Gene Pierson (born Giancarlo Salvestrin, 29 April 1946) is a musician, who had an early solo career in New Zealand and then in Australia. His 1960s and early 1970s songs, "Love, Love, Love", "You Got to Me" and "Reach Out", achieved local chart success in Australia and New Zealand. He launched AC/DC at Chequers nightclub on New Year's Eve 1974 and later became a publisher and music producer in Australia. His more recent business ventures include the acquisition of the Peter Lik Publishing Group, founding the Lifestyle Music label distributed by Sony Music Australia, and founding Music Hive, an online streaming service for retailers. Biography Gene Pierson was born Giancarlo Salvestrin (29 April 1946) in Venice. In 1949 his father, Ernesto, migrated to Australia and in January 1950, at the age of four, Pierson and his mother followed, settling in Griffith, New South Wales. Early career In 1963 Pierson, under the stage name Gene Chandler, won a talent quest at Skelseys Hotel, singing "Mashed Potato", in the western suburbs of Sydney, which was the beginning of his career in the entertainment business. He was given a regular solo spot at the hotel, where he was approached by guitarist Graham Ford to become the fifth member of a Western Suburbs band, The Inturns. The Inturns were subsequently managed by Eileen Harrigan, the wife of John Harrigan, who owned Surf City in Kings Cross and managed a number of leading "beat" bands in Sydney. The Inturns supported a number of popular local acts, including Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs, and Ray Brown & The Whispers as well as headlining at Suzi Wong's The Beach House and Stagecoach venues. Pierson was then offered a six-month resident spot at The Bowl nightclub in Pitt Street, Sydney. In December 1965 Pierson received news that his father, Ernesto, had a brain tumour and meanwhile Pierson was due to be conscripted into the army to serve in Vietnam. He was due to report to Duntroon military base within days however, following advice from The La De Das guitarist Kevin Borich, he travelled to New Zealand, which had no passport requirement, thereby evading his conscription. Running low on cash in Auckland, he bluffed his way into the Galaxie nightclub, saying he was Gene Chandler, a top performer from Sydney, and would do a guest spot for free entry. In the audience was Eldred Stebbing who managed and recorded