Stevie Wright

Stevie Wright
Wright in 1968
Wright in 1968
Background information
Birth nameStephen Carlton Wright
Also known as
  • Chris Langdon
  • Little Stevie
Born(1947-12-20)20 December 1947
Leeds, England[1]
OriginMelbourne, Victoria, Australia
Died27 December 2015(2015-12-27) (aged 68)
Moruya, New South Wales, Australia
Genres
OccupationSinger
Years active1963–c. 2009
Labels

Stephen Carlton Wright[2] (20 December 1947[3] – 27 December 2015) was an Australian singer, songwriter, and musician. Called Australia's first international pop star, he is best known for being the lead singer of the Easybeats, who are widely regarded as the greatest Australian pop band of the 1960s.[4][5][6][7]

Born in Leeds, Wright migrated with his family to Australia at the age of nine, living in Melbourne and later Sydney at the Villawood Migrant Hostel, where he met his future bandmates and formed the Easybeats. Their early hits were co-written by Wright with bandmate George Young, including top ten hits such as "She's So Fine", "Wedding Ring", "Sorry" and "Women (Make You Feel Alright)". He was lead vocalist on their only international hit, "Friday on My Mind", which peaked at number one in Australia in 1966, the top ten in the United Kingdom, and the top twenty in the United States and Canada.

After the Easybeats disbanded in 1969, Wright fronted numerous groups including the Stevie Wright Band and Stevie Wright & the Allstars; his solo career included the 1974 single "Evie (Parts 1, 2 & 3)", which peaked at number one on the Kent Music Report Singles Chart.[8] Wright had problems with alcohol and drug addiction.[9] By 1976 he was hospitalised and undertook methadone treatment. In the late 1970s he was treated at Chelmsford Private Hospital by Harry Bailey, who administered deep sleep therapy with a combination of drug-induced coma and electroshock.[4][9]

Wright's life was detailed in two biographies, Sorry: The Wretched Tale of Little Stevie Wright by Jack Marx (1999) and Hard Road: The Life and Times of Stevie Wright by Glenn Goldsmith (2004).[10] On 14 July 2005, the Easybeats, with Wright as a member, were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame.[11][12][13]

History

[edit]

Early years: 1964–69

[edit]
Main article: The Easybeats

Wright was born in Leeds, England, in 1947 to George Wright and Dorothy Wright (née Longden). His family migrated to Melbourne, Australia, when he was nine.[4][9] They moved to Sydney in 1960 and lived in Villawood near the Villawood Migrant Hostel.[4] He was lead vocalist for local band The Outlaws, and by 1964 had formed Chris Langdon & the Langdells,[5][7] which initially played The Shadows-styled surf music but converted to beat music under the influence of The Beatles.[6]

After a Langdells performance, Wright met the Dutch-born Johannes Hendrikus Jacob van den Berg (later Harry Vanda), who was staying at Villawood Migrant Hostel, and his compatriot Dingeman van der Sluys (later Dick Diamonde).[4][6] This introduction was arranged by their first manager, Alan Kissick. The pair convinced Wright to form a band with Vandenberg's friend and fellow hostel resident Scottish-born George Young.[4][6] Together with another Englishman, Gordon "Snowy" Fleet, they formed the Easybeats in mid-1964.[4][6] The initial line-up of the Easybeats was Diamonde on bass guitar, Fleet on drums, Vanda on guitar, Wright on vocals and Young on guitar.[5]

During his time with the Easybeats, Wright was popularly and affectionately known as "Little Stevie".[4] Early hits for the Easybeats were co-written by Wright with bandmate Young,[5] including "She's So Fine"[14] (No. 3, 1965), "Wedding Ring"[15] (No. 7, 1965), "Women (Make You Feel Alright)"[16] (No. 4, 1966), "Come and See Her"[17] (No. 3, 1966), "I'll Make You Happy"[18] (track on Easyfever EP, No. 1, 1966), and "Sorry" (No. 1, 1966).[19]

He was lead vocalist on their only international hit, "Friday on My Mind",[9] which peaked at No. 1 in Australia in 1966.[19] It made No. 6 in the UK, Top 10 in Germany, the Netherlands, France and Italy and Top 20 in the US in 1967.[4][6] In 2001, the song was voted the Best Australian Song of All Time by the Australasian Performing Right Association,[20] Wright was renowned for his energetic stage performance, which included acrobatic back-flips and mod dance moves.[4][6] The Easybeats disbanded in the UK in 1969 with Vanda & Young becoming freelance musicians, songwriters and producers.[4][6]

Aside from tracks for the Easybeats, Wright and George Young also wrote "Step Back" for Johnny Young (no relation) and his band Kompany,[21] released in May 1966, which peaked at No. 1.[19]

Solo success: 1972–75

[edit]

