John Blackman

John Blackman
John Blackman
Born	14 July 1947 (age 79); Mount Waverley, Melbourne, Australia
Died	4 June 2024 (aged 76)
Occupation(s)	Broadcaster, voice actor, comedy writer, author
Years active	1969–2016
Known for	Hey Hey It's Saturday (voice-over)

John Blackman (14 July 1947 – 4 June 2024) was a prominent Australian broadcaster, voice actor, comedy writer, and author. He gained widespread recognition for his voice-over contributions to the enduring Nine Network comedy-variety program Hey Hey It's Saturday, which aired from 1971 to 1999, with special reunion episodes in 2009 and 2021, as well as a short-lived revival in 2010.

Biography

Raised in the Melbourne suburb of Mount Waverley, Blackman attended Syndal Primary School until 1959 and completed his Year 10 studies at Syndal Technical School in 1963. A passionate fan of the Fitzroy Football Club, now known as the Brisbane Lions, he left both school and home at age 16. He then held various jobs including customs clerk, sales representative for cigarette distributors and perfume companies, and a promotional spruiker at Myer Bargain Basement. At 22, he decided to embark on a career in radio broadcasting.

Media work

Blackman's radio journey began in 1969, eventually becoming widely known for his 28-year tenure as announcer and character voice on the Nine Network’s Hey Hey It's Saturday, Australia's longest-running variety series. One of his most memorable contributions was voicing the puppet character "Dickie Knee".

His early radio roles included announcer, newsreader, copywriter, salesman, and record librarian at 2GN Goulburn. In 1970, he transitioned to 2CA Canberra, followed by a move to Melbourne’s 3AW in 1971 where he hosted "Nightline" alongside Reverend Alex Kenworthy. By 1974, Blackman was hosting the morning show on 3AK before brief engagements at Sydney’s 2UE and continuity announcing duties at TCN-9, including daytime newsreading for National Nine News concurrent with his work on Hey Hey It's Saturday.

Returning to Melbourne’s 3AK in 1979, he took on breakfast hosting until 1981 before joining the 3AW breakfast team with Paul Barber, who was later succeeded by Bruce Mansfield. This pairing propelled the station’s breakfast slot to dominate ratings for five consecutive years until 1986.

After departing from 3AW amid controversy in April 1986, Blackman joined the short-lived CBC Network (comprising 2UE/3AK) but was not retained beyond that year. Between 1987 and 1990, he cohosted breakfast on 3UZ alongside Ian Cover and subsequently Wilbur Wilde.

Following a seven-year hiatus from radio, Blackman returned in 1997 as cohost of the breakfast program on 3AK until 2000. In 2004, he moved to Triple M Adelaide, where he cohosted The John Blackman & Jane Reilly Breakfast Show until December 2007.

His television career featured roles as presenter and announcer on shows such as Blankety Blanks, Personality Squares, The Paul Hogan Show, The Daryl Somers Tonight Show, Holiday Island, and Family Feud. In addition, he appeared on ABC’s documentary series Talking Heads in 2006.

Accusations of racism

In 2009, Blackman reprised his iconic voice-over role for the Hey Hey It's Saturday reunion specials. Although these episodes attracted respectable viewership, the program was not renewed in 2011. During the second reunion episode in 2009, a performance by "the Jackson Jive"—a parody of The Jackson 5—provoked international backlash due to their use of blackface makeup. The controversy extended beyond this incident, as both the show and Blackman had been criticized for mocking individuals of colour over many years. This was underscored by a March 2021 video compilation created by John Patterson that amassed over 165,000 views by 2023. Blackman also maintained a protracted four-decade dispute with singer Kamahl, marked by ongoing bullying and ethnic jokes aired on Hey Hey. While co-host Daryl Somers later issued an apology after initially dismissing concerns as cancel culture, Blackman rejected allegations of racism, remarking: "Goodness me[,] Kamahl, 37 years and you're still 'humiliated'." One infamous episode involved Blackman startling Kamahl by smearing white powder on his face while joking it would transform him into a "real white man."

