Potger, Guy, and Woodley, along with Ken Ray, had been performing under the name of The Seekers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Seekers) throughout Melbourne since 1962. Ray left the band to get married and was replaced by Judith Durham, an established traditional jazz singer who knew Athol Guy by means of a mutual workplace. Impressed with her vocal abilities, Guy introduced Durham to Bruce Woodley, who agreed that the band would be much better off with Judith in the fold.
The 21-year-old Potger was the last of The Seekers to be introduced to the 19-year-old Durham, and he later recalled the moment as “love at first sight”. Durham’s classically-trained singing voice made the love-struck Keith believe that he was listening to an angel from Heaven as they performed together, and audiences around Melbourne were soon agreeing wholeheartedly. Despite Keith’s heart-felt affections, his quiet nature led him to remain silent. The apparent knowledge that Judith was harboring a huge (and long-lasting) crush on Bruce (http://www.angelfire.com/musicals/seekers/biography.html) reinforced his silence, and he endeavored to refocus his attentions on music and the success of the band.
The Seekers abandoned their previous doo-wop/rock-n-roll sound for a pop feel heavily influenced by folk music and gospel. Their debut album, Introducing The Seekers, was released in 1963. Their debut single was the bush ballad, “Waltzing Matilda” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waltzing_Matilda), which appeared in November of that year and reached the Melbourne top 40 singles chart.
After gaining a strong following in Melbourne and throughout Australia, The Seekers were offered (and accepted) a twelve-month position as on-board entertainment on the Sitmar cruise liner, Fairsky, in March 1964. In May of that year, they travelled to the UK and had intended to return to Australia after staying ten weeks, but upon arrival they were offered work by a London booking agency, the Grade Organisation. Following a collaboration with Tom Springfield (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Springfield), they recorded and released the Springfield-authored “I’ll Never Find Another You” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I%27ll_Never_Find_Another_You) in November 1964. As a result, The Seekers became the first Australian folk/pop group to have a Top 5 single in Australia, U.K., and the USA, as “I’ll Never Find Another You” became the biggest selling single in the U.K. in 1965, and went on to sell 1.75 million copies worldwide.
That was the beginning of a string of hits for the band, as they followed up their new-found success with “A World Of Our Own” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_World_of_Our_Own), “Morningtown Ride” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morningtown_Ride), and “The Carnival Is Over” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Carnival_Is_Over), all of which became international hits (“The Carnival Is Over” knocked off The Rolling Stones, 'Get Off Of My Cloud' from the number one spot). Judith’s amazing and distinctive soprano vocals were supported by Keith’s, Athol’s, and Bruce’s talented instrumentals and backing harmonies (arranged by Keith himself).
All this time, Keith had remained silent on his unrequited love for his female bandmate. Even after Bruce had gently and kindly rebuffed Judith’s affections, she never looked in the direction of the dark-haired Burgher on the 12-string guitar who would have given up all his wealth for the chance of placing a ring on her finger, instead choosing to forge ahead at a chance for love with British pianist Ron Edgeworth. Keith tried to forget her once, attempting to move forward with British swimmer Pamela Powley (http://www.lynpaulwebsite.org/NS-Potger.htm), but to no avail as no British girl could take the place of the Australian beauty that performed beside him week after week. His relationship with Pamela ended amicably, but he was still no closer to Judith, even after her relationship with Edgeworth ended even after their return to Australia (as Edgeworth remained in Britain).
After returning to Australia in 1966, The Seekers continued their string of hits with “Georgy Girl” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgy_Girl_%28song%29), the title song to a film of the same name which earned the band a gold record certificate by the Recording Industry Association of America (http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?artist=%22Georgy+Girl%22). In March of 1967, their concert at the Sydney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne attracted 200,000 people, and was listed by the Guinness Book of World Records as being the greatest attendance at a concert ever in the Southern Hemisphere. In January 1968, on Australia Day, in recognition of its achievements, the group was named joint Australians of the Year (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_of_the_Year) – the only group to have this honor bestowed upon it. They personally accepted their awards from Harold Holt (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Holt) during their tour.
Inevitably, with such enormous success, tensions within the band grew, and it was being reported that Judith Durham in particular felt that her musical contributions were being undervalued. In the middle of ‘67 she gave the first signal of the her growing restlessness by releasing her debut solo single The Olive Tree, which reached a respectable #33 on the UK chart in June 1967. Bruce Woodley had also expressed a desire to do less touring and recording in order to focus on songwriting and producing. The band seemed destined for a break-up, a looming possibility that gave Keith and Athol sleepless nights, as neither man wanted to see the band come to an end.