After the break-up of the Easybeats in 1969, Wright returned to Sydney from the UK, and he formed a backing group, Rachette.[4][5] He produced the debut single for local band Bootleg, "Whole World Should Slow Down", in 1970.[4] By late 1971, he was in Perth, and joined Likefun with Ray Hoff on vocals (ex-Off Beats), Morri Pierson on vocals, Shirley Reid on vocals, John Tucak on bass guitar and Alan Wilks on organ.[4][6] He soon returned to Sydney and from mid-1972 took the role of Simon Zealotes in the Australian stage production of Jesus Christ Superstar.[4][6] Also in 1972, he joined Black Tank with Rory O'Donoghue on guitar and vocals (ex-The Pogs), Ken Firth on bass guitar (Tully) and Greg Henson on drums (Levi Smith Clefs).[4][6]

Wright signed with Albert Productions label in late 1973, which reunited him with former bandmates Vanda and Young, who had returned from the UK and were now staff producers and songwriters.[4][6] Wright formed Stevie Wright & the Allstars for live performances; the line-up included, Johnny Dick on drums (ex-Billy Thorpe & the Aztecs), Tim Gaze on lead guitar (Tamam Shud, Kahvas Jute, Ariel), and Warren Morgan on piano (Chain, Billy Thorpe & the Aztecs).[4] In April 1974 he released his debut solo LP, Hard Road, which featured the single "Evie (Parts 1, 2 & 3)" released in May.[4][6] The song was written and produced by Vanda & Young.[7][22] It became a hit—the first 11-minute song to chart at No. 1 anywhere in the world— [citation needed] and is now regarded as an Australian rock classic.[4][6] Part 1 is subtitled, "Let Your Hair Hang Down", and part 3 is "I'm Losing You".[22]

Wright performed three concerts at the Sydney Opera House with backing by Vanda, Young and AC/DC's Malcolm Young (George Young's brother). Another Vanda & Young-produced LP, Black-eyed Bruiser, followed in 1975, but it failed to chart in the Top 50.[6][8] By mid-1975, the Allstars had transferred to John Paul Young (no relation) and Wright formed the Stevie Wright Band with Tony Bolton on drums (Aesop's Fables, Country Radio), Larry Duryea on percussion (Tamam Shud), Russell Johnson on guitar (Mississippi, Country Radio), Billy Rylands on bass guitar (Lotus) and Peter White on keyboards.[4]

Later years

[edit]

By 1976 Wright was addicted to heroin, which he had reportedly begun using during his time in the cast of Jesus Christ Superstar. He was hospitalised and undertook methadone treatment. His mental health suffered further after his self-admission to Chelmsford Private Hospital. A psychiatrist, Harry Bailey, administered a highly controversial treatment, deep sleep therapy, which was alleged to treat drug addiction by a combination of drug-induced coma and electroconvulsive therapy. Many patients, including Wright, suffered brain damage and lifelong aftereffects. The scandal was later exposed, and Bailey died by suicide.

In 1982, Wright joined Vanda and Young in their studio band, Flash and the Pan, to provide vocals on their album Headlines and the related singles, "Where were You?" in July, and "Waiting for a Train" in December.[4] The same year, there was talk of an Easybeats reunion. Wright told Juke Magazine in 1983 that they "had our lawyers working out the deal" because there was a venue interested in having them "but at the last minute they tried to change the venue and we just said 'forget it'."[23][24]

In 1983, there was talk of a solo album with work involving Vanda and Young again. Wright said the album would best be described as "classy rock 'n' roll", and the songs were about "a wide spectrum of all the experiences I've been through". He said the love songs he had were optimistic. The interview discussed how Wright worked in the studio with Vanda and Young:[24]

"Well, it's a three way thing. They'll sit down and say 'we've got this sort of song' and we'll discuss how we'll approach it. Obviously after this long we do have a very strong bond. I've written a couple of songs but since they're far better at it than I am, I'll let them handle that."

According to the Juke Magazine article it was "due for release later that year";[24] however, this never happened.

In January 1984, Wright was charged with attempted housebreaking, days after attending Westmount drug rehabilitation centre. He was arrested for heroin use later that month.[4] He had been using heroin since about 1973,[4] and, according to Wright, he remained an addict for 20 years.[25]

The Easybeats re-formed for a brief Australian tour in 1986, and Wright re-formed variations of the Stevie Wright Band in 1986–88. Wright's substance-abuse problems continued into the 1980s and 1990s and he came close to death on several occasions but was supported by his partner, Fay Walker. His meteoric rise and fall has made him a frequent media subject. In 1999, journalist Jack Marx published a much-anticipated biography, Sorry – The Wretched Tale of Little Stevie Wright.[26] It was critically applauded by some reviewers. Australian music historian Clinton Walker called it "gonzo journalism at its best".[27] The Bulletin later referred to Sorry as "one of the most harrowing rock books ever written".[28] Sorry was dismissed by Wright, his fans and other critics. Internet reviewer Ken Grady (Luna Kafé, 1999) described Marx as "a self serving hypocrite" and concluded his review by observing: "The only thing that Marx has achieved is to depict himself as a very unlikeable, morally bankrupt leech."[29]

