Stevie Wright, Australian rock icon and lead singer of The Easybeats passed away yesterday evening at Moruya Hospital after becoming ill on boxing day as reported by Noise 11.
Wright was originally born in Leeds in the UK before migrating to Melbourne at the age of 9 before moving to Sydney. It was their where he met his fellow Easybeats band mates Harry Vanda, Dick Diamonde, George Young and Gordon Fleet.
The band recorded their first hit Friday On My Mind, reaching number one in Australia in 1966, which also had success overseas hitting number 6 in the UK, and the top 20 in the US. The song was voted the Best Australian Song Of All Time by APRA in 2001.
The band went on to record more hits before breaking up in 1969, where Wright went on to find more success with his solo work including his epic three part single Evie.
He had struggled with substance abuse for decades along with numerous health issues, including a seizure in 2013 which saw him admitted to St Vincent’s Hospital in Melbourne. Wright confessed in an interview that his lengthy rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle was taking its toll on his health.
He was inducted in the ARIA hall of fame in 2005 as apart of his success with The Easybeats. His last performance was at the Legends of Rock Festival at Byron Bay in 2009, where he headlined.
More recently we saw Bruce Springsteen pay tribute on his recent Australian tour in 2014, covering Friday On My Mind.
Watch: The Easybeats – Friday On My Mind
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBJLoYd8xak
Watch: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band – Friday On My Mind (Easybeats cover)
