Stevie Wright
Steven "Stevie" Wright (born December 20, 1947 in Leeds , England , † December 27, 2015 in Moruya , New South Wales ) was a rock singer who became known as the front man of the Australian band The Easybeats .
biography
When Steven Wright was nine years old, his family moved from England to Australia. They lived first in Melbourne , then in Sydney . At a very young age, Wright became active as a singer in local bands, first with the Outlaws , then with Chris Langdon & the Langdells .
In 1964, Stevie Wright formed The Easybeats with Hendrickus Vandenberg (later known as Harry Vanda ), Dingeman Vandersluys (Dick Diamonde) , George Young and Snowy Fleet . Soon they were the leading pop band in Australia, having a slew of hits in 1965 and 1966, mostly written by Wright and Young.
At the start of this meteoric rise, Wright was less than 16 years old. The press nicknamed him Little Stevie Wright . In addition to his talent as a songwriter, he was known for his energetic stage appearances.
In September 1966 the group went to England and landed their biggest hit with Friday on My Mind , written by Vanda and Young, who from now on provided most of the songs. Despite the great success, the Easybeats disbanded at the end of 1969.
Stevie Wright then tried unsuccessfully a solo career. He sang in various bands and had to keep himself afloat with various jobs. In 1972 he made a comeback with a role in the musical Jesus Christ Superstar , which he played for two years.
During this time he became addicted to heroin. His former bandmates Vanda and Young, meanwhile successful as a production team, signed Wright and produced the albums Hard Road and Black Eyed Bruiser with him in 1974 . The single Evie (Part I, II and III) became a hit, which Suzi Quatro later recorded.
The new career lasted only briefly, and from 1976 Wright disappeared from the limelight again. He became increasingly addicted to alcohol and other drugs . Finally, he underwent deep sleep therapy combined with electric shocks . The result was devastating: the drug addiction persisted, but Wright lost his artistic creativity.
In 1979 Wright made another comeback with a live concert in front of the Sydney Opera House, recorded on the double album Concert Of The Decade (released 1980). In 1982 Wright sang with Flash & the Pan . After an unsuccessful solo attempt, drugs regained the upper hand in 1983. In 1984 Wright was convicted of burglary and heroin possession.
In 1986 there was a brief reunion of the Easybeats. In 1991 Wright and his band recorded the album Striking It Rich , with which he celebrated his 25th stage anniversary (albeit a little belatedly). During the 1990s he again sank into the quagmire of drugs and depression.
From 2002 Stevie Wright went on tour again.
literature
- Jack Marx: Sorry: The Wretched Tale Of Little Stevie Wright.
Web links
- Stevie Wright biography (English)
- Stevie Wright in the database of Find a Grave (English)
Individual evidence
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Wright, Stevie |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Wright, Steven (real name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | British rock musician, singer in the Australian band The Easybeats |
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 20, 1947 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Leeds , England |
| DATE OF DEATH | December 27, 2015 |
| Place of death | Moruya , New South Wales , Australia |