Swanee

Biography

John Archibald Swan , better known as Swanee, is an Australian rock singer. He is the older brother of singer-songwriter Jimmy Barnes.

Early life

John Archibald Swan migrated to Australia as a child with his family in 1961. His father, James Swan, was a violent alcoholic. When his mother remarried in the mid-1960s, he was the only child to keep his biological father's surname. After being the target of sexual abuse by the son of a family friend, he left home aged 13.

Early bands

Swan joined his first professional band, Happiness, as a drummer when he was 14. When he was 17, he enlisted in the Australian Army, and was discharged after two years of service. In early 1974 he was the drummer with The James Wright Band, moving on to Jim Keays' Southern Cross for a short time.
In 1975 he joined Adelaide band Fraternity replacing Bon Scott on vocals for two years. In 1977, Swan became the vocalist with Feather. This band had been known as Blackfeather in the early 1970s, but by 1977 no original members were left so the name was shortened. Feather recorded one single with Swan, "Girl Trouble", before he left in 1978 to establish himself as a solo artist.

1979–1986: Early solo career

Under the name Swanee by which he was already known, Swan released his debut solo single "Crazy Dreams" in 1979. An album, Into the Night, and several other singles followed but met with little commercial success.
In late 1981, his version of "If I Were a Carpenter" became a national hit, peaking at number 5. The single was followed by the 1982 studio album This Time It's Different which spawned another two hits, "Temporary Heartache" and "Lady What's Your Name", with the latter peaking at number 13 and was the 66th biggest-selling single in Australia in 1982.
In 1986 Swanee featured in an advertising campaign for West End Draught, a South Australian beer. The brewer provided financial support to Swanee's tours and he in turn appeared in the company's TV commercials.

1987–1989: The Party Boys

In 1987, Swanee replaced Angry Anderson as the lead singer of The Party Boys, a touring band with floating membership, formed in 1983 by Paul Christie of Mondo Rock. Swan's tenure with the band was the group's most successful period. A cover of the John Kongos song "He's Gonna Step On You Again" peaked at number 1 on the Australian charts. The band's self-titled album made the Australian top 20. Swan remained with the band until 1989 before going solo again.

1990–present: Later solo career

Since 1990, Swan's recording career has been less than prolific, producing only two singles that year, including a cover of Little Richard's "Lucille" for The Delinquents.
In 1997, Swan released Heart and Soul produced by Danny Bryan.
In 2007 Swan released the album Have a Little Faith (Liberation Records). The project was recorded with producer /guitarist Mark Moffatt. The album was recorded with Nashville musicians. The album is a reflection of his past troubles and his love for the Blues.
In 2013 he worked with fellow Australian artists Ray Burgess, Tommy Emmanuel, John St Peeters and Marty Rhone, to release the single "Legends of the Southern Land".
In July 2014 Swanee released the album One Day at a Time, consisting of entirely original work, in collaboration with Darren Mullan from the Adelaide Recording Studio and Tony Minniecon.
In June 2021, Melodic Rock Records released a 20-track compilation titled Greatest Hits.
In May 2025, Swanee announced the forthcoming release of new album Believe, containing 16 tracks, all but one are duets with his family and friends.

Recognition and honours

In 2015, Swan was announced as South Australia's Senior Australian of the Year.
In 2017 he received an Order of Australia Medal (OAM), "For service to music as a performer, and to the community through charitable organisations".