Bluey Watkins & the Harmonica Humbugs

The Smilers Club

2BH began broadcasting in July of 1934. In 1936 The Barrier Miner newspaper acquired the proprietorship of the radio station and announced that, “they are now in the position to give the people of Broken Hill the most up-to-date and complete service in the form of news and entertainment.” (The Barrier Miner October 29, 1936)

In 1935 the Smilers Club was established for the local kids as a vehicle for fostering juvenile talent and was registered as a charitable organisation. Their immediate objective as a charity was to raise funds for the endowment of a cot to the Broken Hill and District Hospital. This was duly accomplished.

In the first two weeks, the club had more than six hundred applications and it quickly grew to be close to 3,000 members, the majority under the age of sixteen.

Each week, an afternoon was spent at the local theatre with an hour of entertainment provided by artists chosen from the club. This was broadcast live on radio 2BH to their regular listeners.

In 1937 the Smilers Club sported a mouth organ band that consisted of over thirty girls and about twenty boys.

The Barrier Miner newspaper featured a club corner with a regular letter from Uncle Gordon (Gordon Graco, 2BH announcer) and this would often feature a numbered member artist. Number thirty three happened to be fifteen year old Jack Watkins. Here’s Jack’s profile.

Artist #33

Introducing JACK WATKINS, the “Larry Adler” of the Smilers Club. Jack is 15 years of age, and resides at 147 Gaffney-lane, Railway Town. He has been a member of the 2BH Smilers Club for a considerable time, and is also a leading light of the 2BH Mouth Organ Bands. Jack specialises in chromatic mouth organ solos, and his entertainment to Smilers and other listeners is greatly appreciated. He is a keen Larry Adler fan and has spent a handy little sum on purchasing Adler’s recordings. The type of mouth organ Jack uses is identical with Larry’s own instrument. Jack’s favorite film stars are Jeanette MacDonald and Hugh Herbert, while “At the Cafe Continental” is No. 1 song with him. Cycling is an exercise in which Jack is always pleased to indulge. He likes dancing, too. Jack’s favorite radio star, needless to say, is Larry Adler. To put it in Jack’s own words, “I’m simply nuts about him.” Jack informed me that it is his aim to become Australia’s own Larry Adler one of these days, and I am sure all club members join me in hoping that his ambition will be realised. Here’s wishing this popular Smiler artist all the best for the future.

(Barrier Miner, Broken Hill N.S.W. 21 December 1937)

Jack was involved in a unique broadcasting feature with the Station on Wednesday 25th April, 1939. Donning a pair of headphones, he played a harmonica accompaniment through a hot microphone over a recording of Jack Payne’s orchestra. In June of this year Jack performed on his Chromatic mouth organ with the Zinc Corporation Orchestra and later he returned to the stage with his harmonica sextet – the Six Harmonica Humbugs.

Jack (Alfred John) married Eileen Reilly in 1941. In 1947 they had a bouncing baby boy, Peter David. He served his nation in New Guinea and I believe he and his wife settled in Adelaide where he continued blowing his chromatic on amateur radio shows. Bluey’s go to tunes were Smoke Gets In Your Eyes and Caravan. Of course they were.

Postscript: I did a similar thing to Jack on my radio show back in the day, when I blew some harp over a live studio microphone to an abbreviated version of Greg Champions’ VFL Park In The Dark. A toon dedicated to the Fitzroy Football Club. And, as an old Royboy, and with a special Grand Final edition of Harmonica Riff Raff, it just had to be done.

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