KEITH POTGER AO
BIOGRAPHY FOR 2023
Keith Potger’s musical career started well before The Seekers first stormed the UK charts in 1965. He is a self-taught musician, playing the banjo, 6 string guitar and keyboards. With an eye to a musical future while still at Melbourne High School, he performed in vocal groups which evolved into The Seekers in 1962. Keith’s ability to arrange harmonies for the group members was evident from these early days.
Taking up the 12 string guitar in 1964, he composed the distinctive riffs that are a trademark of The Seekers’ chart topping recordings, "I'll Never Find Another You" and "A World Of Our Own", as well as many other singles and album tracks, augmenting the wonderful lead voice of Judith Durham and the boys’ ear-catching harmonies and instrumental talents.
The Seekers were honoured as Australians Of The Year in 1967, the only group to have been given this acknowledgement.
The Seekers disbanded in 1968 and Keith’s musical activities then turned to songwriting and record production in major recording studios in the UK. In 1969, with his business partner, David Joseph, Keith formed The New Seekers who went on to have major international success. Collaborating with hit songwriter Tony Macaulay, Keith wrote the song "Play Me Like You Play Your Guitar" which Tony produced for Duane Eddy, reinvigorating Duane's career in 1974. Keith returned to Australia in 1978 to write and produce television jingles and music tracks as well as performing solo concerts throughout the 1980s.
In 1992 he reunited with Judith Durham, Athol Guy and Bruce Woodley to tour internationally as The Seekers for their Silver Jubilee and were inducted into the ARIA Hall Of Fame in 1995. In 1997, the group released the Platinum-selling ‘Future Road’, which gave the public the first real chance to hear his songwriting talent on "Guardian Angel/Guiding Light", also co-writing "The Circle Of Love" (with Rick Beresford); "Forever Isn’t Long Enough For Me" (with Byron Hill); and the title track, "Future Road" (with Trevor Spencer and Boyd Wilson).
The Seekers have toured extensively as a group since 1993. During this period Keith has continued writing and recording original songs. He released his first solo CD "Secrets Of The Heart" in 2004, followed by "Sunday" in 2007 and in 2010 he released his mostly self-penned third solo CD, "Smile Now".
Accompanying himself on his trusty 12 string and 6 string guitars, his "wandering minstrel" style of performance includes some Seekers favourites and material from his solo CDs, along with songs and anecdotes from his long career in the music industry.
In June 2014, The Seekers concluded their UK and Australian Golden Anniversary tours and, along with his Seeker partners, Keith was awarded the Order of Australia (AO) for services to the Australian music industry and not for profit organisations. Later that year The Seekers performed sold out concerts in New Zealand.
2015 saw Keith on the road again presenting his solo concerts to audiences in Queensland and New South Wales as well as visiting Nashville to co-write material for his fourth solo CD. 2016 continued with sold out performances of the hit production GEORGY GIRL - THE SEEKERS MUSICAL in Melbourne, Sydney and Perth.
2017 and 2018 have been productive years for Keith's solo activities and joining forces with his Seeker cohorts to promote The Seekers' TV Specials DVD release that topped the charts for most of the middle of 2018.
Later in 2018, Keith joined Athol Guy and Bruce Woodley to record a CD titled "Back To Our Roots". Because The Seekers started out life as a four man band, Keith, Athol and Bruce asked long time collaborator and record producer for The Seekers, Michael Cristiano, to join forces with them to create The ORIGINAL SEEKERS. Concerts for this lineup followed in 2019 and in January 2020 The ORIGINAL SEEKERS were a featured act on the ABC's Australia Day concert televised from the Sydney Opera House.
Touring faced the inevitable downturn due to Covid issues but that gave Keith the chance to join forces with two of his musical buddies from Canberra, Fred Pilcher and Gary Luck. Together they created the band LIGHTFEET, paying tribute to the songs of the legendary Canadian singer/songwriter Gordon Lightfoot. Several successful concerts followed, but the desire to continue Keith's "wandering minstrel" persona proved too strong and he returned to solo concerts following the death in August 2022 of his beloved "sister" Judith Durham. This was a major turning point for him, as well as his singing buddies Athol Guy and Bruce Woodley. Currently, Keith is scheduling more solo concerts throughout 2023 and beyond.
Involvement with charities has always been important to Keith and he frequently performs at charity concerts within his touring schedule. He was Patron of the renowned children’s charity Variety WA from 2001/2009 and, after six years, recently retired from the Board of Directors of Support Act Limited, the heart and hand of the Australian music industry. Keith is a Patron of the Motor Neurone Disease Association of Western Australia and a Celebrity Ambassador for Variety Victoria and Variety International.
In November 2018, Keith coined the word "mynonym" to be a synonym of the word palindrome. Palindrome is currently the only descriptor for a word, phrase or series of numbers that can be read in reverse retaining its original meaning. His sense of logic suggested that it would be appropriate to have a word that itself was a descriptor and able to be read in reverse, hence MYNONYM. Keith is pursuing efforts to have it included in significant dictionaries worldwide.
Keith’s CDs Secrets Of The Heart, Sunday and Smile Now are available by emailing Circle Music