Return to radio

Between April 2015 and May 2016, Blackman held the position of Breakfast Announcer at MAGIC 1278 Melbourne and MAGIC 882 Brisbane. Initially, he co-hosted alongside Jane Holmes until her departure in April 2015, after which he continued solo until his unexpected termination by Macquarie Media Ltd in May 2016. Adam Lang, COO of MML, remarked: “Although he is a highly respected broadcaster with an excellent style, it did not align with the MAGIC format.” Nevertheless, the third radio survey of 2016 revealed that Blackman boosted his Melbourne audience share from 1.5% to 2.2%, attracting a cumulative listenership of 19,000—exceeding the station’s average by 2,000.

Corporate work

In his corporate career, Blackman acted as host and compere for more than 800 business award ceremonies, conferences, and social gatherings. Additionally, he frequently lent his voice to radio and television commercials.

Writing

Blackman authored multiple books released by Pan Macmillan Australia, including titles such as Aussie Slang, Aussie Gags (1998), More Aussie Gags, Don't Come the Raw Prawn, Best of Aussie Slang, Aussie Slang Dictionary, and the Dickie Knee Bumper Comic Book.

Personal life

Blackman was married twice; his second marriage was to Cecile in December 1972, and they have one grown daughter.

In 2007, after experiencing a seizure, he underwent successful surgery to remove a benign brain tumour. In 2019, an aggressive skin cancer diagnosis led to the removal of part of his jaw. The cancer returned in 2022, necessitating extensive surgery involving the removal of sections of his skull and scalp.

He passed away due to a heart attack on 4 June 2024 at the age of 76.

Community and charity work

Blackman contributed as a member of the Patrons Council for the Epilepsy Foundation of Victoria and actively served as an ambassador for Australia Day in Victoria. He also participated as a committee member and vice-chairman for Variety – the Children's Charity, eventually becoming an honorary member.

Famous characters

Dickie Knee – polystyrene head featuring black hair and blue cap mounted on a stick
Alfred Desk Mike
The Angel – a small angelic figure from an old Barbie doll digitally overlaid on screen
Doctor Ben Dover
Charlie Who – a Chinese persona
The Giant
The Man from Jupiter
Mrs Macgillicuddy – an elderly woman characterized by a raspy voice
Norman Neumann – boom microphone with moustache (a Sennheiser MKH-816-P48)
Sammy Sennheiser – Norman’s successor
Baby Kangaroos – similar in style to The Angel

Radio career

2GN Morning Show (1969)
2CA Morning Show (1970)
3AW Evening Show (1972)
3AK Breakfast Show (1975)
2UE Night Show (1977)
2GB Breakfast (1977, one week)
3AK Breakfast Show (1979)
3AW Breakfast Show (1981–1986)
3AK/2UE CBC Network Breakfast Show (1986–1987)
3UZ Breakfast Show (1987–1990)
3AK Breakfast Show (1997–2000)
Triple M Adelaide Breakfast Show (2005–2007)
3GG Mornings (2009–2014)
3AW Afternoon fill-in for Denis Walter (2011)
Occasional host on 3AW Nightline program (2012–)
Magic 1278 and Magic 882 Breakfast Shows (2015–2016)

Television career

Hey Hey It's Saturday (1971–1999, 2009–2010) (Nine Network)
Announcer for Family Feud (1978–1984) (Nine Network)
Daytime news presenter (TCN 9)
The Penthouse Club (HSV 7)
The Paul Hogan Show (GTV 9)
Daryl & Ossie Show (ATV 10)
Personality Squares (ATV 10)
Host of Daryl Somers Tonight Show (GTV 9)
Blankety Blanks (ATV 10)
Holiday Island (ATV 10)
Appearance in Prisoner (ATV 10)
Judge on Safeway New Faces (GTV 9)
Featured in World's Craziest Inventions (GTV 9)
Presenter on Toon Time (111 Hits)

External links