Chester “Chet” John O’Connell was born in Whangārei on 6 March 1974. His father Johnny O’Connell is well-known as a musician in Northland, gigging four nights a week while working for the Post Office or Telecom six days a week. Johnny was born in Maungaturoto, moved to Whangārei and married Fay Jackson. She sang in the Johnny O’Connell Four while caring for Chet and his older sister Angelique. Before Chet arrived, The Johnny O’Connell Four performed on TVNZ’s Happen Inn music series.

At the age of four, Chet – who was named after Chet Atkins, Johnny’s favourite guitarist – was given a ukulele and he joined in with the band, “belting the crap” out of the untuned instrument, he recalls.

Three years later, to save his jangled nerves, Johnny bought Chet a three-quarter size guitar and taught him the chords. “He taught me chords, rhythm, time-keeping. He was really invested in playing guitar with me from the start, teaching me whatever he could.” Soon Chet was guesting in the band. He especially loved songs by The Shadows, The Ventures, Peter Posa’s ‘White Rabbit’, ‘Gonk’, and ‘Guitar Boogie’. At the age of 11, he was given a black electric guitar, followed by an Alron amp. Chet quickly became a full-time member of the band, gigging from 8pm to 1am. With his first earnings he bought an electric tuner. “I never saw myself as a kid in the band, I was just another member. And so did the band: I was never Johnny’s little boy.”

“I never saw myself as a kid in the band ... I was never Johnny’s little boy.”

He still had to get a proper education – at St Josephs Primary and Pompallier College – but as it turned out he’s been a working musician all his life. In Form Two, Chet and his father often played for his classmates. A pivotal event took place in 1986: watching Dire Straits perform at Mt Smart Stadium.

From the age of 16 Chet formed duos and played lead guitar and drums in his dad’s band, whose set featured rock’n’roll and country numbers from the 1950s and 60s. He was even allowed to sing a few songs a night. After leaving school he continued to gig, either solo, in pick-up groups, or with the Johnny O’Connell Band.

At the Whangārei Winter Show, Variety Artists’ Club member Robbie Robson (born Robert Linley) was impressed with this talented 18-year old and invited Chet to join his show touring North Island RSAs and workingmen’s clubs. Chet reckons that working with Robbie and the others of the Variety Artists Club taught him professionalism, stagecraft and showmanship: “… the craft of entertaining the crowd, as opposed to people dancing. I’ve always liked having a presence and vibrance on stage. You can be the best singer or guitarist, but if there’s no connection with the audience it falls flat.”

In 1995 Chet teamed up with Chris Powley to produce the Chris & Chet Music and Comedy Show, impersonating New Zealand entertainers such as The Topp Twins, Prince Tui Teka, Howard Morrison, and Billy T James. They picked up the VAC Rielly Comedy Award in 2006.

Around this time Chet also worked with Lou Clauson and Simon Mehana, aka Lou and Simon. “Those guys came out of the era of true entertainment. They knew how to hold a room, how to talk to the crowd. True entertainment. I’m an entertainer who plays a guitar.” One afternoon, at one of Clauson’s pensioner concerts at the Auckland Town Hall, he filled in for an unwell Paul Bennett, without a rehearsal. Chet was still based in Whangārei, working with his dad, doing shows with Chris Powley, playing classic rock with his duo Me and Him, and doing cabaret and country gigs in pubs and halls.

By 1997 he wanted to extend himself; he saw his future working in large theatres and touring the country with premier acts. He wanted to be challenged and definitely didn’t want to play for drunks on dance floors, so he relocated to Auckland.

Work in Auckland was initially hard to find. “I was the classic small fish in a big pond. I wanted to tour, play big shows with big artists. It took time until I met some key people, and got on a couple of key gigs – then word of mouth spread.” He joined a trio with a residency at the Poenamo Hotel on Thursday nights, but pub work was not what he was seeking. His father joined him on weekends to work in RSAs, and they changed the group’s name to The Chet O’Connell Band. From 1997 to 1999 he paired with Celine Toner which included presenting her Shania Twain Tribute Show, often working corporate gigs and at the Auckland Casino.

In 1999 Chet met guitar legend Tommy Emmanuel, another fan of Chet Atkins, and they have often played together. Chet got a call from Bruce Kerr to join Mark Dennison’s band, playing corporate gigs with Angela Ayres and Suzanne Lynch. Now he was beginning to form a network of entertainment contacts.

From 1999 to 2005 Chet worked as a duo with Phil Madsen; in 2000 he had a brief stint working as the Cadbury Easter Bunny, which led to joining Shane Thompson in his Cookie The Clown Show. Chet created Wassup the Clown, Cookie’s silly sidekick. Through the 2000s there was a 10-year Sunday residency with Malcolm McCallum at the Degree Bar on Auckland Viaduct.

“Midge and I just connected, in our love and passion for music and its heritage.”

