Early 50’s -Wayne’s father ordered a brand new Maton acoustic guitar. It was Wayne’s first guitar, and he waited 3 months while it was built in Melbourne. Despite breaking his left wrist a week before the new guitar arrived, and then waiting another four weeks whilst in plaster, Wayne played that guitar until he built his first solid body electric. It was made out of solid myrtle, and so heavy he could only play it for a short time before he had to sit down. It was painted pink and black, replicating the colors that Elvis Presley favored, and the amplifier was a converted radio set, but it worked and he says ‘"I did many dances with that old axe" 

Mid 50's Grew up listening to hillbilly music on the radio as a kid, first hearing a new singer from America named Bill Haley and a song called ‘Rock around the Clock’ and knowing then that Rock & Roll was born in Tasmania; Listening to the radio became a favorite pastime, Chuck Berry’s Johnny B. Goode, then came Elvis with Scotty Moore, and for the first time Buddy Holly. 

1957 Put together his first Rock & Roll band, the first in his hometown of Devonport and possibly one of the first in Tasmania. Wayne says ‘The local radio station sponsored a talent quest advertising a new drink just out on the market called Coco Cola and we made it to the finals which meant we played off at the local picture theatre on the Saturday morning.’ 

First heard Chet Atkins, when a mate called and asked him to go to his place to listen to two LPs he had just bought. Wayne recounts  "I, like every one else that heard him for the first time, wondered how he played so much at once. ‘ and says ‘ After trying for so many years and meeting and working in the studio with Tommy Emmanuel and getting to know great players like Brent Mason in Nashville, I now know how it is done and I have become half decent at the style and love it as much as the first time my mate Graham Duncan played it to me. I also learnt later in 1983 from the great steel guitarist Buddy Emmons that the best time you use an effect on any guitar is ‘when you don’t use it".

1958 First professional job at a hotel in Devonport Tasmania, playing guitar. Wayne’s dad drove him there, and picked him up at midnight because Wayne wasn’t old enough to have a driver’s licence. At band intervals, he would have to leave the cabaret room when not onstage and playing, and sit in the kitchen because he was under 21, the legal age to drink and to be on licensed premises. 

Early 60’s Influenced by a new brand of Rock & Roll, forming this time in England, with a singer called Cliff Richard and his band the Shadows 

1962 Temporary replacement as a band member playing rhythm guitar with The Dominos, a new Rock & Roll band from Sydney performing at the Agriculture Show in Tasmania, after the lead guitarist left the group and went back to Sydney. Wayne worked with the Dominoes 6 nights a week in Tassie back in the sixties while still working a day job at the garage. 

Recorded first single as session player at local radio station 7AD Devonport, with The Dominos as backing band for a recording artist who was also a journalist at The Examiner in Devonport 

1963 Lonnie Lee & The LeeMen (Australia) Just as The Dominos left Tasmania Australia’s Rock & Roll star Lonnie Lee came over on tour and needed a lead guitarist, Wayne became a temporary member of the ’Leemen’ his band. On the ‘ The Lonnie Lee Show’ lineup was a man who was enjoying huge success on the Australian CM scene as a country comedy singer by the name of Chad Morgan. 1963 worked in local backing bands, name. Mid 60’s joined the Latrobe speedway committee, working with wheelbarrows and shovels in the construction of the track, later became secretary, and then president of the local stock car club

1982 First master session recorded at 301 Studios in Sydney, recording on two albums for Jean Stafford & EMI, the first crossover albums to originate in Australia, ‘Some Day I’ll Take Home the Roses’ in 1982 and ‘Burning Bright’ in 1985. In 1986 at the first ARIA awards Jean received a final 5 nomination in Female Vocal of the Year with the EMI album Burning Bright; the only country artist in the final 5 against the pop stars of the day before a Country Music section became a separate category 

Awarded Life Membership Steel Guitar Australia 

1983 Recorded single Pages of My Life -Wayne Appleby at Spectangle Studios Hobart First instrumental single released: A Side: Pages Of My Life B Side: Rolling In My Sweet Baby’s Arms 

Graduated Jeffran College of Pedal Steel Guitar (Music) Nashville Tennessee USA 

Nashville Tennessee first went to Nashville with Jean Stafford, for her very first appearance at the famous Fan Fair of CM held each June with the best of Country America has to offer. While there Wayne enrolled at the Jeffran Steel Guitar College in Nashville to study for a Pedal Steel Guitar diploma, and where he met and made friends with the great Jimmy Crawford (who went on to be one of Jean’s producers in the states and to later build a steel guitar for Wayne) and a lot of other top players in Nashville many whom for

Dewitt Scott (USA): St. Louis Music Awards & CM Hall of Fame. 

