Andy 60's Music Friends And TV Celebrities

It's like an Andy Young Facebook posting. 👍

These are snapshots that I cannot put anywhere else on this blog.

Not showing off, please. Just connections...

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 Snapshots With:

Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong, 

Rick Astley (Never Gonna Give You Up), 

Singapore Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen, 

Blue Diamonds Riem De Wolffe, 

Jack Neo (Money No Enough), 

Dawn Tan (Channel News Asia), 

Tan Kheng Hwa (Crazy Rich Asians), 

Brian Richmond (Sunday With Brian), 

Vernetta Lopez (Gold 90.5), 

Denise Tan (Gold 90.5), 

Anita Kapoor (Discovery Channel, Treasure Hunt), 

Shun Ng (Finger Style Guitarist Boston Music Award), 

Dick Lee (Fried Rice Paradise), 

Syahidah Othman (Broadcast journalist CNA),

etc.

Selfie with Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong. 

"I'll take the selfie," he said, because I couldn't. Thanks PM.

Singapore Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen during Prize Giving Ceremony

for scholarly achiever Josh. Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus T.P. 

With Rick Astley (Never Gonna Give You Up) backstage, 

performing at Caldecott Hill TV Studios for Channel 5: 

ROLLING GOOD TIMES. Shooting and recording sessions.

With Dawn Tan Channel New Asia at Star Vista

Andy with Crazy Rich Asians, Singapore actress Tan Kheng Hua

during a documentary shoot at Desker Road, red-light district,

in Singapore.

With Minister Desmond Lee (Social and Family Development), 

his dad Mr Lee Yoke Suan, Andy Young and 

their families in Brisbane Australia.

Andy with Dick Lee (Fried Rice Paradise) on the set of Rolling Good Times

MediaCorp Singapore for our TV appearance on Channel 5.

DJ Vernetta Lopez, Andy Young, DJ Brian Richmond,

Sunday With Brian @ MediaCorp Studio, Caldecott Hill.

Andy Young with DJ Denise Tan, Makan Kaki, Gold 90.5 FM.

Andy Young, the late Riem de Wolffe (Blue Diamonds), 

Larry Lai (Rediffusion DJ), the late Jap Chong, 

Vernon Cornelius (The Quests).

Andy Young With Money No Enough Jack Neo Actor and Director

of many successful movies @ MediaCorp Studios,

Caldecott Hill during a Channel 5 shoot.

 

Andy with Canadian High Commissioner to

Singapore H.E. Heather Grant @ Lido Cinema 

Singapore. Joey Koh took the pix.

TV Host Anita Kapoor (Discovery Channel) at the launch of CNA Treasure Hunt with Josh

With Sya Othman Channel News Asia's broadcast journalist, Audie,

during a documentary for 50 Years of Singapore Music.

Syahidah Othman (CNA), during the shooting of

the documentary. One of the sweetest, most patient and

soft-spoken Broadcast Journalists, I've worked with.

With pop singer Savanna onboard Cruise ship

Royal Caribbean 

With Radio TV Singapore legendary guitarist Horace Wee and John Cher.

A  music-friends meet organised by The Dukes boss and bassist Zainal Abidin at Bedok Corner for a meal on 24 January 2018 resulted with (from left): Zainal Abidin, Paul Shankar (Dukes), Winston Walters (Dukes), Andy Young, Vernon Cornelius (Quests), John Cher (Silver Strings) and Jerry Fernandez (Neu Faces).

Fun chats as the group increased later when a few other music makers came around.

With Louis Soliano, jazz drummer Cultural Medallion winner, 2019, with Horace Wee, Mr n Mrs Leo Fernandez at a curry fish head meet near the end of Changi Road in January 2018. Friendly neighbours.

Another neighbour from Planet Earth, eh, Perth. This Caucasian guy's 

interested in Singapore 60's music and cornered me at Cottesloe, 

Perth December 2017. He said, "I'm on your blog but remain anonymous. Ha, ha."

With music professional guitarist Michael Bangar

 in January 2018. Visiting friends performing. 

It was a cold night @ 22.6*C. Michael has written much on this blog. 

Michael has performed for Presidents, Ministers and Malaysian Royalties.

First time meeting up with Winston Walters, the singer from 

The Dukes, introduced by Zainal Abidin, band leader and bass guitarist. January 2018.

Winter and cold, these youthful buskers were with 

their guitars singing, Hotel California at the Fremantle Market in Perth, Australia. 

They could fit into the best hotel lounges here in Singapore. Fantastic guitar play and vocals.

