Stevie Wright, the lead singer of legendary Australian band The Easybeats, has died at age 68.
Wright was the lead singer of The Easybeats, the pioneer rock band from Sydney. Their classic ‘Friday On My Mind’ was a no 1 hit in Australia, no 6 UK and Top 20 USA. That song was later covered by David Bowie on his ‘Pin-Ups’ album.
Bruce Springsteen played tribute to The Easybeats at his Sydney concert in 2014.
The Easybeats were Australia’s Rolling Stones, the most dangerous rock band f their time in the country. They had a swarm of hit songs that have all become classics including ‘She’s So Fine’, ‘Wedding Ring’, Women’, ‘Come and See Her’, ‘I’ll Make You Happy’, ‘Sorry’ and ‘Good Times’.
The Easybeats had a short innings breaking up in 1969. Stevie Wright went on to become one of Australia’s biggest rock stars of the 70s and delivering one of the greatest rock songs of all-time, the epic ‘Evie’.
Stevie then had a no 2 album in Australia in 1974 with ‘Hard Road’. Rod Stewart covered the song on his ‘Smiler’ album.
Wright fell on hard times after the ‘Black Eyed Bruiser’ album of 1975 but returned to the studio with his former Easybeats buddies Vanda & Young to record vocals for their project Flash & The Pan and the ‘Headlines’ album for the songs ‘Where Were You’ and ‘Waiting For A Train’.
Wright was treated for drug addiction over the next two decades but after the 2001 mini-series ‘Long Way To The Top’, Stevie returned to the stage the following year for the ‘Long Way To The Top’ concert series.
In 2005 he was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame as a member of The Easybeats. Stevie’s last performance was at the Legends of Rock Festival in 2009.
Stevie took ill on Saturday and was taken to Moruya hospital on the New South Wales south coast. He died at 6pm Sunday December 27, 2015.
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