Say or sing the phrase "travel all over the countryside" to any Australian born after 1975 and they will immediately respond "ask the Leylands, ask the Leylands".
The famous theme song of Novocastrian home-movie kings, the Leyland Brothers, was penned and performed by Bruce and Barry Provost.
The last surviving Provost brother Bruce passed away recently after a stroke at age 90.
In the last week of Bruce's life, he was still writing songs. He sought the views of his nephew Gary to ensure the lyrics were not too racy for his fellow residents at the Maroba residential aged care facility in Waratah.
Bruce formed the famous duo with younger brother Barry in their teens and they received their big break when they won the 1956 Australian Amateur Hour, a radio talent quest.
From this, they performed on an episode of Bandstand in Sydney. A music promoter liked what the brothers were doing and invited them on a trip to the US.
They declined the offer to stay in Newcastle with their young wives. The offer was, however, taken up by the other brother act on the same show - the Gibb Brothers. They became the Bee Gees.
Originally from Grafton, son of car salesman Ivan and mother Thelma, Bruce was one of eight children. He had three brothers - Jack, Barry and Max, and four sisters - Joyce, Betty, Marie and Janice.
Still in their teens, Bruce and Barry had a regular radio program on 2GF in Grafton, while singing their country and western tunes with a heavy comedy bent around the district. They saw their role as entertainers but were never really in it for the money.
"It was only a hobby, to have some fun," Bruce would often say.
Like his father, Bruce was a salesman. He worked for John Wragge Real Estate at The Junction for many years.
Playing music by ear, neither Bruce nor Barry ever learnt to read music, and they claimed to never perform the same show twice. They wrote their own songs or modified songs on the spot, according to the audience in front of them. They wrote jingles including "Windsor Works Wonders with windooooooows."
In 2013, after a 55-year absence from Grafton, Bruce and Barry returned to their hometown to perform to an audience of more than 350 at the Grafton RSL, with some disappointed punters turned away.
A reported "sea of Zimmer frames" re-lived old times and renewed old friendships.
Bruce and Barry left Grafton for the bright lights of Newcastle in 1958. They performed live on NBN channel 3 in 1963. From there they performed on the big shows of the day like Bandstand, Six O'Clock Rock and the Johnny O'Keefe Show.
In the 1970s, the Leyland Brothers contacted Bruce and Barry to write songs to add a musical element to their show, often writing and recording musical tracks for their TV specials in a 24-hour turnaround.
The famous theme song was born, with the jingle request coming in at 8pm one night and recorded at 8am the next morning. The relationship grew when Bruce, Barry and their young families travelled with the Leylands from the Rocks in Sydney to Ayers Rock (now Uluru). Their connection with the Leyland Brothers lasted 25 years.
Bruce was a teetotaller who always had a smile on his face and a keen interest in everyone around him. He lived a full, joyous, generous and selfless life. Even after a profound stroke, Bruce was winking and joking with the medical and nursing staff.
He is survived by his wife Margaret, daughter Kim and grandson Nick.
More about the Provost brothers can be found here: nla.gov.au/nla.obj-221104136/listen.
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