just satthere.
A lot of people forgot about it, didn didn't know about it.
I always knew it was there andit just was still waiting for
the right time.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
And this is the time it certainly is, and it does
hark back a little bit to Jim'sScottish heritage.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
Totally.
The name Caledonia meansScotland.
It's an ancient Roman name forScotland.
I wanted to call Bonnie BonnieCaledonia.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
Jim said you can't call the child that you said no,
I'm going to call my album thatgood name for the album.
Speaker 2 (19:19):
You know, it's like giving birth.
Absolutely I'm creating.
It's like writing a book, it'sit's it's like giving birth to
something, so not quite child,but you know, yeah.
So it was actually a reallygood name for it because a lot
of the songs i'm'm looking downat it here.
It's a very deeply personalalbum for Jim.
When you listen to the lyricsit's deeply personal, beautiful,
(19:40):
beautiful album.
I hesitate to say my favouritebecause they're all my
favourites, like All yourChildren, but it really is a
beautiful album.
It sounds like it was recordedyesterday.
It doesn't sound dated, it'sclassic.
It doesn't sound dated, no,it's classic, it's timeless.
Speaker 1 (19:56):
Yes, yeah, it's so beautiful and it's just being
tucked away there ready for theright time, and clearly, with
the release of your book, now isthe time.
Speaker 2 (20:06):
Now is the time.
We're working in partnershipwith Ambition Music.
They have released a DVD ofTurn Up your Video, which we
produced around about the sametime years ago.
It's been sitting there doingnothing, so that's out again,
and there's more to come.
We're going to be releasing allof Jim's back catalogue.
Speaker 1 (20:23):
Remastered Fantastic.
Yeah, there's a lot to lookforward to.
Yeah, there's another scoop foryou listeners.
You listeners start saving yourjb hi-fi vouchers for christmas
.
Good luck with the albumcaledonia and the masters
apprentice documentary.
Turn up your video.
(20:43):
I'm excited to see that as well.
Funnily enough, karen themasters apprentices or the
current version of which stillhas Brian and Mick in it, played
this weekend just gone inAdelaide here.
Awesome, we're very spoiled herein Adelaide we still get the
opportunity to hear all thosefabulous songs and walk down
(21:07):
memory lane and remember Jim andremember the hits.
It's a great opportunity for usto have that little nostalgia
hit.
Yes, congratulations.
As I say, it is so far, so good.
It's a wonderful, wonderfulread and, you know, if you want
to have a little sneak peek at alittle bit of what it's like to
(21:27):
be married to an Australianrock legend, get out and buy
Karen Key's book.
Stay tuned for the secondversion.
Thank you so much, karen, forspending some of your time with
us in our Zoom room today.
We really appreciate it.
All the best.
With everything going forward,I think you're amazing and I
would love to meet you in personone day.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
I hope we can.
Oh, I hope so very soon.
And thank you, cheryl, mypleasure chatting with you,
thank you.
Speaker 1 (21:53):
Still Rocking it podcast with that radio chick,
cheryl Lee.
Let's go out, shall we?
With one of the songs fromCaledonia, waiting for the Big
One, you're with Cheryl Lee,that radio chick.
Thank you so much for joiningme on the Still Rocking it
(22:16):
podcast.
Hope to catch you again nexttime.
Get out when you can supportAussie music and I'll see you
down the front.
That Radio Cheek Cheryl Lee here.
Welcome to the Still RockingPodcast where we'll have music
news, reviews and interviewswith some of our favourite
Australian musicians and artists.
Today we chat with Karin Keyesabout her new book.
It's Because I Love you is thestory of Karin Keyes' real-life
(00:21):
rock and roll romance andpossibly the first such book to
be written from the uniqueperspective of a woman who has
lived and worked for 35 years inthe inner sanctum of rock and
roll royalty, at times vastlyamusing, fascinating, insightful
and also deeply tragic.
The story of a fairy tale lifethat goes suddenly and
(00:43):
shockingly wrong, turning into anightmare of maternal loss and
grief.
