From the Early Years

Born in Gatton Queensland on September 27. From a musical family. Gay’s singer/ musician mother, Violet, played with her siblings in their father’s dance band on Queensland’s Darling Downs.

Wartime: Family moved to Sydney NSW. Father, George, was an aircraft inspector at the Qantas Flying Boat Base.

Aged ten, sang on the first reel-to-reel tape recorder in Australia–demonstrated by the Royal Australian Navy at Sydney’s Royal Easter Show.

Passed Seventh Grade piano exam; also Theory and Musical Perception.

1958

First professional engagement–the New Year’s Eve Gala Dinner at Lennons Hotel Toowoomba, Queensland.

1959

At seventeen worked as out-front vocalist for a leading Queensland orchestra.

1959

First concert performance–Toowoomba’s Coronet Theatre.

1959

First ball–the Bankers’ Ball.

1959

Sang The Alexandra Waltz at the Centenary Royal Ball for Princess Alexandra who, by royal command, insisted that Gay sing three more songs.

1959

First ‘live’ broadcast on Toowoomba radio in the Diggers’ Show.

1960

First TV appearance–Sydney’s Keith Walsh Show.

1960

First appearance on Channel 2 Brisbane. Performed with ABC personality Russ Tyson in an innovative split screen presentation.

1960

First TCN Channel 9 appearance.

1960

First appearance on BTQ Channel 7.

1960

Shared billing in the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers with ‘a trio of brothers including 9-year-olds’, who were misadvertised as the ‘Bee Bees’ (the Bee Gees).

1960

Miss Darling Downs in the Miss Australia Quest.

1960

First modelling engagement.

Circa 1961

Black and White TV shot of Theatre Royal appearance Click to Enlarge

Contracted to Channel 7 for three years. Sang in up to four of its five weekly variety shows–including George Wallace Junior’s Theatre Royal.

1961

The Sunday Mail’s Miss Kirra Sun Girl.

1961

An RSL Girl In A Million title holder.

1962

First appearance on Johnny O’Keefe’s Sing, Sing, Sing.

1962

Shot live with Bandstand's Brian Henderson

First appearance on Bandstand.

1962

An appreciative kiss from Col Joye

First tour–opened at Brisbane’s Festival Hall with the Col Joye Show.

1963

Worked with Graeme Bell on his national TV show, Trad Jazz.

1963

Guest star on DDQ10’s Club Cabaret First Birthday Show.

1963

Live on Camera

First appearance on HSV 7 Melbourne’s Variety 7 with George Wallace Junior and Eddie Edwards.

1963

Elected as Inaugural President of the Toowoomba Bachelor Girls service club.

1964

Gay and Bert Newton during a break

First commercial (with Bert Newton)–on location at Green Island on Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef.

1965

First marriage televised by Channel 7.

1968

Son John McGuire born.

1970

Resident female vocalist at Brisbane’s historic Cloudland Ballroom until December, 1972.

1971

Permanent out-front vocalist with Radio 4IP Brisbane’s 16-piece Show Band.

1973

Moved to Sydney to work on the NSW Registered Club Entertainment Circuit.

1973

First NSW tour (with the Johnny Ashcroft Show).

1973

Worked solo and in duo act with Johnny Ashcroft.

1973

First appearance on John Williamson’s TV show, Travellin’ Out West.

1973

Launched first LP, Faces of Love with Johnny Ashcroft.

1973

The White Magnolia Tree

The White Magnolia Tree, lifted from Faces Of Love and now identified with Gay Kayler, has been available for thirty-three years.

1974

One of the first Australian artists to appear in the Sydney Opera House. Starred in the first country music show to be presented in that iconic setting (part of the Australian Festival of Performing Arts). First of many appearances in this venue.

1975

Recorded first single for RCA.

1976

Recorded Salvation Army’s Red Shield Appeal Song.

1977

Toured Papua New Guinea (with Johnny Ashcroft) sponsored by Air Niugini.

1977

Recorded the award-winning Dream Away My Life.

1978

Changed surname spelling from Kahler to Kayler when a leading Sydney radio personality pronounced Kahler as ‘Karler’ while introducing one of her recordings.

1978

Female voice on Johnny Ashcroft’s movie-version of Little Boy Lost.

1978

Female vocalist on the sound track of the Little Boy Lost movie.

1978

At Little Boy Lost Movie Premiere

Performed at the world premiere of the Little Boy Lost movie.

1979

Elected Inaugural Secretary of the Professional Country Music Association of Australia (PCMAA).

1979

Designed PCMAA logo. Instrumental in having Country Music accepted as a separate entity in the Australian Variety Artists "Mo" Awards.

1979

Researched, scripted and produced (with Johnny Ashcroft) the Imagine That! Australiana Show series.

1980

Co-produced and performed in the inaugural Country Music Mo Awards segment with Tommy Tycho’s International Orchestra, which brought two thousand pros in Sydney’s Regent Theatre to their feet–the only standing ovation of the star-studded evening.

1980

Judges’ finalist for Best Female and Best Duo (with Johnny Ashcroft) categories in the Australasian Country Music Awards.

1981

Married Johnny Ashcroft.

1981

Received a National Award for Service To Australia’s Country Music. Presented by the Hon Bill Hayden.

1981

Lady Finflingkington–the Baron’s consort and Gay’s alter ego, appeared on record and in the Good Time Gotcha Show for the first time.

1982

Major car crash with Johnny Ashcroft. Injuries brought an abrupt end to many projects.

1982

Received the only ‘Fosters salute’ (standing ovation) from twenty thousand fans at Victoria’s Wandong Country Music Festival.

1989

Recorded the heritage album The Cross Of The Five Silver Stars with Johnny Ashcroft, Bettybo and Shep Davis.

1995

Imprinted in the Australasian Country Music Hands Of Fame (in the same ceremony as John Minson–Mr Hoedown).