Smacka Fitzgibbon

Graham Francis "Smacka" Fitzgibbon (12 February 1930 – 15 December 1979) was an Australian banjoist and vocalist in the trad jazz idiom. He was a publican in country Victoria and restaurateur in Melbourne.

Biography Early life Fitzgibbon was born at Mordialloc, Victoria, the son of Francis Michael Thomas "Frank" Fitzgibbon, clerk, and pianist Minnie "Momma" Fitzgibbon, née Mitchell (died 1989), and nicknamed "Smacka" by Roy Youlden, a bookmaker friend of his father. The actress–singer Maggie Fitzgibbon (30 January 1929 – 8 June 2020) was a sister.

Educated at St Bede's College, he began playing ukulele at an early age before switching to the banjo; his earliest influences were Bing Crosby, Al Bowlly and Louis Armstrong.

Career In 1951 he began playing with "Frank Johnson’s Fabulous Dixielanders", before forming his own band, "The Steamboat Stompers"; his first album was Frisco Joe's Good Time Boys (1953). His party records on the Melbourne "Paramount" label sold well.

He started working at age 14 as a mechanic, then gained hotel-keeping experience in country Victoria as an employee of the Darnum Hotel. With help from his parents, he became licensee of the Commercial Hotel, Warragul, then after the death of his father, Smacka and his mother took over the Royal Mail Hotel, Wycheproof, which became a Melbourne institution; his recipe for an enjoyable night out was an ample supply of "good food, good liquor, and good entertainment". Described as "Plump and smiling with a warm and friendly, genial personality", Smacka was a much loved entertainer, a rare breed who left a smile on everyone's face. He was a regular performer on Melbourne television shows, notably Sunnyside Up, In Melbourne Tonight and The Penthouse Club.

In 1972, the jovial Australian jazzman recorded the title song of the movie The Adventures of Barry McKenzie which was released as a single that same year, reaching #22 on Go-Sets Australian Singles Chart in December 1972. He was a mate of Australian satirist Barry Humphries.

Fitzgibbon recorded for the Fable label, and in 1972 was part of the Fable Singers' recording session, which recorded the theme songs for the 12 then-VFL clubs recorded under the musical direction of HSV-7's Ivan Hutchinson, with Smacka on vocals and banjo alongside other Australian jazz musicians including Frank Traynor on trombone. Most of these recordings are still played at AFL matches today. In 1976 he made recordings with "the father of Australian jazz", Graeme Bell, with Kenny Clayton's trio, and with "Momma" Fitzgibbon. In October 1979 he was one of the featured artists at the opening of The Jam Factory shopping and arts complex.

Death Fitzgibbon was a chronic sufferer from melanoma, Their sons, Mark and Andrew, are also both musicians.