The Wizard from Oz to be honoured on Wall of Fame

Robie Porter is Australia's all-time No 1 Hit maker, Logie Award Winner, This Is Your Life Honouree, Hall Of Famer, International star-maker, and formerly Australia's No 1 Hit Record Artist (as "Rob E.G.") … he has done it all.

Known internationally as ‘The Wizard from Oz’, Porter has reached the No 1 position in virtually every facet of the music/entertainment industry in the U.S. and Australia: as a Record Producer, Songwriter, Music Publisher, Recording Artist, Singer, and Instrumentalist.  

He has also been a renowned TV & movie actor in the U.S., and Network TV Series Host in the U.S. and Australia. 

Rob E.G. was Australia’s No 1 Hit record artist from 1962-1964.

He won the Logie Award for Australia’s Top Recording Artist in 1964, as well as all of the Australian radio station and Listeners’ Awards, soon after which he left for England, basing himself in London.  

As Robie Porter, he signed with MGM Records USA and charted in the Top 40 with his first single in the U.K., appeared on British Television (“Ready Steady Go”, the BBC, etc.) traveled regularly from London to New York and L.A. for TV appearances, and moved to the U.S. in 1966, where he was based for the next 46 years.  

He returned to live in Australia in 2012.

- - - - -

Many Australians are not aware of his international accolades.

Among them, in his first two years in America, Porter was named by the U.S music ‘bible’, Billboard Magazine: “The No 1 Most Played New Singer in America on Middle-Of-The-Road Radio Stations” (‘Easy Listening’) with his 12 Singles and three albums for MGM.

Later, the famed Hollywood Reporter magazine listed Robie Porter, along with the legendary Quincy Jones, as “Among the Top five Record Producers in America”.

Billboard Magazine also named Porter, together with his business partner, American TV legend Steve Binder, “The Instigators of the Aussie Music Invasion of America”.

He was also a regular guest on U.S. TV, and hosted the “Malibu U” US TV Series with Rick Nelson, (ABC TV), also “Popendipity” with Flip Wison, for ABC.  

Altogether he has made over 250 TV appearances worldwide.

Australian musical artists discovered, signed, produced and launched internationally by Robie Porter and his Wizard Records company include Daddy Cool, Marcia Hines, Air Supply, Rick Springfield, Tommy Emmanuel,  Hush, Colleen Hewett...and Rob E.G. - all of whom had No 1 Hits produced by Porter.

 Under his guidance and direction, these artists have won U.S. Grammy and ARIA Awards, U.S. Song Of The Year, numerous Single of the Year and Album Of The Year Awards, and The Australian Record of The Century Award  (The Kent Report) - “Eagle Rock“.

Five of those artists have been inducted into the ARIA Hall Of Fame, culminating in the induction of Air Supply last year, along with Rick Springfield receiving his Star on the Hollywood Boulevard Walk Of Fame.

These multi-platinum selling, iconic artists were signed by Porter to major international recording contracts, and have reached #1 on the charts on multiple occasions in Australia and/or the U.S. and around the world, collectively selling over 50 Million records worldwide.

Robie Porter’s over 40 No 1 and Top 10 hit singles and albums as a producer, recording artist, songwriter, and music publisher in Australia, the U.S. and throughout the world include the timeless Gold and Platinum hits:  

Eagle Rock - Daddy Cool, I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself - Marcia Hines,

All Out of Love - Air Supply,  Jessie’s Girl - Rick Springfield, Bony Maronie – Hush, Dreaming My Dreams With You - Colleen Hewett, Dare To Be Different - Tommy Emmanuel.

His own No 1 and top 10 hit singles as an artist include: 55 Days At Peking, Si Senor, Jezebel, When You’re Not Near, Whiplash, Gemini, 5-4-3-2-1 Zero, plus five Gold and Platinum albums.

After a 42-year hiatus from performing, Porter returned to the stage with: “The Return Of Rob E.G: - “Behind The No1 Hits” show, which he first performed in 2014 at sold-out charity and fundraising concerts including for Premier Mike Baird at Dee Why RSL, the Lifeline Concert at the Tamworth Country Music Festival, and then at the famed Sydney rock’n’roll venue, The Basement, where it broke the mid-week attendance record.

Other sold-out shows followed in Sydney and country NSW, along with numerous radio and TV appearances, until a near-fatal car accident (here in Parkes) in September last year cut short Porter’s triumphant comeback, sidelining him for over a year.

To celebrate and honour his Wall Of Fame induction, Rob will make his return to the stage again during Parkes Elvis Festival week with a Special Concert:

Rob E.G./ Robie Porter: “Behind The No 1 Hits”, along with his tribute to The King, with special guests.

He will also be the presenter/host of two special events at The Parkes Elvis Festival:

Steve Binder presents The ELVIS ’68 Comeback Special (five shows), and An Audience with Steve Binder (10 shows).

- - - - - -

Steve Binder is arguably the most famous and successful producer/director ever in American TV / music history.  

Among his many landmark achievements, the U.S. TV 'Bible' TV Guide called his Elvis '68 ‘Comeback’ Special "one of the two most iconic and important musical shows and performances in U.S. television/music history, along with The Beatles debut on The Ed Sullivan Show.

At the 40th anniversary of the Elvis '68 Special, held at the Cinerama Dome in Hollywood in December 2008, Priscilla Presley talked about the ’68 Special and Steve, and the impact they both had on Elvis’s ‘second’ career.

In fact she said that if it wasn’t for Steve Binder, Elvis would not have had his second career. 

Priscilla also said: “It was time for Elvis to do something in a big way. 

“Steve Binder came along at the right time. And magic happened. Their journey made history.  

“And still, today, we enjoy and are mesmerized by that magic.”  

MORE on Steve Binder’s Parkes shows in a future edition.