Horrie Dargie

Horrie Dargie
Smiling man standing in front of six other men – all holding musical instruments.
Dargie (centre) performing with an Army swing band, Lae, New Guinea, July 1944
Born
Horace Andrew Dargie

(1917-07-07)7 July 1917
Died30 August 1999(1999-08-30) (aged 82)
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Occupations
  • Musician
  • television compère
  • talent manager
  • music label owner
Years active1933–1980s
Spouses
Julie Cheffirs
(after 1940)
Betty Glew
(m. 1955; died 1972)
RelativesWilliam Dargie (brother)
Musical career
Genres
  • Orchestral jazz
  • rock 'n' roll
  • pop
Instruments
Labels
Formerly of
  • Rockin' Reeds
  • the Harlequintet
  • Horrie Dargie Quintet
  • the Dargies

Horace Andrew Dargie (7 July 1917 – 30 August 1999) was an Australian musician (harmonica, clarinet), television compère, talent manager, music label founder and music arranger. As a member of Horrie Dargie Quintet he was awarded the first gold record in Australia for their 10-inch live album, Horrie Dargie Concert (1952), which sold 75,000 copies. In the late 1950s and early 1960s he compèred TV variety programmes Personally Yours (1959), BP Super Show (1959–1962) and The Delo and Daly Show (1963–1964). Dargie co-produced teen pop music programme, The Go!! Show (1964–1967), and as well as organising its on-screen performers he established the related Go!! Records label to provide an outlet for artists' singles. He was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 1996. Dargie was married twice.