Australian pop music guru Ian “Molly” Meldrum (inset above) says all Australians should “do themselves a favour for Christmas” and buy a copy of News Crap Australia columnist Gerard Hendersons’ debut song –  a cover version of the late Aretha Franklin’s big 1960s hit R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

The legendary music producer and former host of ABC TV’s iconic pop music showcase Countdown told me: “Gerard’s first effort as a solo vocalist is destined to be a big hit and all Australians should buy a copy either for themselves or to give as a gift this Christmas.”

Henderson (main picture) has recorded and released the song after penning some new verses with lyrics drawn from his column last week in The Australian.

In his column he attacked some journalists and media outlets such as the ABC and The Guardian as well as lawyers working for the Royal Commission into the robodebt scandal for failing to show sufficient respect to former prime minister Scott Morrison when he appeared to give evidence.

My efforts to clarify with Henderson if he meant Morrison appeared at the Royal Commission to give evidence or if he meant Morrison merely appeared to give evidence to the Royal Commission only seemed to confuse him, so I let the matter drop.

“The woke lefties at the ABC and The Guardian, and the Royal Commission’s own lawyers conducting a witch-hunt against a former PM who deserves the respect and thanks of a grateful nation, all live in a bubble and all fail to comprehend how my column resonated with the real Australia,” he said.

“The fact is that it received lots of positive feedback from the ‘after dark’ team at Sky News, the movers and shakers at the Robert Menzies Institute and the Institute of Public Affairs, as well as my fellow columnists at The Australian and at News Crap turdbloids across the nation.

“It was that sort of broad-based encouragement that convinced me to take the plunge and rewrite and record R-E-S-P-E-C-T.”

Molly Meldrum sees a big future for Henderson in the cut-throat music industry.

“Gerard has real talent. He has demonstrated a unique vocal style,” he said. “I find the ‘sound’ he has achieved so reminiscent of Aretha Franklin and the very best of Motown that I have dubbed it Scomotown.”