Grant William McLennan (12 February 1958 – 6 May 2006) was an Australian singer-songwriter with the independent band The Go-Betweens, which he co-founded with Robert Forster in Brisbane, Australia in 1977. In a career spanning almost thirty years, his work with The Go-Betweens (1977–89, and resuming 2000–06) is complemented by several solo releases and side-project collaborations with other performers. McLennan received a number of accolades recognising his achievements and contributions as songwriter and lyricist, including the naming of his 1983 composition Cattle and Cane by the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) as one of the 10 greatest Australian songs of all time^[1]. February 12 is the 43rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 6 is the 126th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (127th in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The term singer-songwriter refers to performers who both write and sing their own material. ... The Go-Betweens in 2005: Robert Forster and Grant McLennan (background) The Go-Betweens were an internationally influential indie rock band from Australia, formed by guitarists Robert Forster and Grant McLennan in Brisbane in 1977. ... Brisbane () is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland. ... The Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) is a copyright collecting society representing New Zealand and Australian composers, lyricists and music publishers. ...

Early life

McLennan was born in the city of Rockhampton, central Queensland. Four years later he moved with his family to Cairns after the death of his father, a G.P.. The family then relocated to a cattle station in central Far North Queensland, with McLennan spending five years at Brisbane's Church of England Grammar School (Churchie) as a boarder.^[2] A number of McLennan's songs evoke the impressions and imagery of the regional background of his childhood, such as the breakthrough Cattle and Cane, Dusty in Here (about his father) and Bye Bye Pride. Mayor Margaret Strelow Area 187 km² Population 59,120 (2003) (ABS) Time zone UTC + 10 Latitude Longitude Rockhampton (or Rocky as it is known by the locals) is a small city and Local Government Area in Central Queensland, Australia, located slightly inland from the coast on the Bruce Highway, approximately... Emblems: Faunal - Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus); Floral - Cooktown orchid (Dendrobium bigibbum); Bird - Brolga (Grus rubicunda); Aquatic - Barrier Reef Anemonefish (Amphiprion akindynos); Gem - Sapphire; Colour - Maroon Motto: Audax at Fidelis (Bold but Faithful) Slogan or Nickname: Sunshine State, Smart State Other Australian states and territories Capital Brisbane Government Governor Premier Const. ... Cairns () is a regional city and Local Government Area located in Queensland, Australia. ... A general practitioner (GP) or family physician (FP) is a physician/medical doctor who provides primary care. ... Map of Far North Queensland Far North Queensland is a region of Queensland covering the northern part of the state. ...

In 1976 McLennan began a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Queensland. The long-serving and controversial Joh Bjelke-Petersen was State Premier at the time, and McLennan was arrested in a student protest against aspects of his conservative policies.^[3] The University of Queensland (UQ) has its main campus in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, specifically in the suburb of St Lucia. ... Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen Sir Johannes Bjelke-Petersen, (13 January 1911 – 23 April 2005), New Zealand-born Australian politician, was the longest-serving and longest-lived Premier of the state of Queensland. ...

The Go-Betweens

A year later, he first met with Robert Forster, who encouraged him to learn bass guitar (McLennan had no musical training) and join with him in forming a band. After several months playing and songwriting, the duo recorded and released their first 7" single in 1978, Forster's Lee Remick (B side Karen, 500 copies pressed). In this intial period Forster performed most of the songwriting, vocals and guitar; however as McLennan's own distinctive compositional style developed the two would soon share in songwriting and vocals for the band almost equally. By the time their first album was released (1982's Send Me A Lullaby), the Go-Betweens' line-up expanded to include Lindy Morrison as their permanent drummer. Later releases added Robert Vickers on bass (allowing McLennan to move to lead guitar), and then Amanda Brown on oboe, violin and a variety of other instruments (Brown and McLennan were in a relationship for several years during this time). John Wilsteed then replaced Vickers on bass after the latter left the band for their last two albums. Martin EB18 Bass Guitar in flight case The electric bass guitar (also called electric bass or simply bass) is an electrically amplified plucked string instrument. ... Send Me A Lullaby was released in February of 1982 in the UK on Rough Trade, an independent music record label. ... Lindy Morrison (born on November 2, 1951) is a musician originally from Queensland, Australia. ...

After recording six albums, The Go-Betweens disbanded in December 1989. McLennan collaborated briefly with The Church's Steve Kilbey in the band Jack Frost, then recorded four well-received solo albums. Forster and McLennan reformed The Go-Betweens in 2000, and recorded three more albums. The Church are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1980. ... Steve Kilbey Steve Kilbey (13 September 1954) is the lead singer of Australian independent band The Church. ...

Grant McLennan died in his sleep at his home in Brisbane on 6 May 2006, aged 48,^[3] from a reported heart attack.^[4]. He was preparing for a party at his home when he mentioned he was feeling ill, and went to lie down. He was found later that night. May 6 is the 126th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (127th in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A myocardial infarction occurs when an atherosclerotic plaque slowly builds up in the inner lining of a coronary artery and then suddenly ruptures, totally occluding the artery and preventing blood flow downstream. ...

The Australian band Smudge recorded the single "Don't Want To Be Grant McLennan" in 1991. McLennan was reportedly not especially happy about it and his management threatened to sue.^[5] Smudge is a Sydney pop band, which has been around since 1991. ...

Solo discography

• Watershed (1991)
• Fireboy (1994)
• Horsebreaker Star (1995)
• In Your Bright Ray (1997)

1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated like the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal. // Events January Bill Clinton January 1 : North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) goes into effect. ... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

See also

• The Go-Betweens for band-related discography

The Go-Betweens in 2005: Robert Forster and Grant McLennan (background) The Go-Betweens were an internationally influential indie rock band from Australia, formed by guitarists Robert Forster and Grant McLennan in Brisbane in 1977. ...

Notes and references

1. ^ Bio/epitaph for Grant McLennan, APRA. The same site notes him to have been "...an unparalleled lyricist and a prolific and meticulous composer."
2. ^ Bernard Zuel. "From the cane fields, songs of love and loss", The Sydney Morning Herald, May 8, 2006. URL accessed on 2006-05-08.
3. ^ ^a b staff writer. "Go-Betweens frontman McLennan dies", ABCNews Online, May 7, 2006. URL accessed on 2006-05-08.
4. ^ Noel Mengel. "Band founder dead at 48", The Courier Mail, May 8, 2006. URL accessed on 2006-05-08.
5. ^ Interview with Evan Dando, from NME, March 1993.

2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 8 is the 128th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (129th in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 8 is the 128th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (129th in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 8 is the 128th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (129th in leap years). ... The New Musical Express (better known as the NME) is a weekly magazine about popular music published in the UK. It is unlike many other popular music magazines due to its intended focus on guitar-based music and indie rock bands, instead of mainstream pop acts. ...

External links

• BBC News - Go-Betweens singer dies in sleep
• http://www.go-betweens.net - Official website of The Go-Betweens
• Grant McLennan's funeral - A blog which also includes an interview with Grant McLennan and Robert Forster from 2002.