Amidst the dizzying highs anddevastating lows of life in the
Australian music industry,karin's is an inspirational
story of healing and redemption,woven through a true love story
for all time.
(01:04):
To catch up on podcasts fromother favourite artists, simply
go to that radio chickcomau.
You're with Cheryl Lee and I'dlike to welcome into the Zoom
room today Karin Keyes, and shehas got an amazing story to tell
that I'm sure we're all goingto be really interested in.
And there's also a previouslyunreleased album of hubby gyms
(01:29):
that we must remember to hearall about before we leave today.
But first your new book.
I'm halfway through, I'velaughed, I've cried.
And before we chat about that,how was the launch last Friday?
Oh, it was magical.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
It was fabulous.
Thanks, Cheryl.
It was a beautiful courtyard.
It was early evening.
I spent most of the timesigning books.
I didn't get to do a lot ofsocialising, but perhaps there
are friends there that are inthe book from early on, For
instance, Lisa.
You'll read about her in thebook.
She was looking after ourchildren.
When I was in hospital havingWilliam, our daughters, she and
(02:05):
her husband David were there.
It was a wonderful, magicalevening.
Speaker 1 (02:08):
So glad it's not a book about being married to a
rock star, is it?
Although obviously you weremarried to a rock star, so Jim
is in it.
But it's about love and lossand fighting for what's right
and surviving together andcoming through another loss yet
again.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
Yes, exactly it's about my life.
Originally, I started to writeabout William, our son, after he
died.
I learned a lot from thecoronial process and, you know,
just dealing with all the legalaspects of that, you know, I
thought I wanted to write aboutit and share it.
It took me a long time and Ithought you know what?
I can't just write aboutWilliam without writing about
(02:46):
the love that he was createdfrom.
So that was how the bookstarted.
I started writing like that,but then, when I finally sat
down to write it, I wrote it asmy love story, or my love story.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
It absolutely is a love story and I love reading it
because the way that you writeit's just like you write, it's
just like you know.
We're sitting down and we'rehaving a conversation and we're
we're old friends and you'retelling me all about it and I
love that.
Such a beautiful read so far.
Now, jim, he fell in love withyou at first sight, didn't he?
(03:19):
The very first time he laideyes on you, he I didn't know it
at the time.
Speaker 2 (03:25):
I thought he couldn't stand me because he wouldn't
look at me.
This is not going to work,because I was a prospective
tenant, you know, in his house.
I thought, oh, he hates me.
So, as it turns out, he told melater he just didn't know where
to look because he was policed.
So yeah, it was very romanticwhen he told me, but before that
(03:45):
it wasn't.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
We don't want to give the whole thing away, because I
absolutely encourage thoselistening to grab the book and
have a read for yourself, butyou mentioned a couple of things
early on your day out or nightout with Annette Day who of
course is R Daisy's widow fromSupport Act, because I'm on the
committee.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
I love Support Act.
I love Support Act.
Support Act will actuallyfeature in the sequel to this
book, in the second book.
I won't give anything else away.
Speaker 1 (04:16):
Is that a scoop?
There's a sequel coming.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
There is there is because you haven't read the end
of the book yet.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
No, that's right, how exciting.
We love Annette.
We have a fundraising luncheonevery month here in South
Australia.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
I should go to Adelaide more often because
there's so many people who Ijust love out there, such as
Annette, and I haven't seen themfor ages, for instance, annette
and I our lives often veryparallel similarities.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
That's right.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
In the best ways and also in the saddest ways and the
worst.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
You both lost husbands.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
you know relatively young really yes that's true
Since then, because this willcome in the second book.
I'm actually no, maybe Ishouldn't say that, because I
don't want to give anything away.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
Watch this space.
It's set against the backdropof the music industry, obviously
, and tours and gigs and albumsand other rock stars, and you
and Jim have two beautifuldaughters together, and then the
unthinkable happens.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
I was pregnant.
