Billy Thorpe
Background information
Birth name	William Richard Thorpe
Born	March 29, 1946
Origin	Manchester, Greater Manchester, England
Died	February 28, 2007
Genre(s)	Rock n Roll
Occupation(s)	Rock singer
Years active	1950s-2007
Label(s)	Liberation http://www.acousticseries.com.au/BillyThorpe.htm Atlantic, Festival, Mushroom
Website	http://www.thorpie.com http://www.myspace.com/billythorpetheofficialmyspace

For a full history, see Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs.

Billy Thorpe AM (29 March 1946 – 28 February 2007) was a renowned English-born Australian musician. He earned great success in the 1960s as a clean-cut pop idol, and in the 1970s as the lead singer of hard rock band Billy Thorpe & the Aztecs. March 29 is the 88th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (89th in leap years). ... 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_England. ... This article is about the City of Manchester in England. ... Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England which has a population of 2. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem God Save the Queen (King) England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Unified  -  by Athelstan 967 AD  Area  -  Total 130,395 km²  50,346 sq mi  Population  -  2007 estimate... February 28 is the 59th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... Rock is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars, and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles, however saxophones have been omitted from newer subgenres of rock music since the 90s. ... A singer is a musician who uses his or her voice to produce music. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Atlantic Records (Atlantic Recording Corporation) is an American record label, and operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of Warner Music Group. ... Festival Records was an Australian music recording and publishing company which was founded in Sydney in 1952 and operated until 2005. ... Mushroom Records is an Australian record company. ... Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs were an Australian pop and rock group dating from the mid-sixties. ... Insignia of a Companion of the Order of Australia. ... March 29 is the 88th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (89th in leap years). ... 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... February 28 is the 59th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem God Save the Queen (King) England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Unified  -  by Athelstan 967 AD  Area  -  Total 130,395 km²  50,346 sq mi  Population  -  2007 estimate... For other uses, see Rock music (disambiguation). ... Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs were an Australian pop and rock group dating from the mid-sixties. ...

Early life

Born William Richard Thorpe in Manchester, Billy Thorpe and his parents emigrated to Australia in 1955, arriving in Melbourne, Victoria and settling in Brisbane, Queensland. He performed as a youth under the pseudonym 'Little Rock Allen'. After he was heard singing and playing guitar by a television producer, Thorpe made regular musical appearances on Queensland television, and by the time he was 17 was an experienced singer and musician.^[1] This article is about the City of Manchester in England. ... Melbournes CBD has grown to straddle the Yarra River in three major precincts. ... Capital Melbourne Government Constitutional monarchy Governor David de Kretser Premier Steve Bracks (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 37  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product ($m)  $222,022 (2nd)  - Product per capita  $44,443/person (5th) Population (End of September 2006)  - Population  5,110,500 (2nd)  - Density  22. ... Brisbane (pronounced ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, as well as the third largest city in Australia, with a greater metropolitan population of 1. ... Capital Brisbane Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Quentin Bryce Premier Peter Beattie (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 28  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product ($m)  $158,506 (3rd)  - Product per capita  $40,170/person (6th) Population (End of September 2006)  - Population  4,070,400 (3rd)  - Density  2. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Success in Sydney

In 1963, Thorpe moved to Sydney and auditioned for a regular gig at Surf City, a popular beat music venue in the city's Kings Cross area. His backing band was an accomplished Sydney surf/instrumental group called The Aztecs, comprising Colin Baigent (drums), UK-born Tony Barber (rhythm guitar, vocals), Vince Melouney (aka Vince Maloney), lead guitar, vocals), and John "Bluey" Watson (bass). The various incarnations of this group would be Thorpe's musical collaborators for several decades. The Sydney Opera House on Sydney Harbour Sydney (pronounced ) is the most populous city in Australia, with a metropolitan area population of over 4,200,000 people, and 151,920 within the city centre. ... (world)Beat music is a music by the styles of Cha Cha Cha, Mambo, Rock en español, Tropical, Salsa, and Merengue. ... Kings Cross intersection in the 1950s Kings Cross is an inner-city locality of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Vince Melouney was a member of the Bee Gees in late 1960s. ...

