John Edmond
John Edmond is a folk singer and retired soldier from Northern Rhodesia but presently based in South Africa who became popular in the 1970s for his Rhodesian patriotic songs. He reached the height of his fame during the Rhodesian Bush War, when he was sometimes known as the "Bush Cat".
Background
Edmond was born on 18 November 1936 in Luanshya, Northern Rhodesia to a family of Scottish descent; during his childhood, he and his parents moved between Scotland and Central Africa. He attended school in Luanshya, Northern Rhodesia; Edinburgh, Scotland; and in South Africa at Christian Brothers College in Pretoria. He displayed a natural talent for music at an early age when he was given a mouth organ as a birthday gift from his grandmother at age three. John mastered the instrument within half an hour. As a Boy Scout, he played the bugle and was in the local Scout bugle band. While at school in Edinburgh, he was chosen to sing in the St John's Boys' Choir. He was regularly featured in lead roles at Christian Brothers College in Gilbert and Sullivan operettas. Edmond was the lead drummer in the college's pipe band. He went on to win the South African Junior drumming championships at the Royal Scottish gathering at Wembley in 1953. After college, Edmond was employed at the Roan Antelope copper mine.After some time there, Edmond joined Southern Rhodesia's Royal Rhodesia Regiment at Bulawayo. He served with the 3rd Battalion on the Congo border, in Nyasaland and Southern Rhodesia. During this time, he bought a guitar at a trading store and met Bill Coleman while in the army. After learning to play the guitar with Coleman, Edmond formed the Bushcats Skiffle Group in 1958 along with two friends from the army, Eugene van der Watt and Ian Kerr. The group succeeded among its peers and progressed into cabaret and rock 'n' roll. After his military service, Edmond went to England to study computers and moved to South Africa in the mid-1960s. He became famous in Rhodesia during the Bush War with his album Troopiesongs. He was also a composer, writing hits like "The UDI Song". After the war and Zimbabwean independence, he recorded albums such as Zimsongs and Zimtrax.
In 1982, Edmond's label RAM published The story of Troopiesongs and the Rhodesian Bush War, a collection of lyrics for Troopiesongs, in Johannesburg.
Since 1987, Edmond and his wife, Theresa, have owned and maintained a resort in South Africa named "Kunkuru". The resort is located in the Bela Bela area. Edmond also has his record label, Roan Antelope Music.
In 2018 he released his 50th album.
Discography
| Singles | Year | Label | Notes |
| Farewell Britannia | 1969 | Storm | - |
| Die Eerste Kersfeesnag | 1969 | Storm | |
| Fairytales | 1969 | Storm | This was his first hit record |
| Round and Round | 1970 | Storm | Hit single |
| Boom Sha-la-la-lo | 1971 | Storm | Hit single written for John by Bruce Woodley of The Seekers while they were in South Africa |
| Pasadena | 1972 | Map | Hit single |
| Every Day, Every Night | 1972 | Map | Hit single |
| Toy Train | 1973 | Map | Hit single |
| Hello Susan | 1974 | Map | |
| Jock of the Bushveld | 1975 | Map | |
| Goodbye Is The Saddest Song | 1975 | Map | Hit single |
| Nomad of the Kalahari | 1976 | Map | |
| One Day He'll Call Me Daddy | 1976 | Map | |
| It's Good To See You | 1977 | Jo'burg | |
| Blue Brown Eyed Lady | 1977 | Jo'burg | |
| Louie | 1978 | RSA | |
| Bye Bye Butterfly | 1979 | EMI | |
| Forever Young | 1980 | Gallo | |
| The Electric Thing | 1981 | Gallo | |
| The 124th Cavalry Regiment Lives On | 2017 | RAM | Produced in cooperation with the 124th Cavalry Regiment Association. |