Over a three year period during the early 1970s, Australian child star Jamie Redfern scored four Top 40 hit singles and sold more than $1.3 million worth of records.
Born in Liverpool, England, on 9 April 1957, he moved with his family to Melbourne when he was seven years old. A year later he auditioned for the Melbourne television program Brian and the Juniors and remained a cast member until the program ceased production three years later.
Redfern made other appearances on the television shows Happening ’70 and Happening ’71, before establishing himself as a popular team member on the O-Ten Network show, Young Talent Time.
Redfern possessed a booming, mature voice which belied his tender age of 14. Young Talent Time compere Johnny Young helped foster Redfern’s career as a solo artist and Redfern signed to Festival Records and issued his debut single Little White Cloud at the end of 1971.
At the end of the year, he won the ”Most Outstanding Newcomer” award at the TV Week King of Pop ceremony.
American entertainer Liberace took Redfern under his wing, which led to the youngster’s first American tour in 1972.
Redfern’s second single, When You Wish Upon A Star (from The Wizard of Oz) reached #31 on the national Australian chart in February 1972. The album of the same name peaked at #12 that same month.
His second album, Sitting on Top of the World, reached #16 in January 1973 and produced the single Rainbow on the River. Redfern returned to the US to tour again with Liberace in early 1973.
His hits for 1973 were a revival of Frankie Avalon‘s Venus and Hello Funny Face. In early 1974, Redfern’s third album, Hitch a Ride on a Smile, produced his fourth hit single, also entitled Hitch a Ride on a Smile, which reached #28 in Australia in March.
Redfern took the song into the finals of the World Popular Song Festival held in Tokyo and topped off a successful 1974 by taking out the King of Pop award ahead of Johnny Farnham and Daryl Braithwaite.
Following the release of the single Jenny in October 1974, and the album Jamie Redfern’s Golden Hits during 1975, Redfern slipped from public view.
By that stage, his younger brother Derek had also entered the entertainment world – also as a member of the Young Talent Time team.