Wayne says ‘In the 4 days left before we flew back to Australia when I was invited to stay at a friend in St. Louis who ran the biggest steel guitar store in America Dewitt ‘Scotty’ Scott. So I flew down to St. Louis and arranged to meet Jean in 3 days at the St. Louis airport as she had to fly through there on the way to LA. Scotty took me to his local steel guitar club show and the star was a steel guitarist Doug Jernigan. This guy was hot, hot, hot, and one of whom I had several of his albums, an awesome player. After the show we were taken to the St. Louis Music Awards show, where Scotty was inducted into the CM Hall of Fame.’

 Hal Bradley ((USA): Wayne met Hal Bradley the first time Jean recorded in Nashville. Her producer Jimmy Crawford had booked Hal as one of the guitarist and session leader for the call. For those that don’t recognized the name, Hal is one of the famous Bradley Bros. and has played guitar on most of the American country stars over many years including every track except one with Patsy Cline. He and his brother Owen, played a big part in the creation of the Nashville sound of the sixties, changing the face of CM. Hal later became president of the Nashville musician union and only played occasionally on recordings. Because Jimmy and Hal are old friends, Hal was invited to session lead and play guitar on Jean’s first cuts in Nashville. Hal came out to Jimmy’s home and between them Hal wrote the charts for the upcoming session. Wayne says ‘ Hal is such a nice guy and an excellent musician and immediately took a liking to Jean and her material. Two days later we were in the studio recording with the cream of Nashville’s musicians; this was a buzz for me to see in practice what I had read about and dreamed of all my life. The musicians were very friendly and it wasn’t long before Sonny Garish (the steeler and dobro player for the session) offered me a video camera he had in his car. So I walked around between the musos as they recorded the songs. What an experience! ‘ Within 3 hours we had 4 music tracks in the can ready for Jean to cut the main vocals and the overdubs and backup singers to their parts.’ 

1984 Stuart French (Australia) : Wayne was working at his music store ‘Musicville’ when he first met Stuart. 

He recalls ‘One day four young guys walked in, one carrying a guitar case. After talking for a while they told me they had started a CM band on the coast playing mostly Slim Dusty music and that Stuart’s hero was Barry Thornton (Slim’ longtime guitarist). After a while Stuie opened the case and pulled out a 335 Gibson (like the one Barry Thornton played) and plugged it into an amp and started to play. It was like Barry Thornton was in the shop. I thought, this kid has got huge potential! It wasn’t long before the band started coming to the Steel Guitar concerts and performing and I got this same feeling every time I watched Stuie play. He was so precise, so clean but he still sounded like Barry Thornton. Now don’t think I didn’t appreciate Barry Thornton. He became a good friend and I also listened to Barry in my early days trying to play those country chops like he did and it was a sad day when Barry passed away, a real gentleman, and a legend of the Australian Bush Ballad guitar. Later on in life I got to work with Barry a few times and it was always a buzz to look up and see him grinning at you over the top of his glasses. I got a phone call one day from Stuie and he asked me if I was available on a particular date (which I was) to work with them at a CM festival near Burnie and to back Barry Thornton onstage when he played. So I went over to the local record store ‘Studio 90’ across the road from my shop and purchased a cassette of Alabama and Ricky Skaggs Live in London and took them to the show, suggesting when I gave them to him, that he might be interested to hear other guitarists and genres, saying as I handed them to him ‘ Here you go! I know you are a fan and play like Barry but if I want to hear that sort of music I will go and buy a Barry Thornton album.‘ After I moved to Sydney and started working with Jean Stafford it was inevitable that I would finally get ‘Soapy’ as he was affectingly known to the mainland and on the road with the show. His first tour was to Northern NSW and the next thing he turned up on our door step in Sydney and told us he and Jill his wife had moved to Sydney. He got a job at a factory doing his trade and Jill was a hairdresser, and soon he was asking when the next tour would be on. I watched with pride as he worked with us on the Midday Show TV for the first time and he never ceased to amaze me every time the strapped on a guitar. He has since moved on and both toured and recorded with many of Australia’s best CM artists including his childhood hero Slim Dusty. He also went on to win a CMAA Gold Guitar with his group for best instrumental, and several more. He now tours and operates his own studio in Sydney.’ 

