John Cargher

Background

He was born in the Cockney area of London to a Jewish rabbinical family, but was raised mainly in Germany and Spain, returning to England in 1931, which resulted in his trademark hard-to-pin-down accent.

Career

In Melbourne, he managed Thomas"s Records, and became managing director of the National Theatre in Saint Kilda from 1969 to 1989. His many occupations included: aircraftman, art dealer, art exhibition organiser, assistant cameraman (films), author, ballet administrator, broadcaster, building designer, comedy writer, compere, concert promoter and manager, critic, diamond merchant, impresario, intimate revue pioneer, journalist, lecturer, mechanical engineer, opera producer, photographer, radio programmer, record producer, record retailer, recorded books reader, schools administrator, television presenter, theatre manager, theatrical agent, toolmaker and turner-fitter. Carger"s broadcasting career began on Melbourne commercial radio, with classical music programs on both 3KZ and 3XY. He later transferred to the American Broadcasting Company where he is most famous for single-handedly compiling and broadcasting, a weekly celebration of the great classical voices from the earliest days of recording through to the present day.

The program was broadcast on American Broadcasting Company Radio.

lieutenant started on 17 April 1966 on 774 American Broadcasting Company Melbourne (then known as 3LO) for what was meant to be a 13-week run. Such was its popularity that after 10 weeks it was transferred to the Australia-wide American Broadcasting Company Radio National network. remained on Radio National after all the other classical music programs were transferred to American Broadcasting Company Classic FM in 1976.

lieutenant became the longest continuously running Australian radio program presented and produced by the same person, and Cargher himself became the longest continuous program presenter in the American Broadcasting Company"s history. Every recording John Cargher played throughout the program"s 42-year run was from his own private collection, which he built on the couple of hundred 78s he brought to Australia.

In Cargher"s opinion the best modern musicals could become classical if they were presented by the best voices.

Cargher never just introduced passages from various performances. He would also inject fascinating historical details. His retirement from broadcasting due to ill health was announced on 15 April 2008.

His final program went to air on 27 April.

He died three days later. Cargher also broadcast a general classical music program Music for Pleasure on American Broadcasting Company Radio between 1967 and 1996.

He also served as Opera News"s Australia correspondent from 1972 up until his death. After his death, the American Broadcasting Company released a 3-Civil Defense tribute to Cargher, with 2 complete episodes of, and some excerpts from his Music for Pleasure programs.

His books include:

Music for Pleasure

Opera and Ballet in Australia Cassell Australia 1977 7269 1360 X

There"s Music in My Madness

How to Enjoy Opera Without Really Trying

How to Enjoy Music Without Really Trying

How to Enjoy Ballet Without Really Trying

Bravo! Two Hundred Years of Opera in Australia

The Good Classical Civil Defense Guide

The Good Opera Civil Defense Guide

Luck was My Lady: Memoirs of a Workaholic (autobiography.

With a foreword by Sir Zelman Cowen).

Achievements

• On Australia Day 1987, he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for his services to the performing arts in Australia.