In 1964, The Aztecs released their first single, "Blue Day", written by guitarist Tony Barber, but it was their next single release, Leiber and Stoller's "Poison Ivy" (a cover of a song by The Coasters which the group decided to cover after hearing the version recorded by The Rolling Stones. It was to be the band's breakthrough hit and over the next two years, the band experienced incredible success in Australia, their record sales and concert attendances rivalling those of The Beatles, with hits like "Over The Rainbow", "Mashed Potato" and "Sick And Tired" cohabiting on the record charts. Jerry Leiber (born April 25, 1933) and Mike Stoller (born March 13, 1933) are among the most important songwriters and music producers in post-World War II popular music. ... Poison Ivy was a top-ten hit for the Coasters during the summer of 1959. ... The classic Coasters lineup. ... “Rolling Stones” redirects here. ... The Beatles were an English rock band from Liverpool whose members were John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. ...

The original Aztecs lineup split from Thorpe at the end of 1965 over a financial dispute, so Thorpe created another band with the same name. Thorpe then formed second incarnation of The Aztecs with Johnny Dick (drums), Mike Downes (rhythm gtr, vcls), Colin Risby (lead gtr, vcls), Jimmy Taylor (pno), Teddy Toi (bass) and Tony Buchanan and Rocky Thomas (brass).

This lineup achieved further success with huge hits such as "Love Letters"," I Told The Brook" and "Twilight Time". On 27 March 1966, the Seven Network debuted a music show called It's All Happening! hosted by Thorpe with the Aztecs as the house band. Each one-hour episode featured both Australian and international musical guests. When the show ended its run in 1967, the Aztecs broke up again.^[2] March 27 is the 86th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (87th in leap years). ... 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ... The Seven Network is an Australian television network. ...

Melbourne

Thorpe stayed fairly quiet for the next few years, emerging after a spell of bankruptcy in 1969 in Melbourne, Victoria. With the encouragement of former Purple Hearts guitarist Lobbby Loyde (who was briefly in the new band), Thorpe took up electric lead guitar and put together a new "heavy" version of the Aztecs and established himself as one of Australia's premier rock musicians. Notice of closure stuck on the door of a computer store the day after its parent company, Granville Technology Group Ltd, declared bankruptcy (strictly, put into administration - see text) in the UK. Bankruptcy is a legally declared inability or impairment of ability of an individual or organizations to pay their... The City of Melbournes coat of arms The central business district of Melbourne, viewed from the north Alternate meanings: Melbourne (disambiguation) Melbourne is the capital and largest city of the state of Victoria, and the second largest city in Australia, with a population of 52,117 in the Central...

With their landmark LPs The Hoax is Over and More Arse Than Class and a breakthrough gig at Melbourne Town Hall in 1970, supporting Daddy Cool, the 'new' Aztecs accrued a considerable reputation in the southern states and became known as one of the loudest acts on on the local concert circuit. Daddy Cool can be: an Australian band of the 1970s—see Daddy Cool (band); a song by Boney M; or a novel by Donald Goines—see Daddy Cool: A Father Out to Revenge His Daughters Shame. ...

In 1972, the Billy Thorpe and The Aztecs played two of their most famous gigs. A show at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl during the Moomba Festival resulted in 250,000 people filling the park to catch the Aztecs' set, and forcing police to close the roads around the venue. Later in the year, The Aztecs released a live recording of their show at the Sunbury Music Festival, which featured the debut of one of Thorpe's most famous anthems "Most People I Know Think That I’m Crazy", which took him back into national prominence. The Sidney Myer Music Bowl is an architecturally significant, outdoor performance venue in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. ... For the fictional creature Moomba from the final fantasy series, see http://en. ... The crowd watches a band at the 1972 festival. ...

In 1975, The third version of the Aztecs broke up, and in 1976, Thorpe relocated to Los Angeles in the United States.^[3] Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,290. ...

United States

Thorpe continued his musical career in the United States, recording and releasing a solo album entitled Children of the Sun in 1979. He released three more albums, all of which had some chart success.

