lit a candle 5 Sept 2026I grew up watching him on television in Perth. Johnny had this warmth about him, like he genuinely wanted every kid on that stage to succeed. The world needed more of that kind of generosity.
Their story
Johnny Young (born Johnny Benjamin Arthur de Jong; March 12, 1947, Rotterdam, Netherlands, to August 13, 2026, Perth, Western Australia) was an Australian singer, songwriter, producer, disc jockey and television host whose career spanned more than six decades. To millions of viewers he was the genial face of Young Talent…
Johnny Young (born Johnny Benjamin Arthur de Jong; March 12, 1947, Rotterdam, Netherlands, to August 13, 2026, Perth, Western Australia) was an Australian singer, songwriter, producer, disc jockey and television host whose career spanned more than six decades. To millions of viewers he was the genial face of Young Talent Time; to musicians he was the writer of "The Real Thing," "Smiley," "The Star" and other 1960s landmarks; to the industry he was the rare figure honoured in both the Logie and ARIA halls of fame.
Born in Rotterdam after World War II, he was raised as the youngest child of Anna Wilhelmina and Fokke Jan de Jong, with older half-siblings Cornelia, Antonia and Ferdinand. Dutch and Australian migration records show the family moved between the Netherlands and Western Australia more than once before settling. They flew into Australia in July 1953, spent an early month at Holden Camp in Northam, and later made their home in the Perth Hills suburb of Kalamunda. Fokke worked as a welder on projects including the Kwinana Oil Refinery. Johnny's mother sang in a choir and took him to children's radio shows; he was naturalised as an Australian citizen with family members in 1959. As a teenager he fronted Perth bands including the Nomads (later the Strangers) and trained as a disc jockey.
By about 18 he was hosting TVW-7 Perth's pop show Club Seventeen and releasing singles. In 1966, after supporting the Easybeats, he recorded "Step Back" (written by Stevie Wright and George Young of the Easybeats) as a double A-side with "Cara-Lyn." Johnny Young & Kompany took the single to number one on the Go-Set National Top 40; it became one of the biggest Australian hits of the decade. He moved to Melbourne, hosted Too Much and then The Go!! Show (replacing Ian Turpie), won a 1967 Logie for Best Teenage Personality, toured with major international acts, and scored further hits including a ballad reading of the Beatles' "All My Loving," which later became his television signature. A London period included sharing a flat with Barry Gibb, who encouraged his songwriting.
Back in Australia he reinvented himself as a writer and producer. "The Real Thing," intended as a reaction to a Coca-Cola slogan and transformed under Ian "Molly" Meldrum's production for Russell Morris, topped the charts in 1969 and later entered APRA's list of top Australian songs. He also wrote "The Girl That I Love" for Morris, "The Star" for Ross D. Wyllie, "Smiley" for Ronnie Burns (inspired by Normie Rowe's Vietnam conscription), and "I Thank You" for Lionel Rose. In 1970 he formed Lewis-Young Productions with Kevin Lewis; after Happening '70/'71/'72 they launched Young Talent Time on April 24, 1971. Inspired in part by The Mickey Mouse Club, the hour combined a regular Young Talent Team with a junior talent quest. It ran until December 1988 (about 800-plus episodes), outlasting Countdown, and launched or accelerated careers including Jamie Redfern, Debra Byrne, Tina Arena, Dannii Minogue, Karen Knowles, Sally Boyden and others. Episodes closed with "All My Loving" and Young's sign-off "Goodnight Australia." He founded Johnny Young Talent Schools to train young performers.
After the show's axing he faced debt tied to studio plans, family bereavements, and later a damaging early-1990s Philippines episode when he accompanied dying director Terry Higgins seeking ozone therapy and was briefly arrested under mistaken HIV-clinic charges (later dropped; discussed on Australian Story in 2000). He returned to radio (including 6IX Perth breakfast), produced Cavalcade of Stars, hosted ABC's The Pet Show, executive-produced and judged a 2012 Network Ten revival of Young Talent Time, and appeared in the 2021 anniversary special Young Talent Time: Unmasked with Arena and Minogue. Inducted into the Logie Hall of Fame in 1990 and the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2010 (inducted by Arena singing "The Star"), he was also inducted into the Australian Songwriters Hall of Fame (2015) and the West Australian Music Industry Hall of Fame (2019). No Order of Australia appointment was found in sources reviewed.
He married more than once (including Jane, mother of son Craig; Kathy, mother of Anna and Fleur; a brief marriage to Rose McKimmie; and from 2009 Marisha, a Polish-born economist). Craig died about 2014 of pancreatic cancer. Young himself died in Perth after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer; the family announced his death on August 14, 2026, asking for privacy and saying memorial details would follow. ABC Listen later noted that family, friends and industry would celebrate his life on September 6, 2026. Tributes came from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Tina Arena, Dannii Minogue, Kylie Minogue, Russell Morris, Normie Rowe, Karen Knowles, Beven Addinsall and APRA AMCOS.
Biography adapted from Wikipedia Johnny Young; ABC News 2026-08-14; Sydney Morning Herald / The Age 2026-08-14; AAP; Nine.com.au; TV Tonight (David Knox); Television.AU; Dutch Australia Cultural Centre; APRA AMCOS Vale; Bil.
In their own words
“Johnny Young gave Australia the gift of joy. A wonderful singer in his own right, he established himself in our homes and our hearts as the genial and generous host of Young Talent Time, the launchpad for an incredible new generation of entertainers. How lucky we were to have him. May he rest in peace.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on X, August 14, 2026
“I'm struggling to find the words today to express the profound loss of a man who allowed, and equally encouraged, me to find my voice! Just know that you leave behind a beautiful legacy that we will continue to uphold because you deserve that, and much more. RIP darling John.”
Tina Arena Instagram tribute, August 14, 2026
“Johnny Young holds a place in so many hearts, and today my heart is broken. From cast, crew and every Johnny Young Talent School member, this is a very sad Goodnight Australia.”
Dannii Minogue Instagram tribute, August 14, 2026
“I have always felt like the luckiest kid on the block to be able to continue working in the music industry for 50 years in so many areas when basically I am just a rock and roller. To receive this honour is the cherry on an amazing cake.”
On impending 2010 ARIA Hall of Fame induction
“The show is wholesome, clean and good fun. It proves there is room on television for talented youngsters performing in an adult setting.”
Young on Young Talent Time to TV Week
“Young Talent Time stands alone. Nobody else has done it. Everybody loves the memory of it, and everybody loves the feeling of it.”
Interview quoted in TV Tonight Vale piece
“He was one of the most intelligent guys I've ever met.”
Russell Morris on ABC Perth after Young's death
Photos
3Johnny Young at Young Talent Time media event, Luna Park Sydney, 2012
by People Forever
Johnny Young, 2012
by People Forever
Johnny Young portrait, 2012
by People Forever
From social media
5Posts by Johnny, and posts about them, kept here so they are not lost.