9781760689018

Post-war Australia didn't know what to make of promoter Lee Gordon. To some he was a typical Yank: crass, loud and focused on making money. But to others, Lee Gordon was a mentor, a guru and also a lifeline to the big time. What was undeniable was without Lee Gordon, there would be no billion-dollar entertainment industry in Australia today; names like Michael Gudinski, Harry M Miller and Michael Chugg would mean nothing. Gordon was a true original, who lived fast and hard, spent big and died way too young.

When Lee Gordon arrived in Australia in 1953, the only place locals could see international stars was on the big screen. But over the next 10 years, Gordon would promote tours for almost 500 international acts, everyone from Sinatra to Sammy Davis Jr, Liberace to Bill Haley, Buddy Holly to shock comic Lenny Bruce. By the time Gordon died in mysterious circumstances, aged just 40, he'd not only established the entertainment industry in Australia, but he'd changed the country's culture.