In 2001 Chet was asked to fill in for a Midge Marsden gig and he has been playing with him ever since. “Midge and I just connected, in our love and passion for music and its heritage. We bonded immediately.” This led to Chet befriending a lot more of New Zealand’s music icons including the lads from Hello Sailor. He also worked with Glen Moffatt until Glen relocated to Australia.

That was the year Chet fell in love with a country singer and yodeller from Morrinsville. Melissa Daisley had won a trip to the Norfolk Island Country Festival as part of her prize at the New Zealand Gold Guitar Awards in Gore, and Chet was a guest artist. “She was an amazing singer. That first year up there brought me my best friend, a wife, and two beautiful girls.” He was besotted and, as she remembers, the island was too small to get away from him. The next year Melissa moved to Auckland, and they began working as a duo in 2004.

Also in 2004, while performing in the house-band at a charity event, he met Shortland Street actor and singer Shane Cortese. They hit it off and when Shane founded the Class of 58 Rock and Roll Show, Chet joined the 14-piece band and Melissa became one of the backing singers. They picked up work at the Queenstown Winter Festival in 2004 and 2005, and in 2006 Pacific Entertainment toured them nationally. An album was released in 2008 called Jukebox 58 followed by another national tour, this time self-funded by Shane, Chet and Peter Van Gent. Shane and Chet performed at Christmas in the Park in 2005 and the next year Chet performed ‘Sweet Child of Mine’ with Robyn Malcolm.

That year he worked on the Topp Twins album Flowergirls & Cowgirls, alongside Neil Hannan, Stuart Pearce, and others. “The Topps were amazing, real talents, and were really open to ideas.” Flowergirls & Cowgirls won Best Country Album at the NZ Music Awards in 2007.

Chet joined the backing band at the Norfolk Island Festival in 2004, alongside Bruce King, Rob Galley, Mike McCarthy and Neil Hannan. Back in New Zealand, the Galley Slaves did some gigs and recorded an album called Hands Behind Your Back, released in 2006. That was a busy year for touring.

Chet’s first year of marriage saw him touring permanently ... Melissa was totally supportive

In 2007 Chet and Melissa settled in Mairangi Bay and the next year they married at nearby St Johns Church. His first year of marriage saw him touring permanently through September, October and November; he opened for Joe Cocker on his Live on the Green Tour, along with special guests Midge Marsden and Hammond Gamble. Melissa was totally supportive of his absences.

Chet performed corporate gigs with Jackie Clark from 2007-09, joined Gray Bartlett’s 2008 Highway of Legends tour as a featured artist, and picked up more work with the Class of 58. He also spent time with Kevin Greaves, benefitting from Kevin’s many experiences working in the United States. When Chet worked on the Hammond Gamble and Midge Marsden national tour, Gamble recalled how impressed he was by the Johnny O’Connell Four playing the Parua Bay Tavern near Whangārei in the mid 70s.

Chet first worked with Mersey Sound star Gerry Marsden on the 2009 Gerry and the Pacemakers tour. He was musical director of the band and loved hearing stories about the swinging 60s from the mouth of one who had toured with The Beatles as his support act. Chet worked with Gerry again in 2011 and 2013, touring both New Zealand and Australia.

In 2010 Chet was MD on the John Rowles Australasian tour and the following year he travelled again with a number of British bands including Herman’s Hermits, The Searchers, and Gerry and the Pacemakers.

Daughter Chelsea was born in 2010 and Chet reckons fatherhood has been the best thing that ever happened to him. He accepted fewer touring commitments and concentrated on local work with his own band, although Chelsea recalls him being away a lot at the time. It’s the bane of the working musician to be away from their loved ones, but bills have to be paid, favours repaid.

In 2013 his daughter Selena was born and Chet slowed down. Over the next few years Chet joined a number of Gray Bartlett tours and enjoyed recording his own albums and doing studio sessions. He performed with Melissa, Rikki Morris, and the Lady Killers: Jackie Clark, Tina Cross and Suzanne Lynch.

By 2019 Chet was dealing with burnout, so he re-prioritised and slowed down

By 2019 Chet was dealing with burnout; he had been on stage for 34 years. Somehow he got through, but then Covid hit in 2020 with its series of lockdowns. Chet struggled for a while then began what he now calls, his “great re-set”.

He needed to be true to himself and his roots, so he re-prioritised, slowed down and focused on producing his own music. Chet has produced three albums since Covid, making eight of his own releases so far, plus a number that he has arranged and played on.

Music has taken Chet around the world with performances in South America, Australia, Norfolk Island, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Fiji, Samoa and Nashville. He is always in demand, working with a host of New Zealand’s finest entertainers as well as with Melissa, the Chet O’Connell Band and the Rock & Roll Riot. “I’m more driven now than ever to keep playing, to keep busy and make people happy. To keep writing and releasing more music … Music is not a competition.”