Long Way to the Top was a 2001 Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) six-part documentary on the history of Australian rock and roll from 1956 to the modern era.[30] "Episode 2: Ten Pound Rocker", broadcast on 22 August, featured interviews with Harry Vanda and Johnny Young.[30] Vanda described meeting George Young, while Johnny Young (no relation) described how Wright wrote the lyrics for "Step Back".[30] During August 2002, promoters Michael Chugg and Kevin Jacobsen organised a related concert tour, Long Way to the Top.[9] Wright had seriously injured his ankle in a fall, so concerts had him performing "Evie", with The Allstars, while seated on a stool. Performances at two Sydney concerts in September were recorded, broadcast on ABC-TV and subsequently released on DVD in December.[30] His authorised biography, Hard Road: The Life and Times of Stevie Wright, by Glenn Goldsmith was published in 2004.[31] As of 2001, Wright lived near Canberra with his partner Fay Walker, and he had a son, Nicholas, born in 1972 or 1973.[25]

On 14 July 2005, the Easybeats, with Wright as a member, were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame alongside Renée Geyer, Hunters & Collectors, Smoky Dawson, Split Enz and Normie Rowe.[11][12][13]

On 31 January 2009, Wright headlined the Legends of Rock festival in Byron Bay.[32] Songs played included "Sorry", "I'll Make You Happy", "Evie (part 2)", "Friday on My Mind", "She's So Fine" and "Wedding Ring". He was interviewed for the Macquarie Regional Radioworks program Sunday Groovies, by Kym Ferguson, on 11 February. He reported that 2009 was an exciting and busy year with new material and previously unreleased tracks expected.

Wright retired and lived on the South Coast of New South Wales.[33] He died on 27 December 2015 at Moruya Hospital[34][35] of pneumonia.[36] Wright's funeral was held at St Andrew's Cathedral in Sydney on 8 January 2016.[37]

Bibliography

[edit]
  • Goldsmith, Glenn (2004). Hard Road: The Life and Times of Stevie Wright. Milsons Point, NSW: Random House. ISBN 1-74051-261-8. Retrieved 17 October 2009. NOTE: only overview is available for on-line version.[31]
  • Marx, Jack (1999). Sorry : The Wretched Tale of Little Stevie Wright. Sydney, NSW: Macmillan. ISBN 0-7329-0920-1. Retrieved 17 October 2009. NOTE: only overview is available for on-line version.[26]

Discography

[edit]

The Easybeats

Main article: The Easybeats discography

Flash and the Pan

Main article: Flash and the Pan discography

Stevie Wright, Stevie Wright Band, Stevie Wright & the Allstars

Albums

[edit]

Studio albums

[edit]
Title Album details Peak chart positions
AUS[8]
Hard Road
  • Released: May 1974
  • Label: Albert Productions (APLP 005)
 2
Black Eyed Bruiser
  • Released: August 1975
  • Label: Albert Productions (APLP 012)
 61
Striking It Rich
  • Released: 1989
  • Label: Broad Music (EMD014)
 –

Compilation albums

[edit]
Title Album details
Facing the Music
  • Released: 1986
  • Label: Albert Productions (APLP-431069)
Definitive Collection
  • Released: 2004
  • Label: Festival Mushroom Records (337802)

Singles

[edit]
Year Title Peak chart positions Album
AUS
KMR[8]
1974 "Hard Road" — Hard Road
"Evie (Parts 1, 2 & 3)" 1
"Guitar Band" 13
1975 "You" 88 Black Eyed Bruiser
"Black Eyed Bruiser" 99
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Awards and nominations

[edit]

Australian Songwriter's Hall of Fame

[edit]

The Australian Songwriters Hall of Fame was established in 2004 to honour the lifetime achievements of some of Australia's greatest songwriters.[38]

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2005 himself Australian Songwriter's Hall of Fame inducted

