This is a treasured caricature of Ziggy by the late beloved cartoonist James Kemsley of Ginger Meggs fame and children's TV character "Scooter". Ziggy and James were friends and worked together on cruise ships a number of times before James sadly passed away from motor neurone disease.
One of the six nominations that Ziggy received for the 34th MO Awards in 2010. His peers nominated him in the categories of Instrumental or Vocal Instrumental Performer, One Man Performer Band, Two Man Performer Band and Three Man or More Performer Band for his group Flying High and Showband for his show, "The Other Three Amigos."
Ziggy was again nominated as a finalist for an ACE Award in 2009 in the category of Solo Guitar Vocalist. He was also nominated in the same category in 2008.
Ziggy performing his concert show at the Relay For Life Cancer fundraiser in Blacktown in July 2009. The night was a huge success, with a lot of money raised for this very worthy cause.
This article appeared in the Hills Shire times and a number of other regional newspapers on 01 July 2009, after Ziggy had won a MO Award in the category of One Man Performer Band and runner-up in two other MO Award categories.
Ziggy holding his MO Award statuette after being declared the winner of the One Man Performer Band for the 33rd MO Awards. The sponsors of the award for this category, the legendary Williams Brothers, are there with Ziggy.
A very proud Ziggy Zapata making his acceptance speech and holding his beautiful MO Award statuette after winning it in the One Man Performer Band category for the 33rd Annual MO Awards.
One of the three nominations that Ziggy received for the 33rd MO Awards in 2009. His peers nominated him in the categories of Instrumental or Vocal Instrumental Performer, One Man Performer Band and Three Man or More Performer Band for his group Flying High. Ziggy actually won the MO Award for One Man Performer Band for the second time in three years and was runner-up in the other two categories.
One of the three nominations that Ziggy received for the 32nd MO Awards in 2008. His peers voted for Ziggy in the categories of Instrumental or Vocal Instrumental Performer, One Man Performer Band and Three Man or More Performer Band for Ziggy and The Wizzcatz. Ziggy was also nominated for an Ace Award that year.
This very complimentary article appeared in the Hills Shire times and a number of other regional newspapers on 25 September 2007, after Ziggy was interviewed regarding his MO Award win in the category of One Man Performer Band.
A completely shocked Ziggy Zapata making his acceptance speech when presented with his MO Award in the category of One Man Performer Band. With the field of talent eligible for this prize, Ziggy was stunned to have been recognised in this way by his entertainment industry colleagues.
The MO Award statuette that Ziggy received after being voted the winner of the 31st Australian Entertainment MO Award in the category of One Man Performer Band. Ziggy was also nominated in the category of Instrumental or Vocal Instrumental Performer. A large graphic is available on the Downloads page.
One of the two nominations that Ziggy received in 2007 in the prestigious Australian Entertainment MO Awards. His peers voted for Ziggy in the categories of Instrumental or Vocal Instrumental Performer and One Man Performer Band for which he subsequently won the MO Award.
This page from the CTC Cruises brochure features Ziggy as one of the star entertainers on board the Russian cruise ship Aleksandr Pushkin. Ziggy performed regularly for 40 years on board a huge variety of cruise liners and was always in demand for such engagements.
The cover of leading musical industry publication Live Entertainment that ran a feature story on Ziggy's smash hit theatre restaurant production "Viva Zapata". This very funny show had a long and successful season at the Bankstown Town Hall Theatre Restaurant in 1994 and even the McDonald's restaurant chain participated with a special Mexican menu that was tied in with store promotions.
The artistes and musicians of the huge Copacabana stage production at the Bankstown Town Hall Theatre Restaurant in 1982. The show featured comedian Sean Kramer, multi-instrumentalist Carl Barriteau, vocalist Samantha Campbell, guitarist Ziggy Zapata and the Col Duane Orchestra. Ted Hertmanni, the manager of this amazing venue is on the left.
Part of the advertisement for the long-running Sydney Smiles production at the prestigious Bankstown Town Hall Theatre Restaurant, featuring Ziggy Zapata as the headline artiste. Ziggy performed in many of the spectacular shows at this major Sydney venue, playing to packed houses every night.
This Cessna C-172 Skyhawk VH-BEM is the aircraft Ziggy flew on his first lesson at the Camden Aero Club with renowned flying instructor, the late Les Paull. Unlike most first flights that just go to the local training area, Ziggy flew the plane from Camden to Belmont Airport near Newcastle and back. This very tentative flight eventuated into a decades-long career for Ziggy as a commercial charter pilot.
An excerpt from the program of a huge concert at the Sydney Town Hall, featuring legendary Hollywood actor Howard Keel and many leading lights of Australian show business. Ziggy Zapata was honoured to be invited to perform at this gala concert to support such a superstar.
A newspaper advertisement for a series of concerts by renowned British tenor, comedian and "Goon Show" superstar Sir Harry Secombe, featuring Ziggy Zapata as his main support act. Ziggy performed many shows with Sir Harry all over Australia.
This publicity photo of Joe and Ziggy, one of the hottest variety instrumental acts on the Australian circuit, was taken around 1970. This duo headlined many spectacular shows and also featured as the support act for a myriad of legendary international artistes.
A rare shot of a clean-shaven Ziggy on the left with the resident band at Sergio's Rendezvous, the premier Melbourne nightspot of that era. In the band were the late guitarist Joe Paparone, who later teamed up with Ziggy in their concert duo act, bassist and lead vocalist Angelo Sciacca and Danny Zernich, one of the most talented young drummers on the music scene. Ziggy also doubled on electronic organ.
This is one of Ziggy's first nightclub bands, playing at the sleazy Golden Anchor sly grog dive in Little Bourke Street in Melbourne, probably around 1965 or so. Run mostly by gangsters, unfortunately these were virtually the only late-night venues where bands could get residency gigs. Ziggy's bands worked seven nights per week until 5am for years in such places, but Ziggy gained a lot of experience and saw some amazing sights in that time. In this photo, Adrian Paolini played keyboards and on drums was the amazingly talented, the late Peter Gyftakis.
Ziggy was given an accordion when he was about 9 years old, so he fooled around with it, figured out how to play the left hand bass buttons and managed to get reasonably adept with it. Realising that this was not the instrument for him, when the novelty wore off. Ziggy parked it in the wardrobe permanently.
Ziggy, about eight years old, doing his first gig (just kidding). He taught himself to play a type of flute called a Swanson Tonette, so when he was taken to a wedding reception, the band saw him with this instrument and invited him to play along with them.
Ziggy, nearly eight years old, is sitting fourth from the left in the front row, holding one of his diplomas from the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music. His highly respected teacher, Alice Wittenberg, is in the centre. This group photo was taken at the piano concert in 1955.
This program, dated 1955, is from a concert at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, where Ziggy was performing as a pupil of renowned piano teacher Alice Wittenberg. He was not even eight years old at that time.
Ziggy at home practising the piano. He worked hard for hours every day to achieve mastery of this instrument and was rewarded by gaining excellent results in every examination at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music.
Ziggy, at the tender age of 7 years old, being awarded his diploma for passing yet another classical piano examination at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music.