BIOGRAPHICAL DETAILS
Description: Vocalist, Boxer, Australian
Known For: I Thank You (Hit Song)
Instruments: Voice
Music Styles: Easy Listening, Country
Location: VIC, Australia
Date Born: 21st June 1949
Location Born: Jacksons Track, Gippsland, Victoria, Australia
Date Died: 8th May 2011
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BIOGRAPHICAL PROFILE
Lionel Rose MBE
Lionel Edmund Rose MBE (21 June 1948 – 8 May 2011) was an Australian bantamweight boxer, the first Indigenous Australian to win a world title. He later became the first Indigenous Australian to be named Australian of the Year.
Born and raised at Jacksons Track in Victoria, Australia as well as the town of Warragul, Rose grew up in hardship and learned to box from his father. Roy (his father) was a skilled fighter at local house shows.
Later at the age of 10, Rose was given a pair of gloves by his teacher Ian Hawkins (who observed him shadow boxing). Aged about 15, he went under the tutelage of Frank Oakes, a Warragul trainer (whose daughter Jenny he later married). He won the Australian amateur flyweight title at 15. He is the God-father to model/actress Ruby Rose.
Rose won one more belt in 1966 and eight in 1967 (including a thirteenth round knockout win against Rocky Gattellari to defend his Australian championship) before challenging Fighting Harada for the world bantamweight title on 26 February 1968 in Tokyo. Rose made history by becoming the first Aboriginal Australian to be a world champion boxer when he defeated Harada in a 15-round decision. This win made Rose an instant national hero in Australia and an icon among Aboriginal Australians. A public reception at Melbourne Town Hall was witnessed by a crowd of more than 100,000. On 2 July of that year, he returned to Tokyo to retain his title with a 15 round decision win over Takao Sakurai. Then, on 6 December, he met Chucho Castillo at the Inglewood Forum in Inglewood, California. Rose beat Castillo by decision, but the points verdict in favour of him infuriated many in the pro-Castillo crowd and a riot began: 14 fans and fight referee Dick Young were hospitalised for injuries received.
Singing career
During his time off from boxing in the 1970s, Rose embarked on a modest singing career in Australia having hits with “I Thank You” and “Please Remember Me” in 1970. The song “I Thank You” was a top 5 nationwide hit, produced and written by Johnny Young and engineered by John L Sayers; it was played as a substitute to the Australian National Anthem during radio broadcasts of the State of Origin series, and other sporting events by the comedic sports commentators, Roy Slaven and H.G. Nelson.
It is widely thought that Rose’s singing career didn’t give him time to get enough preparation training in, which is why he lost bouts against so many unknown fighters (after his loss to Ruben Olivares).
Rose sang “Jackson Track” and “I Thank You”, in both the SBS documentary and accompanying cd, Buried Country: The Story of Aboriginal Country Music.
Discography
Albums
I Thank You – Summit (SRA 250 033) (1970)
Singles
“I Thank You”/”Pick Me Up On Your Way Down” – Festival (FK-3425) (1969)
“Please Remember Me”/”Good Old Country Song” – Festival (FK-3575) (March 1970)
Retirement
In retirement, Rose became a successful businessman, and he enjoyed the monetary benefits his career brought him. Rose was showcased in 2002 in the The Ring section ‘Where are they now?’.
In 2007, Rose suffered a stroke that left him with speech and movement difficulties.
Rose died on 8 May 2011 after an illness which lasted for several monthes.