However, his promising career came to an abrupt halt, when in 1968 he was called to do compulsory military service, and then in 1969 sent to Vietnam by the Australian government. The entire population was absolutely horrified, heartbroken and disappointed when this happened. It caused a major uproar in Australia amongst its teenage population. We were all very aware of the conspiracy theories circulating, that The Holt Government, who were suffering character assassination and cutting edge undesirability at the time, had sent Normie to Vietnam ala Elvis Presley style, thus emulating what the Americans had done when they sent Elvis Presley to Germany. It was obvious that the government, who were struggling with political suicide and the antiwar movement, were on the verge of imploding. Thus, needing an icon like Normie Rowe to save face. This event made headlines, and sent shock waves around Australia, and eventually dethroned Normie Rowe, who was the biggest pop star at the time. His fans were left confused and bewildered, as to the ultimate fate of Normie. They were then forced to start following newspaper articles that were filtering in from Vietnam, showing Normie in uniform and performing combat duties. These articles soon became quiet scares, and Normie Rowe eventually became a distant memory for most of us. Unfortunately, going to Vietnam had an extremely negative effect on Normie’s career. His unpredictable fans were then forced to look elsewhere for another idol to worship. This inevitably resulted in a complete change in the dynamics of the music industry in Australia.
Unfortunately, Normie Rowe’s pop career was never successfully resuscitated on his return from Vietnam. Instead, he became a staunch advocate for Vietnam Veterans, and was awarded with a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for his services to Vietnam Veterans, the Entertainment Industry and the community. In the years that followed Vietnam Normie suffered tremendous personal loss following the death of his son, and a long battle with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, plus three failed marriages. While discussing these crucial misfortunes with him, I noticed that Normie’s mood changed to sombre when I mention the loss of his son. He informed me that ‘not a day goes by without thinking of what my son would be like and wondering what he would look like today’. We both then acknowledge that the hurt never goes away, which reduced me to tears as Normie became very emotional. Normie then went on to explain that he was able to overcome many obstacles through sheer determination, optimism and concentrating on his career. After studying acting and drama at The Ensemble Theatre in Sydney, he successfully nurtured an acting career. We all watched in awe while his career flourished, appearing in many TV shows including various variety shows, plus an extended role on TV soapie ‘Sons and Daughters’. This culminated in his critically acclaimed stint in the Sydney production of the musical Le Miserables, playing the central role of Jean Valijean. Today Normie is a master of the club circuit attracting huge audiences of young and old. His energetic performances are filled with raw emotion and songs that everyone can relate too, including many number one hits that literally send Quivers Down Your Back Bone. When I asked him how does he keep himself so fit and youthful? His very quick reply of ‘it’s a state of mind’ certainly strikes a chord with me, reiterating that he is a living legend and a national treasure. He is also the most genuine and down to earth person on the planet, and I was thrilled to hear that he still wants to be on stage performing at age eighty. It was my absolute honour and privilege to interview him.
Story and memories courtesy Catherine Colusso 24 Bowling & Lifestyle Spring 2017