For some of you on this forum who remember the sixties, and some of the Australian bands it produced who made their mark in the UK and America may be interested to learn that Billy Thorpe, Lead singer of Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs died in Sydney yesterday at 2 am from a Heart Attack.

Billy was born in Manchester in 1946 and migrated to Brisbane with his family when he was 11. The story goes that he approached the Aztecs ( an instrumental band at the time) and told them they needed a singer. The Aztecs already had a recording contract and Billy recorded his first record with them as the Beatles were taking the world by storm. Billy managed to keep producing hits alongside the Beatles songs featured on the Australain Music Charts.

Billy also hosted his own pop show on National Television during the sixties.

He had an amazing voice and captialized on it with such songs as Poison Ivy, Somewhere over the Rainbow (taken from the movie Wizard of OZ) and a host of other songs.
He was also an accomplished guitarist.

He performed his song Most People Think That I'm Crazy with his re-fromed band The Aztecs at the Sunbury Rock festival in the early seventies stirring the crowd into a frenzy.

In later decades Billy toured the US and was thrown out of one particular LA club for being too loud. Billy did a lot for the music industry here and will be sadly missed.

MIKE

Billy will be missed-I remember he was number one out there for months with Poison Ivy.

Neither the Beatles, the Stones nor Elvis could shift Thorpey! And this was in 1964, when British Cool ruled the world!

A great loss, and one of the rare times something completely unconnected with CP as we know it Jim deserves a post!


RIP Thorpey!


Steve M

Bob, I'm sorry about posting about the recent post on Billy Thorpe, I didn't realise you had been in contact with Steve M and he gave you the article I sent him yesterday which you posted on another thread.

My post this morning was an overview only as I hadn't intended to post the article I sent to Steve.

I was at Sunbury and had the pleasure of seeing Billy and his old band in action. He was earsplitting then and never seemed to change.

I am a part time muso myself ( and have been playing in bands since the late sixrties) and I keep abreast of things by subscribing to certain guitar magazines. (Yep I'm 54 going on 14and it keeps me young!)

I remember reading in one mag a topic on the 50 best guitarists. Billy wrote in for the next issue telling them they had missed the boat ( he really meant they F""""d up) when it came to selecting the best Aussie guitarists.

Apart from every second word being the magic word, Billy was f'ing and blinding his way through a myriad of guitarst in Aussie bands of earlier decades. I remember him referring to the late Johnny O' Keefe's band and the guitarist who played for Johnny.

With all respect it was Biilly who missed the boat. For one thing, these magazines appeal to certain age groups, budding guitarists and perhaps up to the 25 age group. The mags offer a lot of info on instruments and accessories and feature stories on local and international bands. Billy seemd to be oblivious to this when ranting about players of the fifties and early sixties.

The second point he missed was that the kids who buy these magazines have probably never listened to a Johnny O' Keefe record and would not know who his lead guitarist was from Adam. Most kids know of Tommy Emmanual but how many remember his brother Phil-a very accomplished guitarist in his own right and former member of a duo with his brother?

I always admired Billy however, after reading his rantings, I felt he had had one too many funny cigarettes and one too many bottles of Scotch.

All that aside, I will still hold a respect for his ability as a performer who just last week was playing around the traps in my home town of Melbourne, or as it is known in some circles: Melbourneopoulopoulpooulis!

Steve, I couldn't have summed it up better myself. You would have to walk a very long way to find a person who had never heard of Billy Thorpe in Australia.

I'm really opening up here which is something I rarely do but my favourite song of Thorpies were Poison Ivy, Most People I know and believe it or not Somewhere Over The Rainbow. And for me to say that! especially when I hate Ballads with a passion. Okay, Okay, I'll confess.... I'm not a lover of Country music either.

If we never had divorce, dogs, trucks and three chord songs, in our society, we would never have had Country Music! A typical three chord Country song is Pub With No Beer. This song features a dog in the lyrics!

"Well my wife divorced me the other day, and the dog got up and run away, and I'm standin' out here where the Trucks don't run anymore! Sing that to the chords; C F and G. and you have a country song with all the elements and possibly a number one Country Hit.

MIKE

I forgot to mention even the Crows are in mourning here in the leafy capital of South Australia.

Nah, they ain't just in black specially, many a beaked head is hung in sorrow, others croak out Thorpey anthems in a very dolorious way, as their own special way of marking the passing of an era.

