Donnie Sutherland

Donald Sutherland (born 22 December 1946) is an Australian radio and television presenter. He was the host of TV pop music show Sounds between 1975 and 1987. Sutherland has also worked as a TV producer and music journalist, and is associated with the local greyhound racing industry.

Biography Sutherland was born on 22 December 1946 in Fairfield, New South Wales to his father, Andrew Ross Sutherland (1913–1976), who was a bus driver and his mother Maisie Olive ( Ringe) (1918–2002). His older brother, Ross Sutherland, was an apprentice jockey who died in February 1958, aged 18, after a four-horse collision at Gosford race-track. His younger brothers are Ken and Ted. The family lived at Bossley Park.

From mid-1965 Sutherland recorded voice demos for job applications as a radio presenter. He fronted the Titans, who released a single, "Mocking Bird Hill", in March 1966. Norm McLeod of The Biz noted that "one of his records, just released, has brought him much praise from critics. The young vocalist first came into prominence when he was a member of a band making weekly appearances at the Marconi Club." Ian Meldrum, his counterpart in Melbourne, had been with Go-Set from July 1966. It peaked in the top 50 on the local Sydney-based singles chart. John Byrell of The Australian Women's Weekly described how his lifestyle of "Too much work too many late nights and a poor diet are doing the damage... [he had] a minor physical and nervous collapse" a year earlier.

In October 1980, Sutherland hosted an evening TV special, Olivia's Greatest Hits, to focus on the music of Olivia Newton-John. Also in that month, he organised a charity event, "Wonder Wheel", during which celebrities, including Gaynor Martin (Skyways actress), Lynda Stoner and Nick Jones (2SM DJ), raced across Sydney Harbour for Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children.

From 1982 to 1985, Sutherland also hosted a late-night music and chat show, After Dark, which had a relaxed style. This featured chat segments with Australian and overseas music and entertainment identities, interspersed with music videos; on occasions when Sutherland was unavailable, it was guest-hosted by music personalities Stuart Coupe or Glenn A. Baker. Notable international guests on the show included Steve Marriott, John Cooper Clarke, the Ramones and Jello Biafra.

From 1978 Sutherland also hosted five hours of disco music presented on Sydney radio station 2UW on Saturday nights from 7pm to midnight which lasted a year.

Sutherland also appeared in the 1983 film At Last... Bullamakanka: The Motion Picture.

At the conclusion of his tenure with Sounds, Sutherland worked with the emerging Sky Channel until 1991.

Sutherland was diagnosed with throat cancer in March 2014 and started chemotherapy and radiation treatments. In December of that year, after a recurrence of the cancer, he had surgical removal of portions of his throat including his larynx.

Discography Singles + List of singles, with selected chart positions Title Year Peak chart positions AUS "Fairyland" 1969 — "Bonnie, Bonnie, Bonnie" (with The Cleves) 1971 — "Dancing Man" 1977 78

Honours On Australia Day in January 2000 Sutherland was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia with a citation "For service to the music and entertainment industries, particularly the promotion of Australian performers, and to the community as a compere of fundraising events." In the following January he was awarded the Centenary Medal "For service to the Centenary of Federation celebrations."