Johnny O’Keefe, Australia’s wild man of rock and roll, was racing home from a gig at Surfers in his beloved red, push-button automatic Plymouth Belvedere, manufactured here by Chrysler. As usual, he was way over the limit. Just outside Kempsey he lost control and slammed into a truck loaded with gravel. His unfortunate passenger estimated JOK was travelling at well over the ton.

The only recognisable parts of the Belvedere were the twin fins, sticking upright from a mass of scrap metal. O’Keefe was also a write-off, needing sixty-four stitches to put his face back together.

It remains one of the best-publicised crashes in Australian history. The first thing O’Keefe did when he regained consciousness was to hold a press conference from his hospital bed.

“I’ve got a lot out of this car smash,” he told reporters. “It’s a really gratifying experience to smash yourself up and then find out how nice everyone is.” He added that he’d already received 13,000 letters from fans. He cashed in on the crash by releasing an LP record featuring the wrecked Belvedere on the cover. It was called, ‘I’m Still Alive.’

Hooked on the pain-killers he needed to ease the pain, some say The Wild One never fully recovered from the accident.

Ward ‘Pally’ Austin, Australia’s top radio DJ in the rock and roll era, was another fan of Yank Tanks. His famous white Ford Galaxie convertible was formerly owned by Sydney nightclub identity Sammy Lee. Pally was also involved in a well-documented crash, this time while driving across Sydney Harbour Bridge. Compared to JOK’s monumental this one was a minor fender bender and Pally walked away unhurt.
Tags:  pop culture