1985 Relocated to Sydney, central base in the music industry for club shows and session work, supporting and recording with Jean Stafford, and Reg Lindsay and others 

Buddy Williams (Australia) Wayne’s first recording session after arriving in Sydney, was for the late Buddy Williams, his last album before he passed away. Wayne says ‘The first session I got was on the last Buddy Williams album. Buddy had just passed away and he had recorded the new album with guitar, bass and drums only and the record company wanted it finished and out for Buddy’s fans.’ 

Mid 80’s first steel player in Australia to have a full sponsorship 1984 to 2000 from Peavey Amplifiers in the USA 

1986 session player on albums for recording artists Anne Kirkpatrick Come Back Again, Judy Stone & the Flannigans; recorded on the score for the Australian film ‘Burning Fields’

1986-87 Reg Lindsay (Australia): Wayne began to tour East Coast Australia for a few years, some with Reg Lindsay replacing Pee Wee Clark when he retired, and later being replaced by Warren Neilsen when tour commitments took a priority with Jean Stafford, as player in the Jean’s Boys, personal manager and tour manager. 

He says ‘On one of the tours I did with Reg on a northern NSW tour back in the late eighties with the guys out of Jean’s band as Jean was not working for that month, so we hit the road with Reg.’ 

1987 Smoky Dawson (Australia): played in band to support to Smoky Dawson on stage in Sydney 

Wayne recalls ‘ I, like most of Australia grew up with Smoky and Flash, his famous horse, on radio, records and in comic books. The day I actually played behind Smoky on stage was ... well, I had goose bumps all over me and tears in my eyes. It was at a Sydney Club in 1987. He had done it all in country music both in Australia and the US. He is a great writer, axe thrower, knife thrower, horseman, singer and the complete all round entertainer and showman and one of the best story tellers I have ever had the pleasure to sit and listen to this fine old man. When Jean and I got married in 1991 we came back to Australia for 1 week to get married and as Jean didn’t have a father she asked Smoky to give her away. On the day he nearly stole the show in his suit and white stetson hat, and he looked fabulous fussing around his girl. He and Dot bought her wedding dress from the USA as a present. We both had the privilege to record in our own right on the CD of duets with some of Australia’s top CM and Rock stars which Smoky and Dot produced, with all the profits going to the Children’s cancer Hospital in Sydney, raising a huge amount of money for the charity. Smoky and Dot are so generous and have given huge amounts of money to charities around Australia.’ Wayne recalls also ‘ I was very lucky to witness the meeting of old friends when Kitty Wells and husband Johnny Wright came to Australia to tour with Jean in 1998 and Smoky and Dot came to the motel in Sydney for a reunion (Smoky had toured with both these stars years earlier when he was working in America). There was a lot of history in the room that night.’ 

1988-89 commenced as Manager and Musical Director for Jean Stafford 

1988 Waylon Jennings (USA): It was in Australia that Wayne met Waylon. 

He says ‘I was working on the Ray Martin Midday Show on Channel 9 in Sydney with Jean when I learnt that he was touring Australia with the group ‘The Highway Men’ and that he was appearing on the Midday Show that day. It was a great pleasure for me to meet and speak with Waylon for about thirty minutes at the television studio. I had become a fan of the outlaw music from America and a fan of the late Waylon Jennings and have played in many bands that played his music. Also because he was the bass player with Buddy Holly’s band the Crickets, and when considering the style Waylon eventually created and taking him to fame I was very heavily influenced by Buddy’s music. Waylon’s steeler Ralph Mooney was a great interest to me and I spent hours learning his style because of working with a lot of bands that played Waylon’s music (I have always tried to deliver as close to the original sound.) 

Clive Arundel (Australia) In Sydney, Jean crowned Queen of Country Music in Australia. 

Wayne recalls, as her manager ‘ When Jean was to be crowned as the Queen of CM in Sydney in 1988 the late Clive Arundell rang me and told me what he intended to do and asked if I was alright with the award. Of course I was, but I asked if he would invite Smoky to join him to crown Jean, which he did. Clive was a great fan of Jean and had his own CM radio show in Sydney each Saturday. A lovely and loyal man with huge knowledge about CM and who loved Jean as a person and an artist. We’d go to Clive’s home and as we walked in his favourite saying was ‘Look at her the Meandering in from Meander’ the town where Jean grew up. Jean loved Clive like a father and we were all very upset at Clive’s death.’ 