Many people in the music in the music industry have wondered what saved The Seekers from being relegated to merely a fond memory. If anything, the main credit lies with one man – Keith Potger.
During a Canadian tour in July of 1967, the band recorded “Emerald City”, a song written by Kim Fowley and one ‘John Martin’ (which was later revealed to be a pseudonym for Potger himself). Surprisingly, the song was a major hit in Canada, peaking at #10 on the charts for a full week. When the pseudonym was discovered by Athol and Bruce, they were satisfied with Keith’s reasoning that he kept his authorship secret in order to not cause friction in the band – but when Bruce posed the question asking why Keith cared so much, Keith gave his now-famous response, “Because this band is the best bloody thing Australia has, the best bloody thing that’s ever happened to me, and I don’t want to see it come to an end! Not here, not now, not ever!”
Slightly stunned – and not a least bit touched – by Keith’s deep, heart-felt feelings on the matter, Athol and (surprisingly) Bruce reiterated their commitment to the success of The Seekers. Judith, on the other hand, was never privy to the conversation between “the boys” and seemingly still remained destined to go solo once the group returned home to Australia.
The band called a holiday upon arrival in Australia after the conclusion of their very successful Canadian tour and went their separate ways for some much-needed R&R. Before parting, Athol passed on a fateful word of advice to Keith. Motioning in the direction of the unaware Judith, he said “You’ve carried the torch for her for 6 years now, mate. Time to make a move, or forget it for good.” It took Keith a full week to work up the courage, but in the end he did just that.
Paying Judith a surprise visit at her family’s home in Rosebud, Victoria (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosebud,_Victoria), Keith and Judith were persuaded to give an impromptu performance of Morningtown Ride (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YP7GCXqdqU) on an evening outing at a café in the nearby town of Mornington, Victoria, which brought back many happy memories of the early days of the quartet. That night, as the two bandmates walked the beach of Mornington reminiscing on the days of 1962 when it all began, Keith broached the topic of Judith leaving The Seekers. Judith responded in the affirmative; when Keith asked the reason, she mentioned her feelings of wanting to branch out into new territory. After a short pause, she admitted that her failure to find true love was an even greater reason for her desire to leave the band, as the breakdown of her relationship with Ron Edgeworth was due to the demands of being a member of The Seekers.
Judith’s 1994 memoir, Colours Of My Life: The Judith Durham-Potger Story captures the remainder of the conversation that would go down in Seekers folklore and capture the hearts of fans worldwide:
After I mentioned the failure to find love with Ron, Keith slowed his stroll to a gradual stop, standing on the shoreline with the seawater running over his bare feet and mine. He was staring out to sea in silence, leaving me to stare at his square jaw line in an increasingly awkward silence. Though, as I watched him stare at the ocean, I seemed to notice for the first time his boyish Ceylonian handsomeness and his adorable eyes – eyes that, as he finally turned to face me, made me blush under his gaze. I had never blushed when he looked at me before, which made me grateful that the dusk hid it from his view. “What if you could branch out into other kinds of musical expression while still a member of the band?” he asked. “I don’t mind, neither does Athol – Bruce may bloody well help you, he wants to brush up his songwriting anyhow.” “I know,” I replied, “and I would do it and make it work – but you know that’s only half the reason.” Keith nodded. “True love. Never thought it would break us up.” He fell silent for a short while before turning back to me. “What if you could find that as well, while still with us? What if you could find someone to take Ron’s place, while still a Seeker?” I laughed. “How could I do that, with our schedule and everything else?” “That depends,” he replied. “On what?” Keith went silent again, and turned his gaze back to the rolling waves still splashing over our bare toes. He tried to speak twice and failed, before turning back to face me. His eyes were the first thing that struck me as different – I had never seen them filled with such piercing emotion. His final response left me breathless. “Depends on if you can find room in your heart for me.” My world came crashing to a halt. Of all the things he said that evening, I never expected him to say that. I can scarcely describe the moment beyond that. “Oh Keith,” I finally responded breathlessly “You can’t possibly love me, not plain Judy.” He chuckled as he came right up to me, reaching out to caress my cheek. “Silly girl,” he said softly, “I’ve loved you since the night we first performed at the Treble Clef on Toorak Road. Throughout it all, I’ve always wanted you to be my Judy.” It was then I realized that I wanted the same thing. With the saltwater still running over our sand-covered toes, he leaned in and kissed me tenderly. I kissed him back, knowing that come what may, Keith Potger loved Judy Durham, and Judy Durham loved Keith Potger.