Very soon after having Bonnie,I fell pregnant with William.
He unfortunately died about sixand a half hours after he was
born as a result of, in myopinion, being induced
artificially.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
Losing a child, which I just cannot imagine, and I
think one of your girlfriendssummed it up the best when she
walked into your hospital roomand she just thought how are you
still breathing, stillbreathing.
But to lose a child is badenough, but to think that it
(05:50):
possibly could have been avoidedsomehow must just be hard.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
That's when I cried obviously, yes, you know, to let
it be, you know, to just get onwith it, and I did try for a
while, until I'm not sure whereyou are in the book, but
something happened that made itobvious that I couldn't turn the
other way it's very brave ofyou to follow that through,
because anything that anybodycan do to avoid this sort of
thing happening to anothermother, another family, you're
(06:15):
so, so brave, thank you brave?
I don't know.
I just feel like it's somethingI had to do.
I almost felt like I couldn'tlive with myself if I didn't do
it.
You had to do it for William,yes, and for my daughters,
because one day, hopefully,they'll be mums themselves,
mothers-to-be, and their friendswho are not, love and adore all
my children's friends.
(06:35):
You know they're like daughtersto me as well.
How could I, if that everhappened to one of them and I
hadn't said or tried my best tomake sure that it didn't happen
again?
Speaker 1 (06:45):
whatever you can do to pinpoint the errors and stop
them from ever happening again,creating change for the better.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
You are listening to still rocking it it, the podcast
with Cheryl Lee.
Speaker 1 (06:59):
Let's hear.
Turn Up your Radio one ofMasters Apprentice's most
recognisable songs, a hit forthem in 1970, making it to
number seven on the Australiancharts.
And then back to speak somemore to Curran Rock and a roll,
and you're still doing it now.
Just a little bit of history,although I think everybody
(07:26):
listening to my podcast would befully aware of the
rockstarmness of your hubby,inducted into the ARIA Hall of
Fame in 1998, we have actuallyseen each other before current,
ten years ago at the GoodwoodInstitute here in Adelaide, when
Jim was to be inducted into theSA Music Hall of Fame with the
Masters Apprentices, butunfortunately you lost him just
(07:47):
a few weeks before that event.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
Very sadly.
Yes, he did.
He succumbed finally to well.
It was the cancer treatmenttaking its toll on his body the
cancer slash treatment, and hegot a an infection and be turned
into pneumonia and he justcouldn't fight it off.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
Yes, such a sad, sad loss.
It was our third essay musichall of fame induction.
I'm just reading from some ofthe reviews of that night.
There was an overwhelming airof dignity and respect for the
late Jim Keyes, former leadsinger of iconic Australian
group the Masters Apprentices.
(08:26):
He was inducted alongsidefellow original band members
Brian Thornton, mick Bower, rickMorrison, gavin Webb.
Accepting the award for Jimimwere his wife, karen, and
daughters holly and bonnie, whospoke highly of their late
father and were very excited tosee the original members
reunited for the very first timein almost 50 years.
(08:48):
And your beautiful daughterssang that night with the
master's apprentices amazingbecause they do not sing.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
It's not that they can't sing.
Often I've found a thing withthe children of people who are
in the music industry orwhatever.
They'll either go there,they'll really take after their
parents and just run with it, orthey'll say, no, not for me,
I'm going the other way.
I can't even get them to singat home, but they did that night
.
Speaker 1 (09:15):
It was so beautiful.
That's actually one of myquestions for later.
I was going to ask if either ofyour daughters did follow into
the family business the musicindustry no.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
No, and it's not because they just don't want to.
They want to make their own way, and I think Jim would admire
that too, because he was verymuch a man who made his own way
in life, an individual, and hedid what he wanted to do and was
what he wanted to be so they'redoing their things, their own
individual things, quitesuccessfully in life.
I'm very proud of the girls andI know Jim would be too.
(09:46):
Holly's actually living andworking in London at the moment.
