John Paul Young - Later Career

Later Career

Young had ceased recording new music by 1989 and concentrated on a second career as a disc jockey until the film Strictly Ballroom was released in 1992. Featuring a new version of "Love Is in the Air," the film was a success throughout the world, and Young's single once again peaked at No. 3 on the Australian Singles Charts in October, and was a top 50 hit in the UK. In 1994 Young left 105.3 NEWFM in Newcastle and joined 2CH in Sydney, which only lasted six months. On 4 November 1994, Young became a naturalised Australian citizen and received his papers from then Prime Minister, Paul Keating.

In 1997 Young made two trips to Germany following invitations to perform on a host of national and European television specials. Young returned to Germany in 1998 with The Allstar band for a month long tour through both East and West Germany. On returning to Australia Young joined the stage production of 'Leader of the Pack' playing the role of Gus Sharkey (aka Phil Spector).

In 2000 he played to his largest audience as a featured performer at the closing ceremony of the 2000 Summer Olympics. From 8 August 2001, ABC-TV broadcast a six-part documentary, Long Way to the Top which chronicled 50 years of rock 'n' roll in Australia, Young featured in "Episode 4: Berserk warriors 1973–1981". For the associated Long Way To The Top Tour in August–September 2002, Young re-formed the All-Star Band with Juan Gonzales on guitar, Warren Morgan on piano, Ronnie Peel on bass guitar, Greg Plimmer on drums and Michael Walker on synthesiser. From 12 October 2003, ABC broadcast, Love Is in the Air, a five-part documentary on Australian pop music with "Episode 3: Strange Fruit" describing Countdown and how Young was made into a pop star. Young was a mentor for contestants on music talent show, Popstars Live, which was broadcast on Seven Network from February 2004, one of the judges on the show was Ian Meldrum. Another judge, Christine Anu, quit and Young also left in April, a spokesperson for the producers of Popstars Live denied that he had been sacked. In 2005 Young reprised his role as Gus Sharkey in the musical, 'Leader of the Pack'.

2006 saw Young return to the studio at Flashpoint Music to record his first album of new material in many years In Too Deep, for which he reunited with Vanda as producer and principal songwriter. Young appeared on the Countdown Spectacular concert series in Australia during June–August in 2006 as a performer, and on the Countdown Spectacular 2 during August–September 2007, both as a performer and, alongside Meldrum, as a co-host. Young then worked on a musical comedy titled Van Park, in 2008, which focuses on "a group of fellow music lovers have gathered to live out their remaining years" in a caravan park. Young plays Akbar, one of the co-owners of the park.

On 27 August 2009, Young was inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Hall of Fame alongside Kev Carmody, The Dingoes, Little Pattie and Mental As Anything. Upon the announcement Young said, "It's an honour to be inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame, now point me to the lounge room, I wonder who's in there." At the ceremony, Meldrum inducted Young who then performed, "I Hate the Music", "Yesterday's Hero" and "Love is in the Air".

He appeared on the Australian Season 2 Semi Final of Celebrity Apprentice where he mentored one of the teams. He was reprimanded by Ben dark who thought he wasn't putting in enough.