For nearly 30 years, upwards of 80,000 Sydneysiders have flocked to the Manly Jazz Festival, unaware of the man behind the music. John Speight, who has died aged 71, was simply too busy to become well-known.
Speight was the director of the Manly festival for 28 of its 29 years, taking over after its first year. He initiated many other jazz events as well as being a school teacher, musician, bandleader, journalist, grade cricketer, golfer, photographer, artist and joiner.
He even hurled himself into teaching children to sail, despite the fact that the pastime made him seasick. He pursued everything with boundless enthusiasm and set high standards.
The drive to be industrious had downsides, however. He could not cook sausages on the family barbecue, for instance, without simultaneously practising his golf – rather to the detriment of the sausages.
A procession of instrumentalists led mourners at his funeral through The Corso in Manly. The trumpeter James Morrison, whom Speight had mentored, performed Just a Closer Walk with Thee.
John Speight was born in Enfield, grew up in Croydon and attended St Patrick’s, Strathfield. He taught himself to play drums and piano, and performed in an army band during national service. He then became a primary school teacher and semi-professional musician.
He taught at Harbord Public for more than 30 years, including lessons in jazz when it wasn’t on the curriculum. There he teamed with Alan Weldrick to write stage musicals for the children to not only perform, but also design, light and accompany. He also wrote the school song.
Read the full obituary in The Sydney Morning Herald