Session player on Golden Voice of Country & Classic Jean Stafford which Jean received Gold and Double Platinum Records 

During these years, Wayne was Musical Director, played Steel Guitar for Jean Stafford & the Jean’s Boys, and toured Australia with the USA legend Slim Whitman; also appearing on the Country Music Spectacular on the River stage at World Expo in Brisbane Queensland; Session Player for Jean Stafford, on her first duet with the late Smoky Dawson OA OBE a track written by Smoky titled ‘I’ll Paint You A Song’.

Received first international award ‘Golden Guitar for Services to the Country Music Industry’ in New Zealand in Auckland, where both Jean & Wayne awarded individually for Services to Country Music. 

Late 80s the only Australian at the time, to have a fully sponsored custom built JCH Steel guitar built by Jimmy Crawford out of Nashville 1988 to 2003 

CM Show at Expo’88 at River Stage in Brisbane Queensland, Jean Stafford & The Jean’s Boys (band member), Smoky Dawson, Evelyn Bury, James Blundell and other artists. World Expo ’88 which ran for a month and themed ‘Leisure in the Age of Technology’ was officially opened by HRH Queen Elizabeth II. 

1989 throughout the 80’s into the early 90’s, band member of Jean Stafford & the Jean’s Boys, appearing regularly on the then Channel 9 TV show ‘Midday’.

1999 to 2003 session work & live shows in Brisbane and the Gold Coast, recording with Don Allen & Cam Fletcher, lap steel, baritone, pedal steel; official judge for the 2003 Western Australia CM Awards at Boyup Brook in Western Australia, musical director and steel guitarist for Jean Stafford at the festival where she was the headline act 

2004 Manager to Jean Stafford, recording her award winning CD ‘Let the Dance Begin’ in Nashville Tennessee 

2006 Manager, musical director, steel guitarist for Jean Stafford, guest artist at WA’s premier country music festival at Boyup Brook, performing at the West Australian Country Music Awards 

2008 Manager to Jean Stafford, guest artist at a Gala Charity Evening in North Queensland; an auction and fundraiser appeal with a target of $62000 to assist with the construction of the recreational wing of a local hospital 

2009 Marketing Manager for the release of tracks Steelin the Two Step, Like Living With A Stranger and the latest single Don’t Bet Your Boots, from Jean Stafford’s Let the Dance Begin for international airplay in Europe and the US 

2009 after relocating to Tasmania, Wayne commenced work on setting up the Jean Stafford Museum a commemorative career museum preferably in close proximity to her birthplace and hometown of Meander Tasmania; 2010-2016 steel guitarist & manager to Jean Stafford, at a small number of Tasmanian venues to select audiences, in 2014 when she was presented with ‘Legend’ Award -The John ‘Doc’ Turnbull Award Presentation at Devil Country Muster at Trawmanna Smithton in Tasmania; and at the 2016 the Tasmanian Independent Country Music Awards Hall of Fame in Hobart, Tasmania

 2012 inducted into the Australian Steel Guitar Hall of Fame 

2014 recorded Tassie Devil Boogie -Wayne Appleby. A ‘best of ‘ album, recorded in Melbourne, Sydney and Nashville, with many tracks written by Wayne plus a special appearance of his good friend Stuie French 

2015 2017 designed by Wayne, and built by Mitsu in Tokyo Japan, a custom made EXCEL D10 WRJ Deluxe steel

 

2018 Guest appearance showcasing the custom made EXCEL D10 WRJ Deluxe steel at the Deep South Steel Guitar Convention Gulfport Mississippi 2-3 Nov 2018 featuring 20 odd steel guitars including Mitsu of Tokyo Japan, and an amazing band mostly ex Nashville session players and ex players for many USA stars’ road tour bands. MELBOURNE/LAX/Atlanta GEORGIA / road travel to Gulfport Mississippi & Nashville Tennessee USA /return AUS 

2019 inducted to the Australian Country Music Wall of Honour 

An initiative of LBS Music Group ‘dedicated to Australian Country Music Artists making an important contribution to the Professional Recording Industry’, LBS Complex Tamworth NSW 24Jan2019 

2019 appointed Artist Relations Manager for Excel Steel Guitars in Australia