Johnny Young, the creator and host of Young Talent Time who championed Australian performers and built a television institution that ran for 17 years, has died at 79 following a brief battle with pancreatic cancer.
Young's family confirmed his death, noting he wasn't just the face of the program but its creator, host and producer. He also wrote and produced iconic hit songs including The Real Thing and Smiley. Young Talent Time ran from 1971 until 1988, providing a launching pad for performers who'd go on to significant careers, including Dannii Minogue and Tina Arena. Each episode ended with a singalong of The Beatles' All My Loving.
A Self-Made Career
Before hosting Young Talent Time, Young built his own success as a performer. He had an Australian number one hit with Step Back and hosted The Go!! Show in the 1960s after Ian Turpie's resignation. Young won a Logie for Best Teenage Personality for his work on The Go!! Show in 1967, 59 years ago.
Young was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame 16 years ago in 2010. At the ceremony, he reflected on his career with characteristic humility. "I've had an amazingly lucky and fulfilling career, which started out in music when I was 14," he said. "The Hall of Fame is a different kind of nod as it's judged by my peers and rewards my songwriting and contribution to the music industry."
Nurturing Talent
Tina Arena, who appeared on Young Talent Time as a child, paid tribute to him at his Hall of Fame induction by singing Here Comes The Star and describing him as "like a father" for the faith he showed when nurturing her skills. Following news of his death, Arena said she was lost for words. "I'm struggling to find the words today to express the profound loss of a man who allowed, and equally encouraged, me to find my voice!" she said on social media. "Just know that you leave behind a beautiful legacy that we will continue to uphold because you deserve that, and much more."
Karen Knowles, a member of the Young Talent Time team from 1975 to 1980, said she was "frozen" when she heard about Young's death. "A very, very sad day for all of us who owed so much to John for our start. He was a real icon of the industry," she told 774 ABC Melbourne. She praised the space he held for performers as artists, noting he'd been there himself and was supportive of people going on from the show. She also mentioned he loved the Essendon Football Club.
Russell Morris, who found a lifelong friend in Young, told 102.5 ABC Perth that Young was "one of the most intelligent guys I've ever met." He said Young could take a situation, look at it, pull it apart, then put it back together and make a success of it. Morris emphasized Young's contribution to Australian music and fledgling musicians. "Young Talent Time was one of the most important things that happened in Australia for young talent," he said. "There was some great talent that came through that show. Debra Byrne. Just very, very talented people."
Industry Recognition
Normie Rowe recalled meeting Young when both were 17 years old. Rowe was promoting his first record, It Ain't Necessarily so, in Western Australia while Young was doing Club 17. "I was a bit jealous, because he was [doing] his own TV show, but then I had my hit record," Rowe said. "I realised I could never do what John did. We did things with our own set of skills. John could talk underwater with a mouthful of marbles."
Rowe said it was better to dwell on what had been gained by Young's advocacy for up-and-coming Australian artists, adding that television and radio stations don't seem to care about that any longer. "Which is a great shame, because it also was a great bolster for them," he said.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on X that Young gave Australia "the gift of joy." He described Young as "a wonderful singer in his own right" who "established himself in our homes and our hearts as the genial and generous host of Young Talent Time, the launchpad for an incredible new generation of entertainers."
Young leaves behind his wife Marisha, sister Cornelia, daughters Anna and Fleur, seven grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. He also had a son, Craig, who had died. His family asked for privacy and said details of a memorial service would be announced soon. Johnny Young was born Johnny Benjamin De Jong.
Why This Matters:
Young's death marks the loss of an entrepreneur who built a cultural institution through private initiative rather than government subsidy. Young Talent Time operated as a commercial television success for 17 years, demonstrating how market-driven entertainment could simultaneously serve the public interest by developing young Australian performers. The program's model—identifying and nurturing talent within a commercially viable format—created opportunities for performers like Tina Arena and Dannii Minogue without requiring taxpayer funding. Normie Rowe's observation that modern television and radio stations no longer prioritize developing Australian talent highlights a shift away from the kind of private sector investment in cultural development that Young championed. His career trajectory from teenage performer to successful producer illustrates how individual initiative and entrepreneurial vision can create lasting cultural value.