In 1984, Thorpe quit live music, and started an electronics consulting company which did work for The Walt Disney Company, Mattel and Universal Studios. The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) is one of the largest media and entertainment corporations in the world. ... Mattel Inc. ... Universal Studios (sometimes called Universal Pictures or Universal City Studios), a subsidiary of NBC Universal, is one of the major American film studios that has production studios and offices located at 100 Universal City Plaza Drive in Universal City, California, an unincorporated area of Los Angeles County between Los Angeles...

By 1986, Thorpe owned a recording and production studio in Los Angeles, where he worked on musical scoring for television series, including: War of the Worlds, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Columbo, Eight Is Enough and Hard Time on Planet Earth. War of the Worlds is a television program that ran for two seasons, from 1988 to 1990. ... The title as it appeared in most episodes opening credits. ... Columbo. ... Eight Is Enough was an American television dramedy series which ran on ABC from March 15, 1977 until August 29, 1981. ... Hard Time on Planet Earth was an action TV series in the same vein of the A-team. ...

He collaborated with Mick Fleetwood (of Fleetwood Mac) and Bekka Bramlett in Fleetwood's side project, a band called The Zoo. Mick Fleetwood (born 24 June 1947) is an English musician best known for his role as the drummer with the rock and roll band Fleetwood Mac. ... This article is about the band. ... Bekka Bramlett, 1995 Rebekka Ruth Lazone Bekka Bramlett (born April 19, 1968) is a singer from the United States who was briefly part of the band Fleetwood Mac in the mid 1990s. ...

Return to Australia

Thorpe returned to Australia permanently in June 1996, where he authored two autobiographies: Sex and Thugs and Rock 'n' Roll (1997) and Most People I Know (Think That I'm Crazy) (1998).

Death

Thorpe suffered from chest pains at his home on 28 February 2007. February 28 is the 59th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ...

Thorpe was taken by ambulance to St. Vincent's Hospital in Sydney around 2am AEDT after having massive heart attack, and he remained in the emergency ward in a serious condition. He went into cardiac arrest around half an hour later, and hospital staff attempted to resuscitate him, but he did not recover. His family was by his side when he died. Thorpe was 60 years old. ... In Australia, the keeping of standard time is divided into three time zones: Australian Eastern Standard Time, Australian Central Standard Time and Australian Western Standard Time. ...

He is survived by his wife Lynn, and daughters Rusty and Lauren. Thorpe's manager Michael Chugg has said the death is a "terrible tragedy", as Thorpe had just finished recording a new album "Tangier" and was very happy after a recent acoustic tour^[4]

He was posthumously appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in June 2007 for his contribution to music as a musician, songwriter and producer.^[5] Insignia of a Companion of the Order of Australia. ...

References

1. ^ Billy Thorpe (and the Aztecs), Howlspace: The Living History of Our Music.
2. ^ Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs, MILESAGO.
3. ^ Billy Thorpe: A Brief Biography, Mushroom Records.
4. ^ Rock legend Billy Thorpe dies, The Sydney Morning Herald, 28 February 2007.
5. ^ "Thorpe receives posthumous honour", ABC Online, 2007-06-11. Retrieved on 2007-06-11. 

Mushroom Records is an Australian record company. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... February 28 is the 59th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... June 11 is the 162nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (163rd in leap years), with 203 days remaining. ...

Publications

• Thorpe, Billy (1997). Sex and Thugs and Rock 'n' Roll: A Year in Kings Cross. Australia: Pan Macmillan. ISBN. 
• Thorpe, Billy (1998). Most People I Know (Think That I'm Crazy). Australia: Pan Macmillan. ISBN. 

External links

• Official MySpace Site: http://www.myspace.com/billythorpetheofficialmyspace
• Buy Billy Thorpe Solo: The Last Recordings from: http://www.acousticseries.com.au/BillyThorpe.htm
• Thorpie.com - Official Billy Thorpe website
• Long Way to the Top: Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs - Stories and Highlights, Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
• In Memory of Billy Thorpe