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Birth details at f reebmd.org.uk". freebmd.org.uk. 31 December 2015. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  2. ^ ""Life Gets Better" at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 21 October 2009.
  3. ^ Davies, Nathan (18 November 2014). "Stevie Wright was the migrant kid who became the frontman for iconic Aussie rock outfit The Easybeats. But with the fame came a lifetime of pain". news.com.au. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x McFarlane, Ian (1999). "Encyclopedia entry for 'Stevie Wright'". Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop. St Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86508-072-1. Archived from the original on 3 August 2004. Retrieved 16 October 2009.
  5. ^ a b c d e McFarlane, Ian (1999). "Encyclopedia entry for 'The Easybeats'". Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop. St Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86508-072-1. Archived from the original on 29 August 2004. Retrieved 18 October 2009.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Duncan Kimball (2004). "STEVIE WRIGHT". MILESAGO: Australasian Music and Popular Culture 1964–1975. ICE Productions. Retrieved 17 October 2009.
  7. ^ a b c "Stevie Wright". Australian Rock Database. Magnus Holmgren. Archived from the original on 1 April 2012. Retrieved 17 October 2009.
  8. ^ a b c d Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book Ltd. ISBN 0-646-11917-6. NOTE: Used for Australian Singles and Albums charting from 1974 until ARIA created their own charts in mid-1988. In 1992, Kent back-calculated chart positions for 1970–74.
  9. ^ a b c d e Creswell, Toby; Samantha Trenoweth (2006). 1001 Australians You Should Know. North Melbourne, Vic: Pluto Press. pp. 84–85. ISBN 978-1-86403-361-8. Retrieved 17 October 2009.
  10. ^ Donovan, Patrick (5 August 2004). "Reliving a wretched life on page and stage". The Age. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 17 October 2009.
  11. ^ a b "ARIA 2008 Hall of Fame inductees listing". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Archived from the original on 15 June 2008. Retrieved 21 October 2009.
  12. ^ a b "Winners by Award: Hall of Fame". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Archived from the original on 2 February 2009. Retrieved 21 October 2009.
  13. ^ a b "Winners by Artist: The Easybeats". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 21 October 2009.[permanent dead link‍]
  14. ^ ""She's So Fine" at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 17 October 2009.
  15. ^ ""Wedding Ring" at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 17 October 2009.
  16. ^ ""Women Make You Feel Alright" at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 17 October 2009.
  17. ^ ""Come and See Her" at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 17 October 2009.
  18. ^ ""I'll Make You Happy" at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 17 October 2009.
  19. ^ a b c Kent, David (2005). Australian Chart Book 1940–1969. Turramurra, NSW: Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd. ISBN 0-646-44439-5. NOTE: Chart positions back calculated by Kent in 2005.
  20. ^ "Setting the record straight". The Age. Fairfax Media. 8 April 2003. Retrieved 17 October 2009.
  21. ^ ""Step Back" at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 17 October 2009.
  22. ^ a b ""Evie" at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 18 October 2009.
  23. ^ "Stevie Wright". Juke Magazine. 22 October 1983. p. 11.
  24. ^ a b c Juke Magazine, 8 October 1983. "The Faith Healing Powers of Stevie Wright" by Alan Ward, p. 7.
  25. ^ a b Probyn, Andrew; Kimball, Duncan (29 May 2001). "Stevie Wright". MILESAGO: Australasian Music and Popular Culture 1964–1975. ICE Productions. Retrieved 20 October 2009.
  26. ^ a b "Sorry : the wretched tale of little Stevie Wright / Jack Marx". catalogue. National Library of Australia. Retrieved 17 October 2009.
  27. ^ "It's Pretty Ugly in This Head", The Sydney Morning Herald, 24 July 1999.
  28. ^ Apter, Jeff (14 April 2004). "Stevie Wright's Wrong Way". The Bulletin. ACP Magazines. Retrieved 20 October 2009.[permanent dead link‍]
  29. ^ Grady, Ken (28 July 1999). "Book review – Low Marx". Luna Kafé. FuzzLogic. Archived from the original on 3 September 2012. Retrieved 20 October 2009.
  30. ^ a b c d "ABC Online – Long Way to the Top". Abc.net.au. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 22 November 2002. Archived from the original on 15 October 2002. Retrieved 23 May 2009.
  31. ^ a b Hard road : the life and times of Stevie Wright / Glenn Goldsmith. National Library of Australia. 2004. ISBN 9781740512619. Retrieved 17 October 2009.
  32. ^ "Legends of Rock Festival > Stevie Wright". Margin Media. Archived from the original on 24 October 2009. Retrieved 21 October 2009.
  33. ^ Verity, William (16 February 2013). "VIDEO: Stevie Wright relives rock-star past". Illawarra Mercury. Retrieved 27 December 2015.
  34. ^ Cashmere, Paul (27 December 2015). "R.I.P. Easybeats Legend Stevie Wright 1947–2015". www.noise11.com. Retrieved 27 December 2015.
  35. ^ "Stevie Wright: The Easybeats frontman dies aged 68". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 28 December 2015. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
  36. ^ "Easybeats' Stevie Wright to get a public funeral in Sydney with fans welcome". The Sydney Morning Herald. 30 December 2015. Retrieved 26 July 2017.
  37. ^ "Stevie Wright's dynamo energy remembered". AAP. 8 January 2016. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
  38. ^ "Hall of Fame". asai. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
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