Tributes flow for musical maestro Geoff Harvey who died aged 83
He was the maestro — the famed musical director at Channel 9 for nearly 40 years. Geoff Harvey was best known as the dry-witted piano man behind Kerri-Anne Kennerley. KAK and others in the TV industry pay tribute to Harvey, who died aged 83.
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He was the maestro — the famed musical director at Channel 9 for nearly 40 years and the composer for the likes of Bandstand, The Sullivans, A Current Affair and the Don Lane Show.
But Geoff Harvey was perhaps best known as the dry-witted piano man behind Kerri-Anne Kennerley.
They first teamed up at The Midday Show in the late 1980s and remained best friends until his death today at 83. Harvey made his last TV appearance in January as a guest on Studio 10 opposite KAK.
For Kennerley it’s the second devastating loss in recent weeks. She farewelled husband John on March 11.
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Harvey composed a piece of music shortly before the funeral that was played to mourners at Woollahra’s All Saint’s from his iPhone.
“I just had the most privileged experience with him,” Kennerley said last night.
“He was so funny and talented and so quick and dry-witted. I am just really, really sad.”
Born into a musical family in England in 1935, Harvey had mastered the fiddle and piano by the age of six.
Lured to Australia on a one-year holiday in 1960 by former EMI Records boss John Sturman, Harvey landed a job at Nine where he remained until 1999 when he was sensationally sacked.
Legendary Nine newsreader Brian Henderson said: “He was genuinely one of television’s great mischief makers. He could be cheeky and naughty — and then sit down at the organ and play like a saint.
“He once played at St Mary’s Cathedral and got up very solemnly and said he’d had a special request from Hendo — and then sat down and played Tie A Yellow Ribbon Around The Old Oak Tree and Volare. No one knew what to think. His sense of humour will be missed.”
Former Nine news and current affairs boss Peter Meakin said he was affectionately referred to as the “company piano player” by legendary Nine boss Sam Chisholm.
“Geoff was part of the fabric of Nine when it was Party Central. He was a big hearted funny guy,” he said.
“I remember him showing me a photograph of a luxury yacht, which he had forwarded to Kerry Packer with a note saying: ‘Memo Mr Packer. Here is a nice boat. Please buy it for me’.
“Kerry’s response was typical: ‘You can have any boat you like son, as long as it fits in your bathtub’.”
Ray Martin described him as a “one-off character” who was the face of TV.
Entertainer Col Joye said he was a gifted musician. “He was a funny Pommy.”
Harvey is survived by his wife of 32 years Katrina and his children Eugenie and Charlotte from his first marriage to Penny Spence.
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