By Sarah Walsh
At the age of 48, John Swan was lying on his mother’s floor for six days straight. Given just one month to live, his liver was three times the size of a healthy one and he was losing a lot of blood – a direct result of many years of alcohol and drug abuse.
His wife could no longer stand by and “watch him kill himself”, so John made a brave, yet extremely difficult choice. He self-detoxed – proving to himself and others that there was more to John Swan than meets the eye. Since his near-death experience John has devoted his ‘second life’ to helping those in need.
From an early age it was clear that John Swan was blessed with a musical talent. At just 12 he joined a pipe band with brother Jimmy (Barnes) – John on drums and Jimmy on the pipes. From there – well you may say the rest is history.
Affectionately known as ‘Swanee’, John is an Australian rock legend who migrated from Glasgow in the 1950s. One of six children, his parents were in search of a better life, but nothing could prepare young John for the culture shock.
“When I arrived in South Australia I hated it! We went from shovelling snow to 40 degrees. I remember being in an old rusty bus and I was actually really scared,” says John.
But as soon as he started school John met many others who had recently arrived in South Australia and felt right at home.
“I used to wear a kilt to school because we couldn’t afford the uniform, and all the Aussies would take the mickey.
“I actually found it endearing. I was quite happy to be picked on – I liked the special attention.”
John Swan with fellow 2014 South Australian of the Year winner Vince Coulthard.
Looking back John has many fond memories of his youth, including the moment his life changed – when he found music. His Dad, who he describes as his hero, was a Scottish boxing champion with a love for jazz.
“My Dad put a little Richard song on, with Etta James as backing vocals and Jimi Hendrix on guitar. I could see that my Dad was taken away to another place with the music, and I thought, I want to go where he is.
“This became my special time with my Dad. When I was 11 years old I heard Nat King Cole for the first time. His voice was smooth as silk – he had real class. And my Dad, this big burly boxer, sounded just like him.”
While the music would take John to a place “of no violence, where kids can just be kids” the world was not so kind. At 12 years of age John was sexually abused, and endured the heartache of his parent’s separation. These events drove him to flee to Melbourne with his band (Happiness) at the tender age of 14.
“We were somewhat lucky in those early years. Colleen Hewett took us under her wing and found a room for the whole band. Not long after we started touring with Lynne Randell after her hit Ciao Baby.”
It was also around this time that John had his first taste for alcohol – shoved into his hand to calm his nerves before heading on stage. From then on John used alcohol to conceal his emotions.
“From that very first drink alcohol hit my sweet spot – it numbed my nerves. So I started using alcohol to deal with the highs and lows, and eventually this lead to the drugs. I used cocaine and speed just to balance out the drinking.
“When the tour with Lynne ended I started working at the Bondi Life Saver, a rock n roll club in Sydney. I used to sit there and work out which musicians I was going to steal for my band – I even took ACDC’s guitarist,” says John.
“I remember this one evening – a beautiful lady stepped into the club and I just knew that I had to buy her a drink – not that I knew what ladies even drank back then. But I was besotted from that night, and I quit working at the club to follow her.”
This was, of course, John’s lovely wife Virginia. An Adelaide girl, who spent her younger years in London but returned to Sydney where she and John settled into married life – until John found his calling, that is.
“In 2008, Cathy Jackson from the Orana Foundation asked me to come across to Adelaide and play for a group of disabled children. They were honestly the best audience I ever had – I cannot explain the joy it gave me to see them singing along.
“I decided that I wanted to do more volunteering and this played a big part in the decision to base our lives in Adelaide. It was so much easier to get involved here than it was in Sydney.”
Today John is volunteering seven days a week, dividing his time between Do Unto Other (DUOs) at the Salvation Army, the Repat Foundation and the Hampstead Rehabilitation Hospital. He has also done some work with Youth Suicide Prevention in the Northern Suburbs, and is a current ambassador for Ovarian Cancer SA and a co-founder of the Autism Music Fund.
It is this tireless work and commitment to improving the lives of others that earned John the honour of being awarded the 2015 Senior South Australian of the Year.
Remarkably John still finds time to focus on his own career, committing three hours a day to music practice, and last year launching his seventh solo album One day at a time.
John confesses that while he still has property in Sydney, and loves Sydney, he chooses to live here in Adelaide and will continue to make South Australia his home.
“I enjoy the sunshine, the weather and the laid back people. Plus it is so much more affordable.
“I’m also fortunate to be surrounded by many passionate people who have provided amazing support to establish the John Swan Foundation, which will be launched later this year.
“The Foundation aims to prevent homelessness, and raise much needed funds for existing not-for-profits working in this space.
“I also want to help people accept their life for all its imperfections – we all need to learn to be good to ourselves, because in the end it’s all we’ve got.”