I'd suggest Thorpey's ashes go into space except they might collide with orbiting trousers! Burial under Ayres Rock has a slight problem, too-as that's where the police canes were ceremonially buried with Mr Scoles in a secret ceremony in 1969(Mr Scoles died later & went under later).

WOW!!!

I just saw 8 RED crows going across the sky-all were marked with purple stripes across their feathers and in their beaks appeared to be held the corners and middle of a bloody great winding sheet.

And something golden flew from that sheet, VERY high.

As I haven't touched the Koala's Bum golden Sydney Bay rye at all today, I think we can say Billy's soul just went to Heaven!

DS Bob

MIKE

The one missing element is the dog getting run over, just to really piss you off totally!

In my case, it's the blues, with the absence of Lotta posting,too, so I trust she'll be back before Willie frigging Nelson reaches for his confounded bandana and geetar.

At least one syllable in Country is apt!


Steve M

Bob, I think in you moment of distress over Billy's departure from us here in God's country, you may have seen the Briquettes,ah sorry, I menat the RAAF Roulettes Doing a fly over in honour of Billy which could be easily confussed as seeing red and blue crows. After all they are Prop jets-not like in my days in the Airforce when they flew Mackey's.

But let us not dwell in sorrow, for one of your very own, a certain Mr Jimmy Barnes had successfully undergone open heart surgery last week. Fixing a condition he had since he was a boy and had nothing to do with the 3 packs of Rothman's each day followed by a couple of Bottles of Glenfiddich. None of the cheap Gullytrap cleaner for our Jimmy who can afford such luxuries like Glenfiddich or Johnny Walker gold Label or even Chiver's for that matter.

Ah yes, one does know one's Scotch, which probably attributes to one's Diabetes and other conditions Science still has no cure for.

But I digress.

The main thing is tha Jimmy will be stomping the boards again shortly, and who knows, perhaps another re-uniting with Cold Chisel could be in the wind. I'm sure the boys will rally to help rake up a bit of cash for Jimmy's hospital bills.

Here are a few tributes to Billy from MSN sites in Aus. Thanks to Mike for collating 'em!!

Considering his lifestyle, Thorpey probably contributed to CP, but not as we know it, Jim!

I think knocking the Beatles off the top of the charts the week they first landed in Aus was a stunning achievement, as the Fab Four had all 5 of the Top 5 in the USA when they first toured there in Feb 64!



Billy rocked our lives: ninemsn readers
Wednesday Feb 28 12:00 AEDT

The death of rock legend Billy Thorpe moved many ninemsn readers to share their memories of the man and the heyday of Australian rock and roll. Here's what you had to say…
Reva Canty, VIC: I remember Billy when he was 16 years old, he was my sister's first boyfriend, they went to high school together in Brisbane. Then he started doing the TV show and he used to take my sister with him. The Bee Gees were also on the show and she met them. Somewhere I have a photo of my sister and Billy taken at the beach. We all followed his career from then.
Wal Wilkinson, NSW: I probably owe the ringing in my ears to, too many Aztecs concerts but it is a small price to pay to see and hear the genius of Billy Thorpe. I was planning to go to a show in April and was so excited when I saw the notice that he was on the road again. He will be sadly missed and leaves Australian music a legacy that is unique and will stand the test of time. "Pick Me Up and Play Me Loud" summed up his amazing life for me.
RELATED LINKS
• Share your memories of Billy...
Jeff Hughes, VIC: I met him at the Lobby Loyde Benefit Concert at the Palace in St. Kilda, which he organized. He was very approachable person and full of support for the Australian Music Industry, both young and old.





