Robie Porter

Robert George Porter (4 June 1941 – 16 December 2021) was an Australian country and pop-rock musician, producer and record label owner.

Beginning in 1959, he performed under the stage name Rob E.G. and recorded lap steel guitar instrumentals or covers of country-style vocals. On the local Sydney music charts, he provided four top ten hits including two No. 1 hits with "Si Senor" and "55 Days at Peking". From 1970, Porter ran an independent record label, Sparmac, and produced three LPs for Daddy Cool.

Porter received the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) at the 2017 Queen's Birthday Honours for "service to the music industry as a producer, writer and performer".

Life and career Porter was born in 1941 and raised in Ashfield, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney. In 1969 Porter co-starred in the movie Three.

In 1970, Porter was back in Australia where he purchased a controlling share of independent record label Sparmac. He recorded three of his own singles for Sparmac before focusing on managing and promoting bands and producing records. Porter produced three of doo wop rock band Daddy Cool's LPs including their debut 1971 album, Daddy Who? Daddy Cool, which peaked at No. 1 and became the highest selling Australian album at the time.

He died after suffering from dementia on 16 December 2021 at the age of 80.

Discography

Albums Playing Hawaiian Guitar – Festival (FL31338) (1964) The Voice and the Guitar: The Vocal & Instrumental Hits of – Festival (FL31473) (1964) Australia's Great Singing Star – MGM (E/SE 4397) (1966) The Heart of the Matter – MGM (E/SE-4458) (1966) Sings – Festival FL-32041 (1968) The Guitar Sounds of – Summit (SRA 250 049) (1970) 5,4,3,2,1: The Festival File – Festival (L-19003) (1988)

EPs Rob E.G.'s Big 4 - Festival (FX-10480) (1962) 55 Days at Peking - Festival (FX-10734) (December 1963) The Great Instrumentals – Festival (FX-10809) (July 1964) Adventures in Paradise – Festival (FX-10869) (December 1964) Hawaii Tattoo – Festival (FX-10995) (December 1964) Sings Country and Western – Festival (FX-10527) (1965)

Singles (released as Rob E. G.) "Your Cheatin' Heart"/"Seven Foot Two" – Rex (RS-007) (1960) "Do You Love Me"/"Whiplash" – Pye (PP-056) (August 1960) "My First Love"/"Railroadin'" – Pye (PP-056) (December 1960) "Si Senor (I Theenk)"/"SwanRiver (Twist)" – Festival (FK-210) (1962) "5-4-3-2-1 Zero"/"Jamacian Farewell" – Festival (FK-274) (1962) "Jezebel"/"Road to Cimmaron" – Festival (FK-358) (May 1963) "55 Days at Peking"/"Greenhorn" – Festival (FK-403) (June 1963) "Soul"/"Cotton Pickin'" – Festival (FK-480) (1963) "Carmen"/"Senorita" – Festival (FK-533) (March 1964) "Tim-buc-too"/"Adventures in Paradise" – Festival (FK-634) (May 1964) "When You're Not Near"/"Aloha Oe" – Festival (FK-677) (July 1964) "Dear Miss Honey"/"When You're in Love" – Festival (FK-1189) (1966) (released as Robie Porter) "I've Often Wondered"/"Heartache, Hurry On By" – Festival (FK-1324) (1966) "Either Way I Lose"/"Born" – Festival (FK-1429) (1966) "Either Way I Lose"/"Let It Be Me" – MGM (MGM 1313, UK) (1966) "I Haven't Got Anything Better to Do"/"No One Lives in My World" – Festival (FK-1743) (March 1967) "That's the Way Love Is"/"Yesterday Years" – Festival (FK-1959) (1967) "You Could End the World"/"Sure Has Been Good Lovin' You Baby" – Festival (FK-2112)(January 1968) "Writing's on the Wall"/"If You'd Let Me" – Festival (FK-2318) (April 1968) "Gemini"/"He Is Not Me" – Sparmac (SPR003) (August 1970) AUS #28 "Santa Claus (and We Love Him)"/"Funky Version" – Sparmac (SPR006) (1970) "Try to Find More Love (There Must Be a Reason)"/"Empty" – Sparmac (SPR007) (March 1971) AUS #90