In 1959 a potent symbol of Australian rock n’ roll, Lonnie Lee, whipped the crowd at Maitland Town Hall into a frenzy.
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Maitland City Council ran him out of town.
But on Thursday, 57 years later, Lee stood on stage with his band, The Leemen, and rocked out for Senior’s Week.
With the blessing of Maitland Mayor Peter Blackmore, Lee’s concert was the first for the renovated building.
Lee told the Mercury, after decades of touring, Maitland holds a very special place in his heart.
“Last time I was here, I distinctly remember standing on the stage… I was looking out there and I actually saw, in my mind, all the young kids lined up for that first concert,” he said.
“So many of these people here now, in their 60s and 70s, would have been those kids back in 1959.”
A few years after that first concert in 1959, Lee was invited back to to do a fundraising concert.
Since then he’s returned on numerous occasions, often for Senior’s Week.
This year the 250 tickets were snapped up in under an hour.
Lee said he was happy to see the Town Hall looking better than ever as renovations approach completion.
“I’m really pleased for the generations of the future to have such a glorious building like this,” he said.