Lucky duck she is, and she'sover there with Tim Wheatley.
She's not with him.
They're in London and I believethey're going to be meeting up
very shortly to get in together.
Tim has a daughter and partnerand it'll be lovely for them to
meet up again.
I think the last time we sawTim all together was in West
(10:07):
Hollywood.
All these amazing places.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
Tim, of course, is the son of Glenn Wheatley, the
bass player in MastersApprentices, Before becoming a
talent manager, tour promoterand radio entrepreneur.
Longtime manager of JohnFarnham, launched the career of
Delta Goodrum and helpedestablish the Little River Band
in the US.
I was just reading in the bookabout your and Jim's trip to
London your wonderful trip andwe went earlier in the years.
(10:35):
Your book brought back somewonderful memories for me as
well yes, isn't London amazing.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
That was our fifth, and after that we went every
year or two until Jim got sickand then he couldn't travel.
In fact, he fell sick while wewere over there on a trip.
I love England, love London.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
Medieval history is my hobby, so it's the right
place for me it certainly soundslike you were in your element,
which almost surprised you alittle bit, didn't it?
And what did Jim say?
I told you so yeah, I know.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
I know because I was what I always said when I get
travel I want to go to Spain.
You know, always on fame.
He said, no, I've been to Spain, it wasn't, it wasn't that good
, I'm going.
But yeah, but that was you, Iwant to go to Spain.
I said, let's go to Englandfirst.
I, okay, look, I'm happy justto be going, really, you know.
So let's go to England, youknow, because you'll love it.
He was right, I love it, it'sbeautiful.
Don't you hate it when they'reright?
(11:24):
You've got to think.
You've got to think.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
Well, actually, that just shows how well he knows me.
The SA Music Hall of Fame.
It was lovely that all the guysare there again.
They've been so supportive andso honoured that Dad touched so
many people he did, you know.
He was the soundtrack to somany of our lives.
(11:46):
He and the masters and CottonKeyes and Morris.
Of course there was a beautifulmoment at the end when there
was a standing ovation for aremark of respect for one of
Australia's greatestentertainers.
I loved reading that andremembering that night 10 years
ago here.
It was a beautiful night.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
And Jim, he would have loved to have been there
because he intended to be there.
Speaker 1 (12:09):
The iconic chorus of Do what you Want To Do, Be what
you Want To Be was sung by allof us in the crowd in unison.
It was a beautiful thing.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
It is a beautiful thing, isn't it?
Yeah, it never fails.
It never fails.
Jim would sing it.
Usually, it was always theencore, even with Cotton Keys
and Morris.
If it wasn't Because I Love you, it would be the real thing.
Speaker 1 (12:32):
Still off in the podcast with that radio chick,
cheryl Lee.
Back to speak to Karen shortly,but here it is now the song
that was often the encore duringCotton Keys and Morris shows
Because I Love you.
Interestingly, last week JohnBywaters from the Twilights, who
(12:55):
was the very first inducteeinto the SA Music Hall of Fame,
inducted our 153rd inductee, guySebastian, and we were there on
the red carpet to interview himlast week and it's just a
lovely thing to go in and seethe artists and their
memorabilia at the display.
I'm just so glad that Jim is apart of it.
(13:18):
He comes from fabulous, strongScottish stock, doesn't he?
Speaker 2 (13:24):
He does, he certainly does.
Keyes is his adoptive name.
The Keyes came from sort ofdown the river Clyde Clyde Bank,
I think they call it and whenJim was very young, they
emigrated to Adelaide and Jimwas about six months old when
his mother, his single mother,unmarried mother, gave him up
for adoption.
Jim and Jessie Keys had passedaway in the 70s, when he was
(13:47):
about 40, his natural mother hadbeen looking for him ever since
she gave him up and she foundhim.
It really was amazing.
I mean, it was just before Imet Jim, not too long a year or
so before I met Jim, maybe ayear or two.
So yeah, it was an incredibletime.
