Jim Keays

James Keays Jr. (9 September 194613 June 2014) was a Scottish-born Australian musician who fronted the rock band The Masters Apprentices as singer-songwriter, guitarist and harmonica-player from 1965 to 1972 and subsequently had a solo career. He also wrote for a music newspaper, Go-Set, as its Adelaide correspondent in 1970 and its London correspondent in 1973.

The Masters Apprentices had Top 20 hits on the Go-Set National Singles Charts with "Undecided", "Living in a Child's Dream", "5:10 Man", "Think about Tomorrow Today", "Turn Up Your Radio" and "Because I Love You". The band reformed periodically, including in 1987 to 1988 and again subsequently. Keays, as a member of the Masters Apprentices, was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 1998. As a solo artist he issued the albums The Boy from the Stars (December 1974), Red on the Meter (October 1983), Pressure Makes Diamonds (1993), Resonator (2006) and Dirty, Dirty (2012).

He published his memoirs, His Master's Voice: The Masters Apprentices: The Bad Boys of Sixties Rock 'n' Roll, in 1999. From 2000, he performed in Cotton Keays & Morris alongside other former 1960s artists Darryl Cotton and Russell Morris. In July 2007, Keays was diagnosed with myeloma, which caused his kidneys to fail. By 2009 the cancer was in remission after chemotherapy and stem-cell transplants. However, he died in 2014 from pneumonia due to complications resulting from his cancer at age 67.

Early years Keays was born on 9 September 1946 However, he died on 13 June 2014, three months short of his 68th birthday. At the induction ceremony, Keays was inducted posthumously alongside his fellow original band members. His ex-wife Karin Tonkin and daughters Holly and Bonnie accepted the award on his behalf, while the surviving original members reunited on stage. Joined by vocalist Craig Holden and Keays' daughters, they performed a tribute celebrating the band's legacy, with Bower's original guitar work once again featuring prominently in songs including "Living in a Child's Dream" and "Undecided". The reunion marked the beginning of a new chapter for The Masters Apprentices, who continued performing and touring with Craig Holden on vocals following the ceremony. Jim Keays died on 13 June 2014, 3 months short of his 68th birthday. and by 2012 had resumed using her maiden name, Tonkin. In a contemporaneous Sydney Morning Herald report published shortly before Jim Keays' death, she was identified as his ex-wife and referred to as Karin Tonkin.

Declining health and death In July 2007 Jim Keays was diagnosed with myeloma, which caused his kidneys to fail. He was put on dialysis and chemotherapy, then he had stem-cell transplants and returned to performing with Cotton Keays & Morris.

Released: 1974 Format: LP Label: EMI (106335)

Released: 1983 Format: LP Label: Rumur Records (RUM 001)

Released: 1993 Format: CD Label: Possum (PDCD116)

Released: 2006 Format: CD Label: Liberation Music (BLUE079.2)

Released: 2012 Format: CD, Download Label: Shock (JK001)

Released: 2015 Format: CD, Download Label: TLP Productions (L2-5)

Released: November 2024 Format: CD, Download Label: Masters Apprentices

Singles + List of singles, with selected chart positions

Dirty, Dirty Best Album

Go-Set Pop Poll The Go-Set Pop Poll was coordinated by teen-oriented pop music newspaper, Go-Set and was established in February 1966 and conducted an annual poll during 1966 to 1972 of its readers to determine the most popular personalities. 1970 himself Best Composer

1971 himself Best Composer 5th