With the Wisma Geylang Serai Project chat group at Malay Heritage Centre at the invitation of the project coordinator through an email to this blog. Entertainment was a big discussion, 

especially pop yeh yeh and Malay folk music. January 2018.

The best professional blue whale watchers on the planet, Jamie (pilot), Kyle (curly locks) and Billie (waving arms), from Australia. I told them about Frankie Laine's Moby Dick song and they were thrilled.

The boy is so cute and friendly. He clung to me as we wound our way to Parliament House 

during the late PM Lee Kuan Yew's wake in 2015. Halfway through the queue,

I sang My Mother's Eyes to him very quietly. If mummy reads this or 

if anyone else knows this family, please write to me. 

Wonderful people that we meet in our lives.  

With Shun Ng one of the best fingerstyle guitarists, 

flamboyant but true to his calling. Born in Chicago, Illinois 

but with Singapore parentage, he's one of the best that I've met and heard.

With Larry Lai and young MediaCorp producer, 

HH Tang while discussing a television project we were supposed to participate in.

With Larry Lai and Malcolm Hyder (last of the Bambinos) at

a private club in 2015. 

Meeting Danny Koh with the lovely divas below

after the show at the premises of Cathay Cinema.

With four Chinese divas and the MC for the evening, 

after the show at the Cathay building front lawn in May 2015 

where I sang with The Esquires.

Singing on the same stage with the four divas (top left n right) 

Skye Sirena, Irene Suan Man, (bottom left and right) Tandy Lim 

and Judy Theng at the Cathay Cinema external lawn in 2015.

At Tan Sook Khoon's palatial home during CNY dinner 2018 with 

Larry Lai and Eddie. Missus of 3 friends too.

          

With international hairstylist Anthony Tan (Ah Kim) 

and Laurence Lim

Silver Strings performance at National Library Auditorium 2016 

with John Cher

Silver Strings but Michael Bangar is missing

Documentary Treasure Hunt on Channel News Asia, Singapore

with the archaeologist, Lim Chen Sean and TV hostess Anita Kapoor.

Grandson Joshua Lim after a documentary shoot. 

Relaxing at a food court.

Meeting top local movie and TV stars Jack Neo and Aileen Tan 

with Audie Ng and John Cher (Silver Strings).

This posting has been rejuvenated today. 10/10/2023. 

Thanks to friends of this blog who love this posting:

Ivor Lesslar

Michael Lee

Hiroshi Deguchi

Stephen Han

Yip Dick

Koh Daisy

Colin Colin

John Klass

Yen Chow

Ann Rowena Lim

李雪蓉

Jessica Savitz

Chee Chien

Dora Chew

Rocker Lee

Poh Huat Tng

Cindy Pau

Wong Lim Jessica

Kali Dass S

Somkid Lakhawat

Ser Kiong Tan

Davy Chan

Raymond Cho

James Kwok

Tin Leong Lim

Byung Kim

Stephen Francis

Herry Jusuf

Terence Lee

Foo Jong Fook

Lim Tin Leong

Hawk Chen

Jalani Mohamed

Frankie Koh

and the list will go on...

International Stars Connect With Andy's Music Blog

🎤🎸🎷🎭

These top stars from the music and movie industry have connections with this blog.

Russell Hitchcock, one half of Air Supply, commented on Rex Goh's guitar playing on John Cher's Facebook post, "Amazing player and a cherished friend."

Stephen Fry, an actor and comedian too, made similar comments and recommended that pop music lovers read about Rex Goh on this blog. Rex is an international lead guitarist with Air Supply.

"Sexy Rexy has been a guitar great in Sydney and the world for eons. It was great to hear about your Singapore background Rex Goh. The direct link to make it easy for people if interested is here."

http://singapore60smusic.blogspot.com.au/2015/11/rex-goh-singapore-to-madison-square.html

Rick Astley, pop star with so many hits, appeared in the same show with The Silver Strings for its first opening season of, Rolling Good Times. A posting on this blog featured behind the camera scenes.

http://singapore60smusic.blogspot.sg/2015/04/rolling-good-times-again-with-silver.html

                Rick Astley n me, beside the lady,*Ch 5, Rolling Good Times.

And on this November 2016 month, Scott Page from Pink Floyd, Supertramp and Toto fame followed Andy on Twitter.

I can't ask for anything more. It's made my year.

Thanks to all the singers, actors and readers involved, especially writer John Cher.

*Media Corps Singapore, 2015.

Images: Google and A Personal Collection.

