Joan Ridgway

Joan Ridgway was the youngest of three daughters, her father was a contract yard Builder and Fencer and did a bit of Gold Prospecting between jobs , he operated mostly around the central Queensland area , cattle country , as the family moved around from job to job , Mum and the 3 girls hopped in and done their bit to help along on the job , Her father always said the girls were as good as any man on the cross Cut Saw and off siding on the fence line or yard building or any of the job’s he took on , Looking back at old photo’s no one would pick her as a Yard Builder , but all that was to change

Born on the 3 January 1932 in Rockhampton, and roamed from job to job with the family unit till she reached the age of twelve when they settled in Rockhampton , By this time Joan’s sister had a Guitar and Joan was quite good at singing and Yodelling , the whole family were musical , and many evening had been spent around the camp fire singing and yarning , at gathering’s Joan would get up on the camp table and sing the likes of Young Pat Maloney and Barnacle Bill , she loved those Tex Morton hillbilly songs , By the time they settled in Rockhampton Joan’s sister was teaching Joan the basic Chords for her to back her own singing , it did not take long for the family to get involved in Army concerts and fund raising events for the war effort ,Word soon got around of her ability to sing and yodel and she was asked if she would perform at the Tivoli Theatre one Friday night , This Joan agreed to and was her first appearance in Public , she went over well and then became a regular on the many Charity Concerts

Joan entered her first Talent Quest at the age of 14, then she entered and won her heat in the Incapacitated and Wounded Sailers and Soldiers Asso. Of Queensland on the 29-9-1946 at the Tivoli Theatre, then the finals at The Palais Royal on the 15-10-1946 ,

Later in 1947 she won the Roy Rogers Australia wide Hillbilly Championship , at the time it looked like it was a toss up between Joan or Ray Lynch , before leaving Roachampton for Sydney for The Republic Screen Test , there was a send off show at the School of Arts on the Tues. 25th March 1947 for what they said was Australia’s best Hillbillies Joan Ridgway and Ray Lynch , there was also a welcome home show starring Joan & Ray on the 10th July 1947 at the School of Arts and a follow up return home show at Mt Morgan on the 19th July 1947

The test results were sent to America, this resulted in Joan being asked to go to America to work Stage and Radio , she turned this offer down and decided to pursue her own career here in her own country ,

In 1948 she won Australia's Amateur Hour with compere Dick Fair in Sydney , ( 3DB-LK ) on Thursday night 16th December 1948 , .

When she was not quite Eighteen she started up her own Travelling Variety Show , the first date I can come up with is Mon. 5th & Tues 6th December 1949 at the Olympic Theatre .

The show was built around her own singing and Yodelling and featured other variety acts , some of whom , like the Schneider Sisters went on to much wider fame , Her father compered the show , her mother sang and a good time was had by all for three years till illness in the family prevented the show from continuing , the show toured as far north as Cairns and as far west as Mt Isa ,

During this time the urge to record was on her mind and in 1950 she passed her audition under the watchful eye of Arch Kerr , but it was not till 1951 that she actually put down her first tracks for record release

Joan married Jack Conley in 1952, Jack was known by some as John and others as Sonny , more recording sessions followed in 1953 , in 1954 Joan toured with Buddy Williams around the central coast area , at times she worked with Nedd Dodd’s band “ Satin Strings “ , and in 1955 she again fronted the recording studio

Joan's first son Steve was born in 1956, followed by a daughter Merle in 1958 , another son David arrived in 1968 , the Conley family lived in Alexandra Street , then later moved to Ocean St Emu Park to a house on a cliff over looking the sea , they sold the place and re settled at William Street Emu Park in 1992 not far from the main section , it was here that her husband Jack passed away .

In 1981 Joan took part in the unveiling of June Holm’s grave at Nudgee along with Arch Kerr , she was inducted into the Hands of fame ay Tamworth in 1982

Joan had all her old 78 material re released on an LP on the Queensland Country Style Label , Number QCS 1016 on the 25-7-1988 , she then had two new songs released on a mixed artists cassette on the same Label on the 4-6-1989 , number QCS 1017 , then there was released a full cassette of herself titled Joan Ridgway Sings a Country Song on the 4-11-1989 , then on a CD number QCS 1025 , which was released on the 9-5-1989 , she is doing two duo’s with Zeta Burns , she had first met Zeta on the 12th and 13th March 1948 , Zeta was travelling with Lesters Follies travelling show and as Joan had just won the Aust. Wide Hillbilly contest , Bill Wood the owner of Lesters Follies asked Joan if she would like to do a guest spot which she excepted , she was also guest artist when Lesters Follies came through on the 25th and 26th Febuary 1949 , they have remained friends ever since

The Film And Sound Archives released a CD in January 1999 titled Down the Trail of Achin Hearts , Number CD/NFSA/DT0014 Joan is featured on this CD with Lily Connors , and Jacqueline Hall

Joan was awarded The Queensland Award of Recognition in Country Music in Rockhampton on the 20-5-2000 , all of Joan’s children are musical , but none have shown any interest in it as a career

The two tracks of Joan and Zeta were also put onto the CD QCS 1031 on the 31-3-2001

Then on CD number QCS 1032 all Joan's old material was released on the 7-4-2001

Four tracks of Joan were produced on QCS 1043 on the 2-3-2002, one of which being

"Lorena" the American Civil War Song, Jay Taylor of the American magazine

"Country Trails Less Travelled", quoted that it was the best version he had ever heard

Joan moved to Wood Street, Emu Park in 2003, she recorded Harmony with Zeta Burns and the material released on QCS 1050 on the 14-8-2005

Over the years Joan never stopped writing songs and Ian Hands put one of her song on his CD QCS 1053 , Joan had written the song especially for him , it was released on the 14-4-08, QCS 1054 an 18 track CD released by Zeta Burns on the 23-4-08, contains 16 tracks of Joan’s unrecorded song’s and 2 tracks of Joan’s sister Doris , Zeta’s forth coming CD will also carry some of Joan’s unrecorded work

Joan was sent to Brisbane on the 6th October 2008 for a specialist health check which resulted in her being admitted into the Greenslopes Hospital on the 9th where complications arose from a previous operation , her children were by her side when she peacefully passed away on the 12th October 2008

Joan's body was flown back to Rockhampton, a grave side service was held at the Emu Park Cemetery at 2-15 PM on the 16th Oct. Jack Conley's Sister aged 86 and also named Joan, lives in McDowell, Brisbane, her son Merv flew up for the service, Ian Hands performed the eulogy, Joan was laid to rest beside her husband Jack.

Ó October 2008 by Ian Hands.