Australian writer, author and multi media man Graham Simpson passed away on 16 February 2025 at age 69. He was one of the funniest friends I knew.
I don’t think his daughter Mahlia would mind me sharing what I told her this morning. “He was the only person I knew who could make you laugh while he was being a complete c*nt to your face”.
Graham was one of a kind. He had a smart and brutal wit. Whether he was talking about someone leaving the conversation “in a chauffeur driven huff” or would completely disregard a comment with “you should tell someone who cares” Graham could be both charming and offensive at the same time.
I first worked with Graham at Austereo Entertainment. He was the writer and researcher for the network’s national shows like Rock 40 Australia, hosted then by Mike Hammond. I came in as Program Director and worked directly with Graham on a daily basis. Graham had the office next to mine. Mine was full of CDs. His was full of filing cabinets. This was early 90s. These were pre-Internet times. Graham kept a physical file on every artist you could think of. Being inside his office was like sitting inside an encyclopedia. If the info you needed wasn’t in Graham’s head, it was in the filing cabinet. He was Wikipedia before Wikipedia existed.
Beside his no 1 loves in his life, wife Jacqui and daughter Mahlia, Graham was a huge fan of The Seekers. All of the four members were his friends but Judith Durham was a special friend to him. The number of times he would take a call from Judith in the middle of a meeting and pause the meeting were numerous. He had his own priorities but we would take the piss out of him for it.
Not that anyone could ever outwit him. He always hit back. Whatever shit we put on him, we got paid back 10 times more in Graham Simpson sarcasm. He was his own show.
Graham worked closely with The Seekers until their break-up. His daughter Mahlia also worked with Judith Durham for many years. Graham literally wrote the book on Judith and The Seekers. He authored ‘Colours Of My Life: The Judith Durham Story’ in 1994 and ‘The Seekers: The 50 Year Recorded History of Australia’s First Supergroup’ in 2015.
There is a lot more to the Graham story than my memories of the man. In the 1970s he co-hosted morning radio on 3XY under pseudonym Lester Parsons. He was columnist for The Herald-Sun and The Sunday Herald in Melbourne and a features writer for The Age in Melbourne.
After Austereo Entertainment was acquired by MCM Entertainment he continued with MCM. He worked as a writer for Channel 7 and was the script consultant for the stage production of ‘Georgy Girl – The Seekers Musical’. Graham Simpson was also the corporate speech writer for Mark Mitchell (Con the Fruiterer).
Graham knew the workings of radio, television and press inside and out. He worked across them all. Those who tried to bullshit him fell victim to the wit.
A Graham Simpson in today’s world would be considered “inappropriate”. He wouldn’t care. He knew that the corporate rules of political correctness are mostly designed by people on excessive salaries trying to justify their wage. That’s what made him so brilliant. He was honest. He called a spade a spade. There were no grey areas with Graham. If he thought you were a moron he’d tell you to your face. He wouldn’t give a fuck. You always knew where you stood with Graham.
As he said to me often “I’d have a battle of wits with you but you are unarmed”.
We need more Graham Simpsons in this world. Here’s to you old friend. Safe travels.
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