Smacka Fitzgibbon sings Cake Walking Babies

Legendary Melbourne Jazz celebrity, musician, showman and entreprener Smacka Fitzgibbon singing Fats Waller's Cake Walking babies. Famous for starting his career playing with Frank Johnston, Len and Bob Barnard and Graeme Bell. Smacka was Melbourne's youngest licensee in the early ''50s. His career was launched with hit records of Barefoot Days and Mandy in 1953. He became recognised as a regular tv personality during the '60s and '70s. He started Melbourne's first Jazz restaurant La Brochette in Kew Boulevard and then Launched Melbourne's first Jazz night club, Smacka's Place in 1971. He toured Melbourne with The Swiss circus Royale promoting The Keep Australia Beautiful campaign and became a house hold name with his Morley Ford advertisement - Down By the Riverside. Other hits included Waterloo Rd and The Adventures of Barry Mckenzie. He was posthumously awarded KING OF JAZZ in 1980 and was described as Melbourne as The Yarra River.This appearance was to be his last Television performance with his favourie sousaphone player Ron "Zeke"Williamson on The Ernie Sigley Show. Smacka was a fantastic charismatic entertainer unfortuantely he lost his fight with cancer on December 15, 1979. He had a wonderful New Orleans funeral march through the streets of North Melbourne. A much loved Australian entertainer to this day.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Smacka Fitzgibbon
• Cake Walking Babies
• Fats Waller
• Jazz vocal
• Melbourne Jazz icon
• Australian Jazz legend.

[captainnuzza]

A fascinating guy with a fascinating talent ...thanks for posting this clip !!