RIP Geoff Harvey – Thank you for being a pleasure to work with

Working in the media sometimes you get to meet the people who are considered to be iconic. When I had the opportunity to work with Geoff Harvey I came away with a sense of awe and I was certainly not disappointed.

Today I am saddened to hear of Geoff’s passing at 83. I last saw Geoff two years ago at the bar named after him. Harvey’s Bar, in the Southern Highlands, is a great little place to spend an afternoon chatting with friends and occasionally listening to live music. When I arrived I asked the barman if Geoff would be playing that day and I was informed he would not be.

A little later on Geoff came into the bar and we got chatting. A few months earlier we had worked together on a special episode of Studio 10 where he supplied the music for all the playons and playoffs live that morning. After our chat, he made his way to the piano and started playing some of those classic TV themes he had composed over the years. Geoff looked me in the eye and gave me a little wink. I knew this was something special and I was thrilled.

Geoff Harvey’s contribution to the TV industry is second-to-none. His list of credits within The Australian television industry would be pretty hard to beat, not to mention the number of episodes he was band leader for The Midday Show.

But above all the credits and acclaim he was a bloody good bloke.

My friend, Jono Coleman, visited Geoff for his 80th birthday in a special piece we made for Studio 10. It’s worth watching for a look at his history and a cheeky look at his personality.

I asked Jono for his thoughts on Geoff’s passing;

“We have lost a one-off dead set TV and music legend, bandleader, composer and family man. He made my early days on ‘The Mike Walsh Show’ and ‘Midday’ a nightmare as every time he saw me he’d say ‘“Come on Jono be funny”! But I love him and his goon style musician gags. I saw him last year and I’m thinking of his family and friends. Rest in peace maestro. A glass of red wine is on the bar in heaven I’m sure”

Geoff Harvey touched many lives including millions of viewers who watched his antics and brilliance throughout the years. To the people who worked with him he was someone very special and he will be sorely missed.