Rodney Vincent is your complete entertainer . His one man show is a feast of entertainment that caters for anyone and everyone who enjoys a good time. It is a blend country , comedy , old time favourites , rock and roll and storytelling that cannot help but make people laugh . His standing in Australia’s entertainment scene is no accident , it is a result of a long hard apprenticeship that as he says “started a while ago” His journey has taken him from his first paying gig in an old time dance band at his local hall to when he joined the Channel 9 Singers on “In Melbourne Tonight” which featured Graham Kennedy , Ugly Dave Gray , Jimmy Hannan , Bert Newton and other household names to many different facets of the entertainment industry . From music hall , floorshow work , recording and touring , and it’s when you see Rodney performing that you can see all those experiences coming out in his work. The world of comedy added another string to Rodney’s bow when he toured with one of Australia’s great comedians Col Elliott , not only as a special guest but he played the straight man to many of Col’s characters.
He also worked with another great in the field of comedy Lucky Grills , watching and learning the art of how to make people laugh and enjoy themselves . To work with the best is what we all aspire to and Rodney is very proud of his association with the late great American Rock and Roll legend Gene Pitney . From a chance guest appearance one night in Tasmania he went on to be Gene’s very special guest on 5 of his Australian tours . Rodney also wrote and recorded 2 songs with Gene , “What a big Surprise” and “Let’s not make the same mistake again” . Gene then offered to do the harmony parts on each of the songs. Media Release I have been working on tours with the very talented Rodney Vincent for many years and we finally sat down and wrote a song together .The end result “What a Big Surprise” and I think it turned out great . Rodney put down his vocals in Melbourne with some great musicians and sent the tape to me in the US.
I recorded my harmonies in my studio at home and mixed the final version which was sent back to Australia . Hope to see you at one of our concerts and I hope you like our song “What a Big Surprise” Gene Pitney 2002 Awards are not high on Rodney’s agenda as he always says “you are only as good as your last performance” but he does admit to being an “applause junkie”. There is nothing like the high you get when you do a great show and hear that applause, it’s a good feeling to make people happy . His greatest satisfaction is when people come up after the show with a smile on their face and say what a great time they have had, for him that is what it is all about . Rodney was voted “Victorian Entertainer of the year” in 2006 and was inducted into the South Australian Country Music Hall of Fame in 2011 . Rodney Vincent’s reputation for being a genuine all round entertainer has been exemplified in recent years by the fact that he has a terrific following , whether it be in a galvanised hall in a farming community in the remote corners of Australia or at any of Australia’s “big time” venues ,clubs and theatre’s , Rodney is now your complete entertainer in his own right
PRESS RELEASE JUNE 2011
Sth Australian Country Music “Hall of Fame
The 2006 “Victorian Entertainer of the year” has now been honored with an induction into the South Australian Country Music “Hall of Fame”.
One of Australia’s most popular Entertainers, “Rodney Vincent” proudly accepted the award at the “Rocky Page” Country Music Museum at Barmera on the long weekend in June 2011.
Rodney along with many other special guests was invited to perform at the 33rd South Australian Country Music Festival in the beautiful Riverland Region, an area of Australia that he has visited many times .
This is another great Honor for Rodney to add to the many others that he has received and they all give him a great deal of pride and satisfaction that he is being rewarded for working in an industry that he has been so proud to be associated with over the years.
His inscription reads Rodney Vincent “Entertainer”, as that is what he is all about .
A variety of country, comedy , story telling to rock and roll plus a lot of fun . Music has been his passion from when he first picked up a guitar and that first strum, he was hooked , that is what he wanted to do .
It has been a journey of many tours , places , weeks and months spent away from family and friends , too many kilometers to count , highs and lows , and a lot of hard work but totally rewarding . He has performed alongside of and toured with some of the best entertainers from overseas and Australia , the likes of Col Elliott , Lucky Grills , Geraldine Doyle , Gloria Loring , Freddie and the Dreamers , The Delltones, The Four Kinsmen , Rolf Harris and Elvis to the Max .
Without a doubt a career highlight has got to be Five Australian tours with the late great American rock and roll Legend “Gene Pitney”.
It was a standard condition of the negotiations with Gene’s Australian Promoter, that Rodney must be secured to travel and perform on the Australian Tour with no exception. Gene was not comfortable with anyone else as his Special Guest Artist on those tours.
Gene and Rodney, became close friends and they wrote and recorded two songs together, the first one of which was launched on the “John Laws” morning radio show, another supporter of great Australian Artists.
Awards are not high on Rodney’s agenda as he always says “you are only as good as your last performance” but he does admit to being an “applause junkie” . There is nothing like the high you get when you do a great show and hear that applause, it’s a good feeling to make people happy .