Rolling Good Times Singapore 2: Behind The Cameras

The Silver Strings appeared on the premier episode of Rolling Good Times on 17th May, 2015 (Channel 5) but the actual live recording was done on the 4th of May, two weeks before the show.  It is general knowledge that performers had to come in early for the shoot, hours before the audience arrived at 7.30 pm.  We met at Reception at three in the afternoon . Security is always tight so if you're going for a show, don't forget to bring your identification card.

Ushered into the underground studio and beneath the cosy comfort of Caldecott Hill, we faced a large sound stage that had hosted many a variety show in English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil. It was cavernous enough to seat a few hundred people.  We joined the performers scattered in the front rows waiting their turn to rehearse. (Image 1: Media Corp @ Caldecott.)

Dick Lee, Tabitha Nauser, Reuby, Mathilda D'Silva, Wendi Koh

We didn't wait long when Dick Lee came on stage with 19 year old Reuby, co-host Tabitha Nauser and Singapore's Tina Turner Mathilda D'Silva. They set the mood with Dick's and Tabitha's natural TV chatter as they introduced the show with a song. The resident band that accompanied them was incomparable.

When Wendi Koh performed she went into a spin and transformed the studio into a rock n roll, free for all, disco hall with her singing. We were wowed by all of them.  Such talent and artistry.  When Mathilda came on she looked extremely sexy with her outfit and special hairdo.  You'd think Tina Turner was out there. Then Reuby performed as he eased our nerves with a ballad. (Images 2, 3, 4: Sound studio; Artistes; Resident Band with Silver Strings.)

We knew our turn came when we saw drummer John Cher's throne of kings rolling in. There were drums everywhere on the sound stage with the percussion instrument elevated on a large box.

"And you're going to sit up there?" I asked him laughing.

Then Fender amplifiers were placed, together with the toy Nick Stravens was supposed to tinker with on national television (image above).

The whole session lasted for some time as the camera crew, lighting specialists and sound men went into action testing their equipment.  The Silver Strings managed the routine as Diana was introduced again and again during practice. Paul Anka's famous baby-sitter came alive once more. (Images 5,6: Silver Strings practice with Nick Stravens in the foreground; Audience.)

For the interview segment, we were seated with Dick Lee, and as places were established we thought it was going to be a long session practising but he managed the chat so professionally, we became engrossed in a conversation that went pretty well on screen. All in one take!

After the dry run we had our meals, heavy fried chicken with nasi-lemak, Chinese sweet and sour fish or a bee-hoon dinner, all served with vegetables. Then make-up time as we went into the tiny room filled with mirrors and facing professionals in black.  I thought it was a Batman costume party. Honestly, this group was the quietest and nicest ever as they went about their duty struggling hard to make seniors look like juniors. They had succeeded with Audie, Rickie, John and Nick. (Images: 7, 8: Wendi Koh practice; Rick Astley.)

After the make-up and costumes it was waiting at the wings for our turn as we chatted and met the other participants of the show. By then it was about 7.30 pm and members of the public came streaming in as they filled up the seats in the sound studio.  We watched between the curtains. The audience too had to go through certain routines with encores, sing-a-longs and music quizzes.

The live recording started on time and we did our segment around 8.30pm.  At the end of the evening before our famous guest star came on he managed some photo shots with the Silver Strings  Rick Astley was one of the most friendly and pleasant singing stars.

Andy Lim, Audie Ng, Rickie Chng, Nick Stravens,
John Cher (Silver Strings 2015 line-up)

If you've seen last week's telecast, you should know what happened afterwards. I think this first Rolling Good Times was a successful one.

If you have a chance to see it live get a ticket because I understand Media Corp @ Caldecott Hill may close soon to relocate. Uncertain though.

Nice visit for an SG50 family getaway before another iconic building disappears. (Images 9, 10, 11, 12: Rickie Chng, Audie Ng; Make Up artistes; John Cher; Andy Lim.)

Sunday Night: 24th May, 2015: The Dukes, Julie Sudiro, Veronica Young. Also interviews with the Western Union Band, Chris Ho and Najib Ali and Rahimah Rahim.
And don't forget JOHNNY HATES JAZZ in the final show on this series.

SLIP NOTE:

Other episodes on Rolling Good Times include 60s, 70s and 80s stars: Johnny Hates Jazz, Frances Yip, Rahimah Rahim, Ginger Bread, Maizurah, Ramli Sarip, Mel and Joe Ferdinands, Jacintha and today's stable of current Singapore popsters.

 Read Rolling Good Times Part 1. Click below:

(http://singapore60smusic.blogspot.sg/2015/04/rolling-good-times-again-with-silver.html).

                              Johnny Hates Jazz: I Don't Want To Be A Hero

Images: A personal collection and Google.