Glenn Wheatley

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Glenn Wheatley : biography

23 January 1948 –

Recent years

In 1998 the Masters Apprentices were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame. In the same year, Wheatley reached another milestone in his career, with a hugely successful trio tour, "The Main Event" that starred Farnham, Olivia Newton-John and Anthony Warlow. The live album recorded at the Melbourne concert went on to become a multi-platinum seller and a televised recording of the show was the most watched Australian television show of the year.

In 1999 Wheatley published his autobiography Paper Paradise which was based in part on a ribald memoir he had begun during his stint in The Masters, entitled "Who The Hell Is Judy In Sydney?".

In 2002 Wheatley promoted Farnham’s last major nationwide tour, entitled "The Last Time". It was said to be the largest tour ever mounted by an Australian artist, beginning in November with the capital cities and ending in June 2003 with a tent tour of regional cities and towns.

Shortly after the eight-month tour, Wheatley made an appearance at the 2003 ARIA Awards in Sydney to induct John Farnham into the ARIA Hall of Fame.

Wheatley also managed Australian Neighbours actress and singer Delta Goodrem, helping her to achieve major success, but Goodrem split with Wheatley under acrimonious circumstances in 2003.

In early 2007 he was managing Neighbours star Stephanie McIntosh’s venture into music.

Wheatley has shifted base between Sydney and Melbourne over the last few years, and in June 2012 whilst walking his son’s dog, Danko, had part of his middle finger chewed off trying to intervene when another dog attacked.

Career as a musician

Bay City Union

Wheatley’s first significant foray into music was as guitarist in the Brisbane pop band Bay City Union, which was fronted by singer Matt Taylor, who later achieved considerable fame in Australia as the lead singer of pioneering Australian eccentric blues band Chain.

The Masters Apprentices

In early 1968 Wheatley was hired as the bass player in a new lineup of the Melbourne-based pop-rock band The Masters Apprentices, then one of Australia’s most popular groups. Wheatley’s four-year tenure with the group, which lasted until shortly before their demise in 1972, included the recording of many of their most successful songs including the hit singles "Turn Up Your Radio" (1970) and "Because I Love You" (1971), and the acclaimed 1971 LP Choice Cuts, which was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London.

It was during Wheatley’s tenure in the Masters that he learned at first hand about the highly exploitative nature of the Australian pop industry at that time. The band endured many "rip-offs" and in their later career they suffered greatly from poor management decisions and inadequate support from their record labels, problems which eventually led to the group’s demise in 1972.

According to Wheatley’s memoir, a key incident took place in late 1969 when the Masters took part in a nationwide package tour, "Operation Starlift". The concert at Brisbane Festival Hall, drew a then record crowd of over 7000 people, breaking the venue’s previous attendance record set by The Beatles in 1964. After the concert Wheatley reflected on the event, and it became the turning point in his life and career, because it finally drove home just how badly the group were being ripped off.

Wheatley knew that patrons had paid A$5 per ticket, so the receipts for the night would have been around A$35,000, but the Masters Apprentices, like all the other acts, were on a fixed fee and received a mere $200 for the show; even the top-billed act John Farnham probably only earned about $1000. Figuring that the performers were probably only paid about A$2000 in total, Wheatley realized that the promoters had walked away with upwards of A$30,000 for that concert alone.

Criminal convictions

In July 2007, Glenn Wheatley pleaded guilty to charges of tax evasion, and faced the possibility of up to 16 years in jail. On 19 July 2007, he was sentenced in the County Court to 30 months jail, with a minimum of 15 months to be served. His legal team is considering appealing the duration of the sentence.

"I’m ashamed of what I have done," Wheatley said in court. "It was something that I have regretted for a long, long time and I’m ashamed of what I’ve brought on my family, who have had to suffer a lot."

During the trial, many high-profile Australians wrote glowing character references for Wheatley, including singer John Farnham, Sydney Swans chairman Richard Colless, and entertainer Bert Newton. One reference, from army general Peter Cosgrove, described Wheatley as a "very honest and upright person".

However, Commonwealth prosecutor Richard Maidment, SC, said "The fraud that was instigated (by Wheatley) can be described as sustained and sophisticated. Tax fraud is not to be seen as a victimless crime." Wheatley was released from Beechworth Correctional Centre on 19 May 2008, and was moved to home detention with electronic surveillance for the remainder of his sentence. Wheatley completed his detention on 18 October 2008 and immediately left for an overseas holiday.

On 14 May 2010, Wheatley was charged with drink driving after recording a blood alcohol level of 0.08 by a random breath testing unit in Rushcutters Bay, New South Wales. He faced Waverley Court on 9 June 2010 and pleaded guilty. His licence was suspended for six months and he received an $850 fine.