His greatest satisfaction is when people come up after the show with a smile on their face and say what a great time they have had, for him that is what it is all about!
His love of performing has taken him from the old time dance band days , to live television programs , “In Melbourne Tonight” , music hall , cabaret , festivals , and major venues in Australia , QPAC – Brisbane, Burswood Resort Casino Perth, Wrest Point Casino , Hobart , Twin Towns on the Gold Coast and The Palms at Crown, Melbourne .
The day was made even more special when he was inducted alongside a good mate Wayne Horsburgh , one of Australia’s great country music performers . Rodney grew up in Wangaratta and Wodonga while Wayne was just down the road at Benalla .
Victorian Entertainer of the Year
At a star studded Dinner and Presentation night of the Victorian and National Country Music Awards , held at Whittlesea on the weekend of Febraury 10, 11 and 12 , Rodney Vincent was awarded the “Victorian Entertainer of the Year” for 2006 .
A “shell shocked” Vincent accepted his award from Country Music star Beccy Cole and for once was speechless , never having won an award in the music industry ever , this was his first. Being around for “a year or three” as Rodney puts it, he served his apprenticeship from the country dance hall days in particular the Bonegilla Hall where he played hisfirst paying job , to the biggest and best venue’s in Australia .
One of the first congratulatory emails was from American Rock’n’roll legend Gene Pitney with whom Rodney has toured Australia many times , and been special guest to other great performers including The Delltones , 4 Kinsman , Col Elliott , Freddie and the Dreamers , Gloria Loring , to mention just a few.
Two years ago Rodney released his best ever CD “Here I Am” (produced by Michael Cristian) which received a top 10 nomination in the Victorian awards , featuring many songs he wrote or co wrote , including “Let’s not make the same mistake again” with Gene Pitney , and with some 25 minutes of comedy , of which has become part of his ncert show .
""Rodney Vincent" Press Release (Gene Pitney)
Rodney Vincent is your complete entertainer . His one man show is a feast of entertainment that caters for anyone and everyone who enjoys a good time. It is a blend country , comedy , old time favourites , rock and roll and storytelling that cannot help but make people laugh .
His standing in Australia’s entertainment scene is no accident , it is a result of a long hard apprenticeship that as he says “started a while ago”
His journey has taken him from his first paying gig in an old time dance band at his local hall to when he joined the Channel 9 Singers on “In Melbourne Tonight” which featured Graham Kennedy , Ugly Dave Gray , Jimmy Hannan , Bert Newton and other household names to many different facets of the entertainment industry . From music hall , floorshow work , recording and touring , and it’s when you see Rodney performing that you can see all those experiences coming out in his work.
The world of comedy added another string to Rodney’s bow when he toured with one of Australia’s great comedians Col Elliott , not only as a special guest but he played the straight man to many of Col’s characters. He also worked with another great in the field of comedy Lucky Grills , watching and learning the art of how to make people laugh and enjoy themselves .
To work with the best is what we all aspire to and Rodney is very proud of his association with the late great American Rock and Roll legend Gene Pitney . From a chance guest appearance one night in Tasmania he went on to be Gene’s very special guest on 5 of his Australian tours . Rodney also wrote and recorded 2 songs with Gene , “What a big Surprise” and “Let’s not make the same mistake again” . Gene then offered to do the harmony parts on each of the songs.
Media Release
I have been working on tours with the very talented Rodney Vincent for many years and we finally sat down and wrote a song together .The end result “What a Big Surprise” and I think it turned out great . Rodney put down his vocals in Melbourne with some great musicians and sent the tape to me in the US . I recorded my harmonies in my studio at home and mixed the final version which was sent back to Australia . Hope to see you at one of our concerts and I hope you like our song “What a Big Surprise” Gene Pitney 2002
Awards are not high on Rodney’s agenda as he always says “you are only as good as your last performance” but he does admit to being an “applause junkie”. There is nothing like the high you get when you do a great show and hear that applause, it’s a good feeling to make people happy . His greatest satisfaction is when people come up after the show with a smile on their face and say what a great time they have had, for him that is what it is all about .
Rodney was voted “Victorian Entertainer of the year” in 2006 and was inducted into the South Australian Country Music Hall of Fame in 2011 .
Rodney Vincent’s reputation for being a genuine all round entertainer has been exemplified in recent years by the fact that he has a terrific following , whether it be in a galvanised hall in a farming community in the remote corners of Australia or at any of Australia’s “big time” venues ,clubs and theatre’s , Rodney is now your complete entertainer in his own right