Ian Meldrum

Ian "Molly" Meldrum (born January 29, 1946) is an Australian popular music critic, journalist, and record producer, and musical entrepreneur best known as talent co-ordinator, on-air interviewer and music news presenter on seminal popular music program Countdown. He acted as talent co-ordinator for the show's entire 1974 to 1987 run; his on-air role was between the years of 1975 and 1986.

After Countdown

After Countdown finished its run, Meldrum presented a regular segment for the popular but now defunct Australian variety show, Hey Hey It's Saturday through the 1990s, managed and produced a number of Australian artists, founded the Melodian label and continued to write for the music press.

Related Topics:
Hey Hey It's Saturday - 1990s

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Signing onto the Seven Network, he became a judge on Popstars Live, a variety program in the style of Pop Idol. As part of his contract to the network, he appears regularly on popular breakfast show Sunrise.

Related Topics:
Seven Network - Pop Idol - Sunrise

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Meldrum's trademark headwear, still-rabid enthusiasm for popular music, and remarkably incoherent interviewing style remain well known. That his extensive general knowledge extended beyond popular music was perhaps less well-known until, as a contestant on a celebrity edition Who Wants to be a Millionaire, he won $500,000 for a charity, to this date the equal biggest win on the Australian version of the program.

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Meldrum is a prominent supporter of the St Kilda Football Club in the AFL and the Melbourne Storm in the National Rugby League (NRL).

Related Topics:
St Kilda Football Club - AFL - Melbourne Storm - National Rugby League (NRL)

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A widely-reported engagement to singer Lana Cantrell in the early 1970s was soon shown to have been a media hoax, and Meldrum has long been open about his homosexuality; he lives with his long-time partner Ray in Melbourne.

Related Topics:
Lana Cantrell - Homosexuality - Melbourne

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