Steve, VIC: I saw Billy as recently as Saturday night. He was as fantastic as he always was. He shared stories of the past and the future and his new music was sounding fabulous. He will be sadly missed by myself and my older brother of who I have to thank for introducing me to Billy's outstanding blend of rock and blues.
Roger, NSW: I first saw Billy in Albury in the early 70's. There were hundreds of people waiting and he just casually walked in through the people wearing a long overcoat hiding his long hair. He jumped on stage and started to rock the joint, it was just brilliant. Billy was the man.
Baz, QLD: The end of Billy's book, Sex, Thugs and Rock and Roll had me fighting the tears. It was a great read and it moved me. R.I.P Billy. All the best to the family and friends he left behind. I'm sure he'd be rocking on heavens door.
Ken Stewart, VIC: Billy was fantastic. I had just survived a plane crash that killed six mates on top of that I was in a car crash and was in a coma for nine months. When I finally got out I bought Billy’s book. Just reading about the man and what he went through and the way he came out the other side inspired me to not give up, to look at things positively. Billy you will always be a bloody good bloke and singer.
Rhonda Berry, QLD: Billy was my idol have lost count of the times I’ve seen him live. Most people think he was crazy, just out there but I will remember him as a ock legend.
Jeanette, VIC: The first concert I ever went to was Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs live at the Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne. Every time I hear the live chorus of "Oop Oop Be Do" I remember that day and screaming it out at the top of my lungs.
Renato, NSW: Billy's passing has shattered me. I'd always wanted to see him since the early days of "Poison Ivy", "Rainbow" and "I told the Brook", and the early Aztecs. Finally I had a chance to see him at a club show a few years ago. Even then, he was such a great showman full of energy and his booming yet melodic voice. May he rock on with the other greats in heaven.
Chris, QLD: His band with Lobby LLoyd as lead guitarist will go down as one of the best rock bands I have seen. Then I saw Billy and the Aztecs at the back to Sunbury concerts in the late '90's and they were even better.
Leonie, VIC: Billy was just such a charismatic guy and very cheeky, he just had this presence about him. He was truly special.
Lynn Davis, VIC:I remember seeing him at a disco at the top end of Russell Street in Melbourne. What a truly sad loss for music lovers in Australia.
Diana Austin, NSW: As a young girl in Sydney I used to go to Surf City and dance to Billy’s great music on a regular basis. It is very sad news, he was still very young.
Debbie Ackland, VIC: I was fortunate enough to see him perform at the Westernport Hotel on Sunday evening. Definitely the ultimate highlight of my life. My heart goes out to his family and I thank them for sharing such a wonderful man and his talents with us all.
Rhonda Hills, NSW: I was young and I liked his songs and when I got older he was one of my idols with an unique voice. I remember watching him on the Ray Martin show years ago when Ray was interviewing him and also Ron Casey. Well I don’t know who hit who but he stood up for his rights.
Deirdre, NSW: I went to see Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs as part of the studio audience for Saturday Date - I think he was about 19 and I was about 13. Of course I immediately fell in love with him and I've been a fan ever since. He was an amazing performer and a good man by all accounts, who lived life to the full. He will be missed.
Pippa, QLD: I can’t believe it, I am still in shock. I was only a child when I first heard Billy’s voice but his music & voice were the foundation that my taste in music started from. Major milestones and memories in my life have always been accompanied by songs by Billy Thorpe. A legend, a showman, an icon in every sense of the word.
Kent Harrison, NSW: Apart from the many times I saw him perform at the clubs in the 60's, my one memory of him, was when he lived in an enormous house in Double Bay. I saw him one Saturday morning get out of an Aston Martin DB5, with the most amazing looking model, and an Afghan dog, Thorpie had on tight blue jeans, and a waist length fur coat, I knew then I too wanted to be a rock star, unfortunately that never occurred.
Wes, QLD: He was a little before my time, however I read his autobiographies and they were fantastic. I felt like I knew the guy.
Jan McNamee, TAS: Billy was my first singing heart throb. I had his photos plastered all over my walls, even my mum said he was A nice young man and dressed neatly. "Hello Josephine and "Somewhere over the rainbow" will never sound the same again.He will be a huge loss to Australia and to the music world. I regret that all my Billy Thorpe photos and records were destroyed in early 1970 and now can't be replaced.
Sandra Tapscott, QLD: A tragic loss to us baby boomers. Billy played his music like he played his life, hard and fast. He will be dearly missed. I have a signed photograph my daughter organised at one of his local concerts which was a surprise for my 50th birthday. Priceless.
Kerrie Beitzel, VIC:I was at the Sydney Myer Music Bowl when Billy Thorpe sang "Most people I know" for the first time. I was a young teenager of 13 and those words of the song and his introduction to the song, had a profound affect on me. It was certainly a very powerful moment for me and all these years later I still realise how important that song was for me. I went and saw Thorpie play dozens of times and have loads of great memories but that is my special one. In fact it is a very special memory of being a teenager and learning to love myself.
Frank Nyhuis, VIC: Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs, Dallas Brookes Hall, 1978 - saw my hero at my first rock concert, and I'll never forget it. Saw Thorpie many times since, and every show was as vibrant and high energy as you would ever see. This is the saddest day in Australian rock history. Keep rockin' Thorpie.
Georgie Fryar, WA: My fondest memory is when he played at the Myer Music Bowl on Bandstand. Billy's music and the man himself will be remembered by all his fans. He was the Elvis of Australia. Sincere sympathy to all his family. Rock on in heaven Thorpie.

