Ron
Edgeworth:
Musician and composer
During the 1960's in England, The Seekers were known to perform in "variety shows" with a number of other acts. These included such groups as the Rockin' Berries, The Gibsons, and several more well known acts of that era.
One of these groups was a trio called The Trebletones. They appeared with The Seekers a couple of times over the years, and little did any of Judith Durham's millions of fans know how pivotal their appearances would be! The keyboard player for this group was a very talented musician named Ron Edgeworth. Ron had previously worked with many famous big bands, including Ronnie Aldrich and also with Alexis Korner's All Stars.
As a member of The Trebletones,, Ron supported one of the Seekers final U.K. tours and his duties included playing piano in Judith's solo spot in the shows. Later, he was hired as Judith Durham's musical director, an arrangement which led to romance and ultimately Ron proposed to Judith and the couple married in 1969.
This page has been compiled as a tribute to Ron Edgeworth and the contributions he has made to the world of music, both as an individual composer and musician in his own right, and through his work with Judith Durham. He featured prominently in the composing and co-writing of many of Judith's recordings during the '70's and on 'Let me find Love' in the '90's. For a great sampling of Ron Edgeworth's musical abilities, listen to the newly re-released "Hot Jazz Duo - Live in Concert" (Judith Durham and Ron Edgeworth) album.
During the 1980's, the couple were in the public view far less than previously. They moved to a small town in Queensland and Judith enjoyed the healthier vegetarian lifestyle combined with a spiritual focus based on meditation and the laws of karma and reincarnation, which she had undertaken with Ron.
In 1990, both Judith and Ron were injured in a serious car crash. Ron recovered fairly quickly, but Judith was in hospital for several months. After her rehabilitation, she and Ron returned to more active public life, Judith resuming her own Silver Jubilee Tour of Australia.
In 1993, at the time when Judith was discussing the detail of The Seekers reunion, came a devastating blow: Ron was diagnosed with the fatal Motor Neurone Disease. Ron wanted Judith to continue working, so the reunion went ahead, with the time in between concerts devoted to caring for him. (Click here to view newspaper article)
Ron Edgeworth passed away in December 1994. Judith became patron of the Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA) and is still very active in their support.
For more details about Ron Edgeworth and his life and musical contributions, the best source is Graham Simpson's authorized biography "Colours of My Life - The Judith Durham Story".
