Billy Thorpe
b. William Richard Thorpe, 29 March 1946, Manchester, Lancashire, England, d. 28 February 2007, Sydney, Australia. Arriving in Sydney, via Brisbane, in 1964, Thorpe soon joined a band, the Aztecs, with whom he could perform at dances in Sydney, playing the new beat music coming from England. Following the success of their first single "Blue Day" in Sydney, they recorded Leiber And Stoller's "Poison Ivy" after hearing the Rolling Stones' version, and the song became an Australian number 1 hit in 1965. Inexplicably, Thorpe broke up this band and started recording with a "new" Aztecs, MOR ballads such as "Twilight Time" and "Love Letters", all cover versions that were Australian Top 10 hit singles. By 1966 he was fronting his own television show It's All Happening!, but the hits dried up and the second Aztecs disbanded.
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Albums
Top Tracks
- Children Of The Sun
- Solar Anthem
- East Of Eden's Gate
- Earth Calling
- Free Enterprise
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