Steve/ Mike

The death of Billy Thorpe is a great loss. I would have posted to this topic earlier but several days out in Minsk, news is slow to filter,

I must say I wasn’t an avid follower of the great guy, or the Aztecs, but certainly not unknown,

Back early 60’s my limitations to the then music scene were limited by my pittance of an allowance, a lot less than the price of a single, which 1964, was somewhere around 6 shillings and pence.

A couple of years later, armed with my Dansette single play, three speed, and six records, school,holidays lead me to catching up more on the home pop scene, taking priority over the following of OZ or US charts,

But, I do remember Poison Ivy and Over the Rainbow well, simply for the publicity given to the topping of the Beatles and other British artists and the great tracks they were.

Like any of the greats from our time, it’s a great loss to both the music industry and his many thousand followers. A great credit to a man that could still be, if not even more popular, so many years later.

I doubt, there will ever again, be such musical influence as the 60’s, our generation might not have had a lot going for it, but we sure had fantastic music, that lives on, never forgotten.

Australia has lost a legend.

K

KETTA

I'm not surprised your allowance was a lot less than 6/8 in 1964.

You must have been all of 3 years old, then!

I must order a copy of Thorpey's autobiography ere long-Sex n Thugs n Rock n Roll! A bit late for me to pursue the career I should have had, but lost.

All my own fault, and not connected with CP, so won't bore us all.


Steve M

Steve and Ketta, I apologise for not reply to you when yo were kind enough to respond to my thread.

Ketta, Steve and I are the same age and we e-mail each other about mutual interests. Steve may want to kill me for this but I know he sang in bands in his early years. The Electric Penguins is one of the bands that springs to mind. Steve, if you read this I have to say that the band name was far before its time! A great name for a band of today. Don't worry Steve, I promise not to steal it.

I am a semi Pro Musician-I caught the guitar bug when a friend of mine showed me his electric guitar and some chords. After that I went onward and upward from there-unfortunately not to the delight of my parents though.

I still play because I enloy it so much and it keeps the kid inside me going.

My memories of Billy Thorpe are of the competition he had on the music charts when the Beatles were taking the world by storm and planned to tour to Australia in 1964. Their biggest crowd was in of all places, Adelaide. However, Billy was still charting well.

Billy was a man of many talents and this has been written about on numerous occasions by professional writers who have covered his life story.

I had a conversation a few nights ago with an old friend about Billy and what a sad loss it was. One thing a lot of people miss is that Billy was not only an accomplished singer, but also a great musician-a guitarist who mastered the Minor/Rock Penta Tonic Scale to perfection. Nowhere near my Idol Eric Clapton but he was very inventive with his own style and sound.

As we talked about Billy, we spoke about the Sunbury Rock Festival back in 1972. It was in a way, the best ever thing the promoters could have done in Australia. Not just the fact it was a long weekend event which was held on the Australia day weeekend, but the promoters-instead of bringing in overseas acts, recruited the local talent.

I had the pleasure of being there with a couple of my Army mates. I was unaware until the other night when speaking with my lifelong friend, he was there also.

I remember Billy's performance like it was yesterday. The feature of which was his signature song, "Most People I Know Think That I'm Crazy" which had the crowd going wild.

Up to the time of his death, Billy was on the road. He had been in Melbourne the week before he died and I would have loved to have gone to see him but unfortunately my wife suffers fron Tinnitus (I hope that is the correct spelling) and I was unable to go.

I know he didn't appeal to everyone, but I would confidently say that most people would know at least
one of his songs.

Ketta, you are right in saying the 60's was a time that will never be repeated. I don't look at the 60's as a decade, but more of a party that ran for 10 years.

I think it would be safe to say that Billy covered most genre's of that period. I know he even dabbled in Motown stuff at one time.

There are a few tribute bands here who play 60's music but they are young people and don't quite have the right feel for the music. I have listened to a lot of bands and played a lot too come to think of it but I have never heard anyone try to copy Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs. Billy was one of a kind and they broke the mould when he was born.

Mike.

For anyone interested,

it was the EXPLODING Penguins(1971)

& Dog Day Afternoon(1982)

what I was in!

The Spanking Vicars were a one-off reassemblange from Dog Day Afternoon & I'm afraid only the name & the signature tune were of interest here.

I will repeat the lyrics if anyone's interested. But not those of DDA's magnum opus Thalidomide Child(Running Wild).


Steve M