LIFE & STYLE
MY FAVOURITE PLACE: Jeff Fallon by Greg Martin
For most of his life, award-winning musician Jeff Fallon has made a living doing what he does best, singing and working his magic on the guitar.
Such are his talents that Jeff has not only claimed prestigious honours such as a Mo Award and an ACE( Australian Club Entertainment) Award but also built a loyal following across the country.
When the 59-year-old lets loose behind a microphone, you could close your eyes and believe it’ s Elvis, Tom Jones, Frankie Valli, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison— or even Olivia Newton-John— belting out the tunes.
Jeff’ s long career of enthralling music lovers nationwide really kicked off in 1993, when the then publican of Windsor’ s historic Macquarie Arms Hotel, popular businessman Wayne Edwards, booked him for a gig.
“ You can imagine my surprise when I arrived at the pub expecting to play in a corner of the bar, only to be directed outside by Wayne and shown a flat-bed truck parked on the side of the road across from Thompson Square,” Jeff recalled.
“‘ Up you go,’ Wayne laughed, giving me a leg-up onto the truck and passing up my gear.”
Jeff played regular gigs aboard that flat bed for several months before Wayne, supposedly, received permission“ I think he did,” Jeff chuckled to relocate the truck into Thompson Square parkland.
“ Where he also, allegedly, got the green light— again, I believe he did— to run electricity cables from the pub to the truck,” Jeff laughed.
“ The gigs lasted four hours and the park was always packed. I’ d sing covers of all the greats. Wonderful times!”
That early exposure in Thompson Square was a huge boost to Jeff’ s career. Since then, he has firmly established himself as one of the most admired musicians in the country.
He’ s made a rewarding career from his extraordinary vocal range— crikey, the man can switch from Frankie Valli’ s falsetto to Johnny Cash’ s deep baritone with ease! These days, Jeff tours nationally, performing four themed shows: Frankie Valli and the Beach Boys, The Great Pretender – Roy Orbison, and Blame It on the Boogie, among others.
Yet Jeff, joined by his talented wife Janise, still finds time to return to the Hawkesbury once a month to perform at the Macquarie Park Boathouse Café— where this writer recently caught up with the couple.
“ Hawkesbury is where my career really began,” Jeff said.“ When Wayne used to run the Boathouse Café before the current owners took over, I always jumped at the chance to come back and entertain his customers.”
Jeff and Janise have been performing together since 2005, after Jeff overheard her singing at home and was“ gobsmacked by her melodic voice”.
Janise now sings backing vocals and is also the queen of percussion.
The couple have four children— Alissa, Amanda, Amy and Jesse, the latter being a rising star with the St George Illawarra Dragons rugby league club.
“ We’ re also doting grandparents to four, so when we’ re not performing, we’ re kept very busy as Nan and Pop,” Janise said.
Their love story began during a gig Jeff was playing with a band in Wollongong.
“ During a break, I went to the ladies and returned to find Jeff sitting at my table with my thengirlfriend,” Janise explained.
“ After the show, we went to a place called Hungry Busters. Over kebabs and conversation— and you might laugh— but we both knew we were destined to be together.”
When asked about the beginning of his musical journey, Jeff shared:
“ My Aunt Lynette had this massive Elvis record collection, and I loved listening to him sing.
“ Even at eight years old, I found myself emulating his voice— much to the amazement of my extended family.”
Janise and Jeff Fallon entertaining a packed house at Windsor’ s Macquarie Park Boathouse Cafe. He is letting his fingers do the talking on his beloved Gretsch White Falcon guitar. His true loves are his wife, their children and grandchildren but the White Falcon flies into fourth place.
“ Over time, I did the same with many other greats. And I can tell you— unless I believed I could truly sound like them, I’ d give up trying to mimic their voices.”
Elvis, Orbison, Jones, Sinatra, Valli, the Beach Boys, Chuck Berry, Del Shannon— you name it.
Jeff Fallon has done alright!
THE HAWKESBURY INDEPENDENT theindependentmagazine. com. au ISSUE 179 // APRIL 2025 15