Gene Pierson
Gene Pierson (born Giancarlo Salvestrin, 29 April 1946) is a musician, who had an early solo career in New Zealand and then in Australia. His 1960s and early 1970s songs, "Love, Love, Love", "You Got to Me" and "Reach Out", achieved local chart success in Australia and New Zealand. He launched AC/DC at Chequers on New Year's Eve 1974 and later became a publisher and music producer in Australia.
His more recent business ventures include the acquisition of the Peter Lik Publishing Group, founding the Lifestyle Music label distributed by Sony Music Australia, and founding Music Hive, an online streaming service for retailers.
Biography
Gene Pierson was born Giancarlo Salvestrin (29 April 1946) in Venice. In 1949 his father, Ernesto, migrated to Australia and in January 1950, at the age of four, Pierson and his mother followed, settling in Griffith.
Early career
In 1963 Pierson, under the stage name Gene Chandler, won a talent quest at Skelseys Hotel, singing "Mashed Potato", in the western suburbs of Sydney, which was the beginning of his career in the entertainment business. He was given a regular solo spot at the hotel, where he was approached by guitarist Graham Ford to become the fifth member of a Western Suburbs band, The Inturns.