Bob Fricker's 5AD show makes Adelaide station the country music HQ of Australia in the late 1940s and early 1950s
Bob Fricker's Mountain Music show on 5AD featured South Australian country music talent like Dean "Rocky" Page.
Bob “Two Guns” Fricker made Adelaide's radio station 5AD and The Advertiser broadcasting network the country music headquarters of Australia, during the late 1940s and 1950s, giving a start on his shows to local talents such as Reg Lindsay, Mike O’Malley, Roger Cardwell and Rocky Page.
Fricker had his showbiz grounding during World War II as compere and publicity manager for the revue Navy Blue and, at 23, as Australia’s youngest stage manager, directing stars such as Dick Bentley, Roy Rene and Mike Connors. In 1942, Fricker joined 5DN that also had a country music flavour with the Sunday afternoon Banjo Club, sponsored by Adelaide College of Music.
He moved to 5AD in 1946, with his Mountain Music show mixing recorded and live local entertainment. This led to Fricker developing road shows, with country and wider musical talent. Fricker’s radio programme attracted visiting artists such as The LeGarde Twins, Smoky Dawson, Dusty Rankin, Tex Morton and Buddy Williams. Americans Hank Snow and Wilf Carter sent out tapes to be played.
Kadina-born Dean “Rocky” Page was among local performers on Fricker’s Mountain Music, along with Radio Canteen 5DN, The Tivoli Shows and Good Friday appeals from the late 1940s.
Page learned to button accordian and mouth organ from his stepfather George Westly and his uncle, radio personality Bert Wooley, taught him guitar. He performed in many Adelaide shows with Wooley and made his first custom record at 5AD in 1947. He taught music at Adelaide College of Music and moved to Berri in 1951 with every Riverland town and charity group benefitting by the Rocky Page School of Music Shows. Page appeared on television in Melbourne many times on Channels 9 and 7 and on Radio 3DB.
The Rocky Page Show played to packed houses. By 1957, Page’s weekly radio show played on 5RM (Berri), 3TR (Sale), 3CV (Maryborough) and 7HT (Hobart). In 1967-68, he joined the Slim Dusty Show for an Australia-wide tour and regularly appeared on Reg Lindsay's Country and Western Hour television show in Adelaide.
In 1971, Page started the successful Berri Rodeo and, over the next 20 years, Rocky continued to organise the South Australian country music awards and the Riverland country music festival.
