It seems the Australian music industry just can’t catch a break. Just days after the death of Daddy Cool’s Ross Hannaford, we’ve lost another of our legends, Jon English. At just 66 years old, in the middle of a tour, it just doesn’t seem fair.
Jon was hospitalised in Newcastle after suffering broken ribs. During surgery to correct the problem, doctors discovered an issue with his aortic valve. He suffered an aortic aneurysm from which he never recovered.
It was just days ago that Jon was apologising to his fans for postponing shows and posting that he couldn’t wait to be “rocking out on stage.” He was booked to be part of Cruise N Groove 2016 in October. This was a man who wasn’t supposed to be going anywhere.
We’ve all got our special memories of Jon English. For me he was a big part of my discovery of music theatre. I remember seeing him in Pirates of Penzance and HMS Pinafore in the 90s. He had such charisma. He was larger than life up there on the smallish Civic Theatre stage.
Jon leaves behind his wife Carmen, four children, and a legion of fans. He will be missed.
Image source: Lynott88 @ Wikimedia Commons
