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Glenn A. Baker

AM
Baker in 2014
Baker in 2014
Born(1952-07-28)28 July 1952(age 72)
Sydney, Australia
Occupation
  • Journalist
  • editor
  • author
  • broadcaster
SubjectRock music, travel
Notable worksOn The Road To Damascus and Other Fabulous Thoroughfares2001
Notable awards1995 Australian Travel Writer of the Year
2000 Australian Travel Writer of the Year
Rock Brain of the Universe title (x3)

Glenn A. BakerAM(born 28 July 1952) is an Australian journalist, commentator, author, and broadcaster well known in Australia for his vast knowledge of Rock music.[1]He has written books and magazine articles on rock music and travel, interviewed celebrities, managed bands such asOl' 55and promoted tours of international stars.[1]In the mid-1980s, Baker took theBBC's "Rock Brain of the Universe" crown three times.[2][3]Baker was the Australian editor ofBillboardfor over 20 years.[2]He won the inaugural Australian Travel Writer of the Year award in 1995 from the Australian Society of Travel Writers, and he won the award again in 2000.[3]

Biography

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Glenn A. Baker was born in 1952, the eldest of four children to Joyce Baker and grew up inCoogeeuntil he was nine; when the Bakers relocated toCanberra.[1]His younger brother, Johnny, drowned in an accident in the following year and his parents separated not long after.[1]He moved about NSW, attending 12 schools in 10 years.[1]

While working for the Department of the Media, where he worked on the research project that led to the establishment of2JJ,Baker met Geoff Plummer, who was a drummer for a 1950s retro band, Fanis. Baker saw them perform in 1975 and became theirmanager,changing their name toOl' 55after theTom Waitssong.[1]Baker's management was astute and presented the group as a combination of retrokitsch,rock music and clever theatrics.[4]Baker introduced chartered accountant Peter Brian to the band, and he became their versatile front manFrankie J. Holden;in October, Baker recruited saxophone player Nick Aitken, who performed asWilbur Wilde.[4]Ol' 55 had hit singles with "On the Prowl", "Looking for an Echo" and the number one "(I Want A) Rockin' Christmas" (which Baker co-wrote, as he did "C'mon Let's Do It" ) and a No. 2 triple platinum debut album,Take It Greasy.[4]Both Holden and Wilde had careers in television after Ol' 55.[4]During 1976–1978 Baker also managed Punkz, which he moulded into thepopgroup Cheek, who had national chart success with "So Much in Love".[5]

Raven Recordsis an Australian label established in 1979 by Baker, Kevin Mueller and Peter Shillito, specialising inreissuesand retrospectives.[6][7]Baker's radio career started by hosting a musictriviaprogram on Sydney radio station 2JJ (soon to becomeTriple J) and moved on to the Triple M network. In the mid-1980s, Baker took theBBC's "Rock Brain of the Universe" crown three times.[2][3]

Specializing in music and travel writing, Baker has authored 16 books, written for more than 200 magazines and annotated over 500 music albums, as well as acting as a consultant on various music-related projects.[2]He has also co-written music for films and is an active television/radio presenter and public speaker, appearing regularly onThe Today Show,Mornings With Kerri-Anne,20 to 1and on theOvation Channel.He has been heard as an in-flight presenter onQantasfor more than two decades. Baker won the inaugural Australian Travel Writer of the Year award in 1995, from the Australian Society of Travel Writers, and won the award again in 2000.[3]He has visited more than 100 countries. He resides in theHills Districtand is the father of five sons and a daughter. He and his wife Lorelle divorced in mid 2009. His second sonRudi Bakeris an accomplished actor, having appeared in numerous Australian feature films (such asDirty Deeds) and television series, including the role of regular cast memberQuentin RichardsonABC TV'sLove Is a Four Letter Word.[1][8][9]

Baker is a member of theAustralian Recording Industry Association(ARIA)Hall of FameAdvisory Committee.[10]On 1 July 2008, Baker inducted New Zealand-bornblues/rock and rollveteran,Max Merritt,into the Hall of Fame, having previously inductedAustralian Crawl,The Masters ApprenticesandBilly Thorpe.[11]September 2010 saw the simultaneous release of two books –Best of Baker: MusicandBest of Baker: Travel.

Bibliography

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Baker has written, co-written or edited the following:[12][13]

References

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  1. ^abcdefg"Glenn A. Baker".Talking Heads.Australian Broadcasting Corporation(ABC). 28 August 2006.Archivedfrom the original on 12 October 2008.Retrieved16 March2009.
  2. ^abcd"The Brains Trust: Glenn A. Baker".The Einstein Factor.Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).Archivedfrom the original on 11 June 2008.Retrieved16 March2009.
  3. ^abcd"Global Travel Writers – Profiles".Global Travel Writers.Archivedfrom the original on 28 March 2009.Retrieved17 March2009.
  4. ^abcdMcFarlane, Ian(1999)."Encyclopedia entry for 'Ol' 55'".Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop.Allen & Unwin.ISBN1-86448-768-2.Archived fromthe originalon 19 April 2004.Retrieved17 March2009.
  5. ^McFarlane, Ian (1999)."Encyclopedia entry for 'Cheek'".Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop.Allen & Unwin.ISBN1-86448-768-2.Archived fromthe originalon 6 July 2002.Retrieved17 March2009.
  6. ^"About Raven".Raven Records.Archivedfrom the original on 22 June 2019.Retrieved17 March2009.
  7. ^"Glenn A. Baker > Credits".Allmusic.Retrieved18 March2009.
  8. ^"Glenn A Baker Pictures – 2007 ARIA Awards Arrivals".Zimbio.28 October 2007.Archivedfrom the original on 17 March 2012.Retrieved17 March2009.
  9. ^Moran, Jonathon (10 June 2007)."Sydney goes live to the earth".The Sunday Telegraph.News Corporation.Archivedfrom the original on 10 February 2008.Retrieved17 March2009.
  10. ^"ARIA Hall of Fame – Inductees".Australian Recording Industry Association(ARIA). 2008. Archived fromthe originalon 2 February 2009.Retrieved17 March2009.
  11. ^"ARIA announced all-star cast to induct and perform"(PDF).Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 18 December 2008.Retrieved17 March2009.
  12. ^"Baker, Glenn A. search results".Music Australia.Archivedfrom the original on 4 June 2011.Retrieved16 March2009.
  13. ^"Search results for 'au:Glenn A. Baker' > 'Glenn A. Baker' > 'Book'".WorldCat.org.Archivedfrom the original on 15 January 2016.Retrieved16 March2009.
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