Gentleman disc jockey bows out

– By Russell Bennett from an interview by Brent Lukey
THE Gembrook community lost one of its biggest characters when James “JJ” Cuthbert passed away last month.
Mr Cuthbert, affectionately known as The Gembrook Gentleman, was best known throughout his local community as a friendly, kind-hearted country musician.
He moved to Gembrook from Melbourne’s inner east in 1996 after he was forced into retirement following heart bypass surgery.
In an interview recorded earlier this year with Gembrook photographer Brent Lukey, Mr Cuthbert said: “I was looking for somewhere to live after I retired.
“I was a workaholic – a motor engineer.
“My wife (Sylvia) died in 1991.
“If she had survived and we retired at the same time, I would have gone for a sea change because she loved the beach. But I loved the bush,” he told Mr Lukey.
Born in 1928, Mr Cuthbert went searching for bush hideaways as far out as East Warburton, but none of them were “caravan friendly”.
“I had a van that I wanted to get off the street,” he said.
“My real estate agent said ‘look, there’s only one property left that I can show you and it’s up in Gembrook’.”
Mr Cuthbert bought the house on Main Street and decided he’d be a “hermit”.
“But shortly after I got here, they had the anniversary of the arrival of Puffing Billy in Gembrook,” he said.
“They had an open stage there so I got up and sang a bracket of Slim Dusty songs.
“With the whole thing, I suddenly became noticed.”
Local stalwart and member of the Gembrook Country Music Band Joe Hilder introduced himself and asked Mr Cuthbert to join up.
He then became a regular busker at the Gembrook Market and the aspiring hermit became a community favourite.
He often donated his takings back to the market committee.
“They never charged me for a space,” he said.
“And they set me up in the sunshine with an umbrella and a chair.
“I gave the CFA $100 one month because they were applying for donations for their new truck.”
Mr Cuthbert performed his music at a number of country music festivals and hosted a music program, the Slim Dusty-inspired ‘Country Revival’ on 3MDR FM. “I was familiar with turntables and vinyl records so that sort of started me off,” he said.
“I very soon got a following in the 10 ’til midnight shift.
“My kids said ‘Dad, if you’re going on air, you have to have a tag.
“So they gave me the name The Gembrook Gentleman.”
James “JJ” Cuthbert passed away on 3 November after a short illness.
He is survived by his three children, Paul, Anne and Philip.