Phil Mahoney is an Australian entertainer, song writer and live show producer. Since 1970, he has performed with and produced shows for Slim Dusty, Chad Morgan, Smoky Dawson, Buddy Williams, Auriel Andrew, Rex Dallas, Reg Lindsay, Jimmy Little and many other country performers. Since 1992, he has run The Australian Country Music Stars of Fame Exhibition.
Producer
Phil created, hosted and produced the Hunter Valley's first and longest running live club country show, "The Happy Hoedown Show" at Shortland RSL from 1981. The show featured a backing band with multi-Golden Guitar winner "Rex Dallas and the Dallas Cowboys".
Song writer and recording artist
After Luskin Star won the 1977 Golden Slipper, the horse's part-owner John Balcombe asked Phil and another Newcastle musician Princess Chic Murangi to write a song in the horses honour.
The resulting track, "The Luskin Star Song" was recorded by famous Australian race caller Johnny Tapp on M7 Records in Sydney in late 1977.
In 1993, Phil recorded a tribute to Newcastle Pharmacist Dr Colin Glass, who served the Newcastle community from 1934 to 1992. The song was titled "Shattered Glass", composed by Anthea Keys and has now been inducted into the National Library of Australia for cultural and historical significance,
Vocalist and drummer
After fronting a number of bands in the 1970's, Phil went on to be lead singer in "Blackstone Myth". The band is regarded as a pioneer of tribute bands as they were one of the first Newcastle acts to perform full sets of Beach Boys, Beatles, Elvis and other popular 50's and 60's acts. At its peak, the band was so popular that they attracted a write up in Molly Meldrum's TV Week Column "Meldrum's Humdrum" and was also invited to perform on ABC TV's "Countdown" program.
In 2013, Phil performed on the Tribute to the Stars of Country Music Show at the Tamworth Country Music Festival with Australia's Got Talent star Wayne Rogers.
Australian Country Music Stars of Fame Exhibition
Since 1992, Phil has run The Australian Country Music Stars of Fame Exhibition.
This started as a physical exhibition at Wallsend Plaza Shopping Centre in Newcastle where Phil was Centre Manager from 1991 to 1996.
The exhibition saw inductions from Slim Dusty, Chad Morgan, Smoky Dawson, Auriel Andrew, Reg Lindsay, Jimmy Little and many other country performers and is now an online Facebook exhibition.
Children's entertainer
In 1981, Phil created and starred in “The Captain Kid Family Fun Show”, which went on to have a 37 year run and become Australia’s longest running kids show, appearing at every major club, shopping centre and festival in NSW as well as being booked for 28 shows aboard P&O Cruises and also being booked on several tours in outback NSW as far west as Bourke Bowling Club and up north to Lightning Ridge Bowls Club.
Venue highlights include Manly Golf Club, Castle Hill Country Club, Ryde-Eastwood League, The Evan Theatre at Penrith Panthers, Newport Beach Yacht Club, Mingara Recreation Club, Wests Leagues New Lambton, Australian Bicentennial Exhibition plus many more major venues across the state.
Other shows Phil created include: Wallaby Jack's Australian Fun Show, Coca Cola Putting on the Hits, The Milky Bar Kids Show, Twisties Super Fun Show and Kellog's Coco Pops Show.
Into the 2000's, he has continued performing his country and children's shows across regional NSW.
Media
In 1981, Phil was appointed an Advertising Executive of Newcastle Star, where he built up the entertainment section from 1 to 10 pages and created the Newcastle Star Music Awards, allowing local musicians to meet professionally for the first time and receive recognition. In 1982, he created and edited the On The Green Bowls Magazine, which is still publishing each month some 40 years later.
Shopping Centre Management
In the 1980's, Phil reinvented the marketing for Stockland Jesmond, helping the centre become successful through clever promotions and advertising.
In the 1990's he was Centre Manager of Wallsend Plaza Shopping Centre,
As a result of Phil’s marketing achievements and extensive community involvement, Wallsend Plaza was awarded the 1995 Australia Day Council Newcastle Shopping Centre of the Year Award. Wallsend Plaza was the first shopping centre in Australia to win this award, beating much larger rivals such as nearby Charlestown Square and Westfield Kotara.
As John Beville, Managing Director of Bevillesta Pty Ltd, recalls: "During Phil Mahoney's time as Centre Manager of Wallsend Plaza (1991 - 1996), pedestrian flows more than doubled and the centres Moving Annual Turnover increased by 67%. Wallsend Plaza is now regarded as one of the Hunter Valley's best centres and was awarded Newcastle Shopping Centre of the Year by the Australia Day Council in 1995. We wish Phil every success for the future".
Charity work and social justice initiatives
*Hunter Hero Award, 2017 from The Newcastle Herald. Awarded for being involved with fundraising initiatives in the city of Newcastle for four decades – raised the first dollar for the Newcastle Oncology clinic in the mid-1970s, and eventually went on to convince NBN Television that it should host a telethon to secure the much-needed service in 1979.
*In 1977, Phil fought a public campaign for better health testing for Australian meatworkers, eventually having it mandated that blood testing occurs if a worker presents with flu like symptoms.
*Camp Quality Award 1990 for voluntary performances of children's shows "The Captain Kid Family Fun Show" and "Wallaby Jack's Australian Fun Show".
*National Heart Foundation Award for raising funds through Wallsend Plaza Fun Run.
*Melanoma Foundation recognition award for raising money through the Hunter Valley Festival of the Dolls.
*Australia Day Council Shopping Centre of the Year Award, 1995.