It was a happy, sad storybecause she said she would never
(14:08):
have another child until shefound her boy.
So, yeah, and in thoseapparently what they used to do,
they would fudge the trail, soit wasn't made easy to find him.
Speaker 1 (14:19):
So glad that they found each other.
That's just another part of thewhole fabric of this amazing
story, isn't it?
Speaker 2 (14:27):
It is, it is.
And I gained wonderfulparents-in-law Well, you'll read
my father-in-law, to whom I wasvery nice, and Nancy, she was
amazing.
She passed away early in themillennium.
I should stop there, becauseyou wouldn't be up to that yet.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
No, no spoilers Everyone else.
You'll have to grab the bookand read it, like me.
A little bit more about you,karen.
You live in Melbourne and theGold Coast you lucky bugger.
Speaker 2 (14:56):
Yes, I know, I know, um, quite by accident, I was
born and raised on the GoldCoast.
I'm a Gold Coast girl.
Right now I'm at my parentshouse on the Gold Coast.
I moved to Melbourne.
Well, when I met Chip, gotmarried, raised a family there
all of that I never thought I'dcome back to the coast either.
By the way, I thought if I wasgoing to move anywhere it would
be to England.
But yes, I did A couple ofyears ago.
(15:18):
It was, after all, the chaos ofthose three years, and what I
found at some points in timethere is I'd be in Melbourne,
locked down, and both of myageing parents were in hospital
at the same time and I couldn'tget to them.
I were in hospital at the sametime and I couldn't get to them.
I couldn't even cross theborder.
And even if I did cross theborder, I wasn't allowed into
the hospital.
After the three weeks hotelquarantine, I still wouldn't
(15:40):
have been allowed into thehospital.
I thought so Bonnie moved out acouple of years ago and I
thought oh, okay, what am Igoing to do?
I could be anywhere I want.
So I thought well, I don't everwant to be separated from my
parents again, if the governmentpulls anything like that again,
I don't want to be apart fromthem.
I want to be Queenslander again.
So technically I'm aQueenslander, but I do spend a
(16:00):
lot of time in Melbourne.
You are listening to StillRocking it, the podcast with
Cheryl Lee.
Speaker 1 (16:08):
Here's an interesting one I found for you Jim Keyes'
Southern Cross Band, theirversion of Undecided and back to
speak again to Karin Keyesshortly In your book we learn
(16:28):
that you and Jim were bothfabulous AFL supporters.
Do you still get along to?
Speaker 2 (16:35):
the footy?
I don't.
I haven't been yet, mainlybecause I can't work out where I
am at any given time.
Should I be a Melbourne memberor should I be any?
But so, yes, I was actuallyoriginally a Brisbane Bear, one
of six, paid up, fully paid up,melbourne members of the Bears.
Then they merged with Fitzroyand that's because I was known
(16:57):
at the club, because there wasonly six of us.
So the club gave me a call andsaid do you think Jim would help
us with the lyrics to the newclub song?
I've gone, yes, yes, so therewe are.
Jim wrote the lyrics to theBrisbane Lions club song and he
went in, produced it, recordedthe first one.
It's been re-recorded since,but the lyrics are all Jim's.
There's another feather in hiscap.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
He has many.
That's right and part of thewhole fabric of the story.
The launch of your first bookcoincides with the release of
new music by Jim.
Don't give it all away.
The album is called Caledonia.
How did that stay hidden for 23years?
Speaker 2 (17:40):
Yes, that's amazing.
It's amazing.
I'm going to backtrack right tothe start because I haven't
written this part in the book.
When we first became engaged,roy Orbison who Jim loved and I
loved too, by the way had justreleased an album Mystery Girl,
I think it was called MysteryGirl and he died just as it was
released, very sadly, and itwent number one all around the
(18:02):
world.
It was, you know, immense andJim said that's the way to do it
.
You know he said always haveone in the can for when I die.
Those were his words back in 88.
He various albums and and thenhe recorded caledonia and it did
sit there because I was heavilypregnant with bonnie.
