(John Stewart)
Australia
#6 Sydney #19 Melbourne #2 Brisbane #5 Adelaide #16 Perth #6 Australian Go-Set chart
Single on Festival YouTube by country singer and prolific songwriter Reg Lindsay (1929-2008), a familiar face on Australian TV from the mid-60s until the 80s through his nationally networked country music shows.
Sydney-born Lindsay, who got his big break on a radio talent show in 1951, was a multiple Golden Guitar winner at the Tamworth Country Music Festival and was inducted into Australian Country Music Foundation's Hall of Fame(1977) and Roll of Renown (1984). He was awarded the Order of Australia in 1989 for services to country music.
Reg Lindsay first appeared on Nashville's Grand Ole Opry in 1968 (the first Australian to achieve that) and had several singles released on Nashville label Con Brio 1976-1979. There is a Reg Lindsay audio interview in the collection of the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville.
Armstrong was Reg Lindsay's crossover hit on the pop charts, and is the song most associated with him by many Australians. Also prominent in his repertoire was July You're A Woman, another John Stewart composition.
See also Hey Sheriff by Reg Lindsay & Farmer Gilmour & The Coltbreakers (1958).
Further reading: 1. Since Reg Lindsay passed away on 5 August 2008 (which happens to be Neil Armstrong's birth date) there have been numerous tributes published on the Net: browse these Google search results. 2. A three-part biography of Reg Lindsay written by his daughter Dianne can be accessed at the Internet Archive: click on ABBA ARTICLE PARTS ONE, TWO and THREE. 3. Wikipedia article on Reg Lindsay. 4. National Portrait Gallery: brief biography and portrait of Reg Lindsay. 5. Notes on Reg Lindsay at the website of the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum (Nashville). 6. Con Brio Records (Nashville) singles discography at Global Dog. 7. Reg Lindsay's Order of Australia at It's An Honour. 8. Australian Country Music Foundation 9. Go-Set Magazine chart for 8 May 1971: Armstrong peaks at #6.
Thanks to Jill for correction.
(John Stewart)
USA
Original version
Single on Capitol YouTube, a tribute to Neil Armstrong, first man to step onto the surface of the Moon, in 1969. B-side of Anna on a Memory. Also on 1973 album Cannons in the Rain, a different recording.
Singer-songwriter John Stewart (1939-2008) joined folk-pop group The Kingston Trio in 1961, replacing founding member Dave Guard.
After the break-up of The Kingston Trio in 1967, John Stewart released numerous critically-acclaimed solo albums over the years. His songs were also recorded by many other artists, but his biggest popular successes were with Daydream Believer, a hit for The Monkees (1967, #1 USA), and his own hit single Gold (1979, #5 USA).
Armstrong has also been recorded by Lobo (on Just A Singer, 1974), Ian Mackintosh (on Singing From the Inside, UK, 1981) and Nanci Griffith (on Clock Without Hands, 2001)
Further reading: 1. John Stewart: Maverick singer-songwriter, obituary in
The Independent, 21 January 2008 (recommended). 3. John Stewart Wikipedia entry.
Thanks to Terry Stacey for IDing the original.
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