William Shakespeare was the stage name of Australian singer born Johnny Cabe (also known as John Cave). He had two big Australian hits: Can't Stop Myself From Loving You in 1974 and My Little Angel, which made number one on the Australian charts in 1975 for 3 weeks. In 1974, in the planning stages for the ABC TV Series Countdown, it was suggested that William Shakespeare host the show. However, this was rejected, with Ian Meldrum becoming a regular contributor instead. A number of guest hosts such as Shirley Strachan, John Paul Young and Daryl Braithwaite compered the show in its early days on an ad hoc basis.
