Gwynneth Ashley Robin

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Legend of South African Pop

20 August 1960 to 21 May 1976

Sometimes styled as Gwynneth Ashley-Robin

Biography

Sleeve notes from ‘Little Jimmy – Her Greatest Hits’ CD, reprinted here with the kind permission of Malcolm Lombard, August 2001

Gwynneth Joubert was born on 20 August 1960 as the oldest of three children. She started singing with various bands at the age of nine at her father’s pleasure resort, Robinson Lake, near Randfontein. She was “discovered” by singer Jody Wayne, who was engaged for several performances at the resort. Impressed by her talent, Jody took Gwynneth under his wing and helped the young performer secure a recording contract with Teal Records. Jody also wrote and produced most of Gwynneth’s recording material. Gwynneth’s mother, Val, was pregnant with the family’s third child (the second oldest is daughter, Vanessa). She and husband Chris decided to name the baby Ashley, should it be a girl. A boy was born and they named him Brenton. When the family had to choose a stage-name for Gwynneth, “Ashley” came to mind and “Robin” was derived from Robinson Lake – to honour the birthplace of Gwynneth’s singing career.

12 year-old Gwynneth’s first single, Lolly Lu, did not do as well as her record company expected. The single was, in fact, one of several tracks recorded for her first album and was not really earmarked as a single by her producer. After hearing the recording, Teal executives decided to release Lolly Lu as a single, anyway. Producer Jody Wayne had another song in mind for Gwynneth’s first single – a ditty that he had penned entitled Little Jimmy. American group, The Osmonds, were very popular locally and in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) in the early Seventies (referred to as “Osmond-mania” in the press). The youngest of this musical clan, 10 year-old “Little Jimmy Osmond”, had scored a worldwide million-seller with his hit Long Haired Lover From Liverpool in April 1973 (the song spent eight weeks at #1 on the Rhodesian charts and reached #7 locally). Jody thought that a tribute from one young artist to another would be a successful spin-off for Gwynneth’s career, since she was twelve at the time and, simultaneously, that the song Little Jimmy would appeal to thousands of Osmond fans – he was right on both counts.

Little Jimmy reached #1 on the Rhodesia’s “Lyons Maid Hits Of The Week” chart for two weeks in December 1973. The song reached the #1 on Springbok’s Top 20 Hit Parade in March 1974 and spent 14 weeks on the charts. Little Jimmy garnered Gwynneth two Gold Discs – one locally and one for sales in Rhodesia, where the single sold 33 000 copies – a record in that country for the sales of a single at the time. Although Gwynneth was popular locally, she enjoyed Super-Star status in Rhodesia, where she toured several times before undertaking her first country-wide tour locally. She was also popular with Rhodesian soldiers engaged in the bush war of that time, and often performed for them in the operational areas.

Her second hit, Little Soldier Blue, reached #6 on the Rhodesian charts. Little Soldier Blue peaked at no.9 on Springbok’s Top 20 hit parade in July 1974 and spent 9 weeks on the charts. Gwynneth received the 1974 Springbok (mini-SARIE) Award as South Africa’s Most Promising Female Vocalist. She toured Rhodesia regularly with a host of artists in the popular Meet The Stars shows, including Jody Wayne, Gert Potgieter, Alan Garrity, Barbara Ray, Murray Campbell, Neil Herbert, Don Stanton, Marie Gibson, Jonathan Butler and Lionel Petersen and she also featured as a regular guest on television there.

On 14 May 1976 Gwynneth entered the recording booth to cut her first Afrikaans single. She recorded two songs, Tesame and As Ek ‘n Lied Kon Skryf. She was tragically killed a week later along with the members of her backing group (Danie Schoeman, Vic Rall and Robby Potts), in a light aircraft accident at Penge in the Eastern Transvaal.

