Australian singer Stephen ‘Stevie’ Wright died yesterday night (December 27), after becoming ill on Boxing Day. His death was confirmed by rock historian Glenn A. Baker on radio station 6PR. The singer, who was born in Leeds in 1947 and moved to Australia at the age of nine, was the frontman for rock band Easybeats and he was considered Australia’s first international pop star, after his 1966 single “Friday On My Mind” became a hit in Australia, UK, and US.
After the band was disbanded in 1969, he continued as a solo artist while battling a long addiction to alcohol and drugs. Baker commented on his death on ABC’s Breakfast program on Radio National, saying: “I’ll be honest with you, many people didn’t expect him to reach 68”. Tributes from fellow musicians followed the news on social media, with singers such as Troy Cassar-Delay, Normie Rowe and Neil Finn remembering Wright and his magical talent. The cause of death is still unknown.
#Peace.Love.StevieWright