I had her in september.
This was recorded in middle ofthe year.
In 2001 he was busy with coltonkeys and morris and then
(18:25):
leading into the long way to thetop tour, which masters
apprentices, the stadium tour,was on.
That was huge.
After that there was the uh,the, the regional tour for a
long way to the top, and then Iwas pregnant with William and
then William was born and passedaway and it just sat there.
There wasn't the right time torelease it and he did write a
few songs from it in 2006 thathe re-recorded and put on
(18:48):
Resonator the acoustic album.
But the whole album just satthere.
A lot of people forgot about it, didn didn't know about it.
I always knew it was there andit just was still waiting for
the right time.
Speaker 1 (18:58):
And this is the time it certainly is, and it does
hark back a little bit to Jim'sScottish heritage.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
Totally.
The name Caledonia meansScotland.
It's an ancient Roman name forScotland.
I wanted to call Bonnie BonnieCaledonia.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
Jim said you can't call the child that you said no,
I'm going to call my album thatgood name for the album.
Speaker 2 (19:19):
You know, it's like giving birth.
Absolutely I'm creating.
It's like writing a book, it'sit's it's like giving birth to
something, so not quite child,but you know, yeah.
So it was actually a reallygood name for it because a lot
of the songs i'm'm looking downat it here.
It's a very deeply personalalbum for Jim.
When you listen to the lyricsit's deeply personal, beautiful,
(19:40):
beautiful album.
I hesitate to say my favouritebecause they're all my
favourites, like All yourChildren, but it really is a
beautiful album.
It sounds like it was recordedyesterday.
It doesn't sound dated, it'sclassic.
It doesn't sound dated, no,it's classic, it's timeless.
Speaker 1 (19:56):
Yes, yeah, it's so beautiful and it's just being
tucked away there ready for theright time, and clearly, with
the release of your book, now isthe time.
Speaker 2 (20:06):
Now is the time.
We're working in partnershipwith Ambition Music.
They have released a DVD ofTurn Up your Video, which we
produced around about the sametime years ago.
It's been sitting there doingnothing, so that's out again,
and there's more to come.
We're going to be releasing allof Jim's back catalogue.
Speaker 1 (20:23):
Remastered Fantastic.
Yeah, there's a lot to lookforward to.
Yeah, there's another scoop foryou listeners.
You listeners start saving yourjb hi-fi vouchers for christmas
.
Good luck with the albumcaledonia and the masters
apprentice documentary.
Turn up your video.
(20:43):
I'm excited to see that as well.
Funnily enough, karen themasters apprentices or the
current version of which stillhas Brian and Mick in it, played
this weekend just gone inAdelaide here.
Awesome, we're very spoiled herein Adelaide we still get the
opportunity to hear all thosefabulous songs and walk down
(21:07):
memory lane and remember Jim andremember the hits.
It's a great opportunity for usto have that little nostalgia
hit.
Yes, congratulations.
As I say, it is so far, so good.
It's a wonderful, wonderfulread and, you know, if you want
to have a little sneak peek at alittle bit of what it's like to
(21:27):
be married to an Australianrock legend, get out and buy
Karen Key's book.
Stay tuned for the secondversion.
Thank you so much, karen, forspending some of your time with
us in our Zoom room today.
We really appreciate it.
All the best.
With everything going forward,I think you're amazing and I
would love to meet you in personone day.
Speaker 2 (21:48):
I hope we can.
Oh, I hope so very soon.
And thank you, cheryl, mypleasure chatting with you,
thank you.
Speaker 1 (21:53):
Still Rocking it podcast with that radio chick,
cheryl Lee.
Let's go out, shall we?
With one of the songs fromCaledonia, waiting for the Big
One, you're with Cheryl Lee,that radio chick.
Thank you so much for joiningme on the Still Rocking it
(22:16):
podcast.
Hope to catch you again nexttime.
Get out when you can supportAussie music and I'll see you
down the front.
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