John Blackman
The instantly recognizable voice behind Australia's most chaotic and beloved weekend television institution for nearly three decades.
1947–2024 (age 77)·Australian radio and television presenter·Birthday: July 14·Baby Boomers
Biography
John Blackman's voice was the sardonic, glue-like presence that held the anarchic 'Hey Hey It's Saturday' together. While hosts and guests provided the visual chaos, Blackman, often unseen in the control room, was the show's witty narrator and resident prankster. His sharp ad-libs, character voices, and famously cheeky interplay with the puppet Dickie Knee created a unique layer of comedy that became essential to the program's charm. His career extended beyond the show into radio hosting, voice artistry for cartoons, and comedy writing, but it was his role as the sonic signature of 'Hey Hey' that cemented him in Australian pop culture. For generations of viewers, Saturday nights were synonymous with the sound of his voice delivering a perfectly timed one-liner.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
John was born in 1947, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When John Was Born
The biggest hits of 1947
#1 Movie
The Egg and I
Best Picture
Gentleman's Agreement
John's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1947Born
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1952Started school
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1960Became a teenager
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1963Could drive
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1965Could vote
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1968Turned 21
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1977Turned 30
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1987Turned 40
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1997Turned 50
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 60
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 70
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2024Died at 77
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
Key Achievements
- Provided the iconic voice-over and off-screen comedy for the entire original run of 'Hey Hey It's Saturday' from 1971 to 1999.
- Created and voiced the beloved puppet character Dickie Knee, a central comedic foil on the show.
- Won multiple Logie Awards, including the Gold Logie for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television in 1990.
- Had a long parallel career as a top-rated radio host on stations like 3AW and Magic 1278 in Melbourne.
Did You Know?
He began his media career as a copyboy at The Herald newspaper in Melbourne.
He was the voice of the animated character 'Grimace' in the Australian-dubbed version of the 'Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy'.
He authored several books, including a memoir titled 'Voice Over'.
He made a surprise return to voice Dickie Knee for the 2021 'Hey Hey' reunion specials.
“That's gold, I'll be using that later.”