As a star-stuck teenager at the time, I was privileged to see Gwynneth performing on several occasions when she toured Zimbabwe. She was a natural and one can only speculate about the even greater heights that, I am certain she would have reached, had she not been killed at such an early stage in her career. Death is often viewed and experienced as a tragedy – even more so when a young life is nipped in the bud before it can blossom, as was the case with Gwynneth. She left an indelible mark in the hearts of the lives she touched with her music. We’re pleased to bring you that magic with the re-issue of Gwynneth’s recordings, collected in their entirety here for the first time as a tribute to the girl who really was South Africa’s Most Promising Female Vocalist.

Enjoy!

Malcolm Lombard, October 1997.

Special thanks to: Chris and Val Joubert, Jody Wayne, Darryl Heilbrunn, John Engelbrecht, Ian Bossert and Katy Stevens.

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A TRIBUTE TO A DAUGHTER

Tesame single, July 1976

Gwynneth Ashley Robin is a name known in almost every home in South Africa, Rhodesia and S.W.A.

Born in Pretoria on 20th August 1960, Gwynneth became one of South Africa’s top recording artists at the tender age of 12 years when she recorded “Little Jimmy”, “Soldier Blue” and “Calender Boy”. She won the coveted Springbok Award during 1974 when she was voted the most promising female vocalist.

Gwynneth became especially well-known when she toured with the popular “Meet The Stars” show. As all Gwynneth’s previous records had been recorded in English she decided to record an Afrikaans number for South Africa and Rhodesia.

Together with her producer, Jody Wayne, they selected this number “Tesame”.
Gwynneth recorded this number on 14th May 1976. A week later she died with her friends Danie Schoeman, Vic Rall and Robby Potts, her backing group, in an air disaster at Penge, Eastern Transvaal.

As her father I know that Gwynneth has left a very special message in this record to all who knew her. Listen to both the A and B sides of the record and you will hear what I mean. It is for this reason that I have agreed to release this last recording of our beloved daughter and I know it will find a place in every home in South Africa, Rhodesia and S.W.A. as a lasting memento of a loving child.

One of her greatest pleasures was to perform for our “Troopies”. As a last contribution by Gwynneth, all the royalties from this record will be donated to the cause she loved so much: “The Terrorist Victims’ Relief Fund.”

Chris Joubert (Father)

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Discography

Singles

Key:
A-side / B-side (year) Label, Catalogue number comments

• Lolly Lu / Television Billy (1973) Plum Records, PLS 510
• Little Jimmy / Mr Echo (1973) MVN, MVS 399
• Little Soldier Blue / Eenie Meenie Minie Mo (1974) MVN, MVS 409 also released in Angola by Discos Teal Roda, Lda.
• Johnny Love / Good Morning World (1974) MVN, MVS 434
• Good Morning / Zoo Lake (1974) MVN, MVS 438 “Good Morning” is the same as “Good Morning World”
• Calendar Boy / Stairway To Heaven (1975) MVN, MVS 459
• Tesame / As Ek ‘n Lied Kon Skryf (1976) MVN, MVS 487

Albums

Various Artists Compilation Albums (selected)

• Forces ’73 (1974) features ‘Little Jimmy’ and ‘Mr Echo’
• Country Songs Of Love Vol 2 (1984) features ‘Little Jimmy’ and ‘Mr Echo’
• The Best Of South African Pop (3CD set 1994) features ‘Little Jimmy’
• The Best Of South African Pop Volume 1 (1994) features ‘Little Jimmy’
• Yesterday’s Best Vol 1 (1995) features ‘Good Morning’ and ‘Johnny Love’
• Yesterday’s Best Vol 2 (1995) features ‘Little Soldier Blue’ and ‘Calendar Boy’
• Afrikaanse Goue Jare Volume 2 (1996) features ‘As Ek ‘n Lied Kon Skryf’
• Gister se Afrikaanse Klanke Volume 2 (1998) features ‘As Ek ‘n Lied Kon Skryf’
• The Wonder Of Your Love (3CD set 1999) features ‘Little Soldier Blue’
• Springbok Radio Top 40 Best Of Volume 4 (2010) features ‘Little Jimmy’