Entertainment Pioneer Dennis Smith Has Passed Away

Theatre entrepreneur and all-round entertainment tycoon Dennis Smith passed away yesterday morning following a long health battle. 

Smith was a veteran in the entertainment industry and produced a wide range of TV shows and theatre productions from 1964 all the way up until 2011.  

His crowning jewel was the popular TV program, The GO!! Show, which he produced with Godfrey Phillips and Julian Jover. 

Beloved by Australian audiences, The GO!! Show featured a wide array of entertainment, from comedic hosts to go-go performers. It also featured solo performances from some of Australia's most popular musicians at the time, such as Olivia Newton-John, Pat Carroll, Normie Rowe and more. It was filmed before a live audience, with early episodes being one-hour long, screening three nights a week.

From 1970 Smith ventured into producing and presenting theatrical and concert attractions in Australia, NZ and the UK. From 1980-1994 he was personal manager to Barry Humphries and produced and presented Humphries’ theatrical offerings worldwide.

He also looked after Australian national tours of The Odd Couple, Jeffrey Archer's Beyond Reasonable Doubt, Ain't Misbehavin', Noises Off and Beehive. 

International tours included Cliff Richard & The Shadows, Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton, Rod Stewart, Tina Turner, Sir Harry Secombe, Peter Allen, Max Bygraves, Glen Campbell, Johnny Cash, Petula Clark, Chubby Checker, Randy Crawford, The Commodores, Dick Emery, Gerry & The Pacemakers, Dr Hook, The Hollies, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Mathis, Shirley MacLaine, Don McLean, Helen Reddy, Des O’Connor, Roy Orbison, Gene Pitney, Charley Pride, Lou Rawls, Neil Sedaka, Leo Sayer, Tina Turner, Village People, Dionne Warwick and many others.

In 2011 he co-produced the reunion of The GO!! Show Gold and said, “I was involved in the production of the original GO!! Show back in the '60s and always felt there would be interest in an anniversary concert, but even I was taken by surprise at the amount of interest the show generated and the ongoing calls I have had for another tour.”