Keith got a ring the next day at the nearest jewelry shop he could find and proposed properly, and Judith promptly accepted. They were married in a beachfront ceremony in Mornington on the precise spot where Keith finally (after 6 years of silence) confessed his love.
The marriage of Keith Potger and Judith Durham had musical repercussions worldwide. Not only did The Seekers remain together as a result of their union, but Bruce Woodley suggested an ambitious Seekers tour of California shortly after the newlyweds returned from the honeymoon. This marked the first time of many that the band would visit the USA.
Beginning in January of 1969 in Los Angeles, the California tour was the most successful of any foreign tour for the band, and quickly branched out into a multiple-state tour of the nation. America, having experienced a psychedelic make-over of folk music since 1967, shockingly welcomed the folk/pop style of the Australian balladeers with open arms. The Seekers almost single-handedly reawakened the folk music revival in America, stringing hits together like:
1) “California Dreamin’” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwxF8hfxx64), which became a Top 9 USA hit and widely considered to be the 2nd most popular cover of that song, second only behind the Mamas and the Papas version,
2) “Red Rubber Ball” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLnWtTbNLDE), a song Bruce co-wrote with Paul Simon and a Top 5 USA hit,
And 3) “Cotton Fields” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTkK3ifax_8), which surprised everyone by rocketing up to #1 on the American charts and cementing The Seekers legacy in the United States.
Their success led to the reemergence of the folk genre and folk bands such as The New Christy Minstrels, The Chad Mitchell Trio, The Highwaymen, The Serendipity Singers, The Weavers, The Tarriers, The Limeliters, The Kingston Trio, Peter, Paul, and Mary, The Travelers 3, and many others – as well as the emergence of new talent like John Denver and Dan Folgelberg, who entered the scene with a heavy folk flavor and branched out from there into worldwide fame.
A return to Australia and a wildly successful homecoming tour cemented their status as one of the top bands in the world, with name recognition and top 10 hits from Australia and New Zealand to Europe and the Americas. A return home brought changes, as Bruce somehow found time to get married himself, and Keith and Judith had four children (two boys and a two girls) between 1969 and 1978.
The years rolled on, the hits continued, and by the end of 1979 the group decided to limit their tours to Australia and New Zealand so as not to bring on premature exhaustion. Perhaps as a result, The Seekers had their driest run of their collective career, failing to notch a Top 100 hit from 1980 to 1986, though they continued to perform to sell-out crowds throughout the Southern Hemisphere.
They soared back to fame in 1987, as the Bruce-Woodley-penned patriotic anthem “I Am Australian” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Am_Australian) shot up to #1 on the Australian charts and stayed there for a record-setting 99 weeks. It became a staple of The Seekers worldwide 25th-Anniversary Tour in 1988, which took them from Australia to New Zealand to Europe to the Americas and sold-out concerts in each continent. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSoGJQkKDYk)
Side projects by each member have been largely successful. Athol has invested in a winery and a health and lifestyle centre, bringing him added wealth which he has used as a popular philanthropist. In addition to songwriting, Bruce had a solo hit song called "Love Me Tonight Baby" in 1971 and has released several solo albums. His non-musical work includes public speaking through the Saxton Speakers Bureau, and he is the patron of various organisations such as the NIYPAA (National Institute of Youth Performing Arts Australia). He is also a member of the Advisory Board of the organisation TLC for Kids, and was for a time, beginning in 1997, the chairman of the Victorian branch of the Variety Club. Keith, in addition to being a doting father and loving husband (as well as dedicated Seekers member), gives solo concerts all across Australia and New Zealand in his spare time. Judith has released albums titled For Christmas With Love, Gift Of Song and Climb Ev'ry Mountain. In 1970 she made the television special Meet Judith Durham in London. In the 1970s she returned to traditional jazz and recorded Volumes 1 and 2 of The Hottest Band In Town and The Hot Jazz Duo. In 2000, Durham's album Let Me Find Love, a top ten hit on the Australian album charts, was re-released as Hold on to Your Dream, with the addition of "Australia Land of Today" (which she had written). In 2001, she did another solo Australian tour and in 2003 she toured the UK (with Keith) to celebrate her 60th birthday. Her birthday concert at the Royal Festival Hall in London was filmed and released on DVD in late 2004.
Potger, Guy, and Woodley, along with Ken Ray, had been performing under the name of The Seekers (