Easybeats singer Stevie Wright dies aged 68

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DU99

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Stevie Wright, the musician and songwriter considered to be Australia’s first international pop star, has reportedly died. He was 68.
The Noise11 music website reported tonight that the ARIA Hall of Famer became ill on Boxing Day and was taken to Moruya Hospital on the NSW south coast.
Wright, who was also known as Little Stevie, was the lead singer of The Easybeats, widely regarded as the great Australian pop band of the 1960s.
Their classic Friday On My Mind was a number-one hit in Australia, number six in Britain and in the top 20 in the US.
The group broke up in 1969 and Wright became a top solo artist with his epic song Evie (Parts 1, 2 and 3).
He battled drug and alcohol addiction for two decades.
In 1976 Wright undertook methadone treatment and, a few years later, the controversial deep sleep therapy.
He last performed at the Legends of Rock Festival at Byron Bay in 2009.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=In1VeSjsBT8
 
Brilliant musician. Could have acheived so much more, such a shame he fell victim to smack. Suprised he made it to 68.
 
The man whose on stage antics were copied by Mick Jagger.

RIP Stevie, and 'Sorry'.
 
On the TV this morning, I heard a report that he died after a long battle with drugs and alcohol.
I prefer to think of it as a romance. My daughter suggested that it was an on again/off again romance where they split up and he sought rehab and then started seeing other drugs, and then they found each other again.

I can only state that that the music was the best offspring that the relationship could have produced. Not sure if it's entirely appropriate to raise a glass in his honour. Maybe a glass of whole milk?
 
[SIZE=medium]FYI... [/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]ABC TV is putting this to air tonight and tomorrow night in Melbourne in tribute to Stevie Wright.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium](check local TV guides for other locations)[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]Blood and Thunder: The Sound of Alberts [/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]9:01pm - 10:01pm[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]In Memory of Stevie Wright (1948-2015) we revisit this two-part documentary charting how Australia got its own rock 'n' roll sound. Alberts brought us The Easybeats, AC/DC, The Angels, John Paul Young and more.[/SIZE]
 
Feldon said:
[SIZE=medium]FYI... [/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]ABC TV is putting this to air tonight and tomorrow night in Melbourne in tribute to Stevie Wright.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium](check local TV guides for other locations)[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]Blood and Thunder: The Sound of Alberts [/SIZE]
[SIZE=medium]9:01pm - 10:01pm[/SIZE]

[SIZE=medium]In Memory of Stevie Wright (1948-2015) we revisit this two-part documentary charting how Australia got its own rock 'n' roll sound. Alberts brought us The Easybeats, AC/DC, The Angels, John Paul Young and more.[/SIZE]
That's a great series!
 
bradsbrew said:
That's a great series!
Was good. Looking forward to Part 2 tomorrow night.

In the meantime, here's the RocKwiz salute to 'Friday on My Mind' from last year (with the late Doc Neeson on stage).

 
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Feldon said:
Was good. Looking forward to Part 2 tomorrow night.

In the meantime, here's the RocKwiz salute to 'Friday on My Mind' from last year (with the late Doc Neeson on stage).


That led me to the full show it came off...salute to Vanda & Young. Brilliant!!!
 
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madpierre06 said:
That led me to the full show it came off...salute to Vanda & Young. Brilliant!!!
If you liked that, check out this 12 minute set of the Easybeats performing live on German TV in 1967.



While the surviving Australian footage of the Easybeats performing is pretty grainy with poor quality sound, this German clip is Braumeister quality.

A great example of the energy this band had on stage, particularly the twirls and gyrations of Stevie Wright (who always knew where the camera was and how to work it).

'Friday on My Mind' is the last song (at about the 9:15 mark).

Ist ausgezeichnet.
 
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Very popular in the UK when I was in my early 20s .. ooh they have rock music in Australia?
Sherbet did quite well
But Sadie the Cleaning Lady? ohh cringe, cringe cringe.
 
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