Hey Hey, it’s MOLLY’S 80TH BIRTHDAY!
IT’LL BE A PARTY FIT FOR A QUEEN ON THE BIG DAY
Ian ‘Molly’ Meldrum is in disbelief. Nobody, least of all the music legend himself, thought he would still be around to celebrate his 80th birthday.
Hitting the milestone on January 29, Molly tells New Idea with a chuckle, “I guess it’s hard to kill off a mad old queen like me. I’m just thankful to be here!”
Eleven years ago, Molly almost died after plummeting three metres from a ladder while putting Christmas decorations on the roof of his Melbourne home. The Countdown host spent five weeks in a coma, and the accident still impacts his health today.
But if fans expected
Molly to slow down, they’d better think again. While the broadcaster, journalist, record producer, gay icon and St Kilda AFL tragic isn’t planning a big 80th bash, his friends sure are!
“I guess the fall made me realise I wasn’t bulletproof,” he reluctantly admits. “You realise that life is short. I stay right away from ladders now and try to look after my health. I used to be a real party animal, but it’s time I gave it a rest. Only a little bit though, not too much.”
In the past, Molly’s shindigs – at his Egyptianthemed villa ‘Luxor’ – were notoriously outrageous. These days they’re more restrained. Christmas was spent almost sedately with his nearest and dearest, including the family of much-mourned Mushroom Records boss, Michael Gudinski.
“I miss him – that’s an understatement,” he says. “Unfortunately, a lot of my old mates aren’t around any more, like [David] Bowie, Freddie [Mercury] … it’s sad. They’ve passed away, but I think of them.
“I’ve still got Elton [John] though,” he says, perking up. “We did fall out there for a while, but we’re fine again.”
Sometimes Molly imagines his own funeral, complete with Egyptian sarcophagus.
“When they carry me through the church I’ll open the coffin lid, sit up and go, ‘Just one more thing … can I have another drink, please?’”
Despite his advancing age, there are no plans to retire.
Although Molly uses a cane and his famous musings remain a bit slurred, his wicked wit and love of music remain unchanged.
He’s very excited about a new label he’s working on with Michael’s son, Matt Gudinski. Keeping it in the family, Molly’s 9-yearold grandson Jason – who’s dad is Molly’s adopted son Morgan Scholes – plays piano and violin with some of their “amazing acts”.
“Music keeps me going. I’ll never stop being passionate about the music industry,” Molly says.
“I’ve had great times, and sometimes I really did push the envelope, but these days life is slower. I tend to live for the present and look forward to the future.”
By Jenny Brown
‘I try to look after my health. I’m just thankful
to be here’