By the early 1960s, the guitar had taken over. If a sax featured on a local rock or pop record, it was likely to be the work of one man, an Australian. Jimmie Sloggett arrived here in 1963, aged 23, after marrying Auckland singer Carol Davies. They met in Sydney when both appeared on Johnny O’Keefe’s TV show, Six O’Clock Rock. In Auckland, Sloggett hit the ground running; within days he was playing with Max Merritt and his Meteors, and Herma Keil.
Amongst the bands Jimmie played with in Australia before he moved to New Zealand were The Moderrnaires and Johnny O'Keefe's backing band The Dee Jays.