wWw.::BILLY THORPE & The Aztecs::. Live At Sunbury Most People I know ViDEO

Billy Thorpe passed away suddenly in the early hours and the news was a shock to all fans of Australian Rock Music.
At the age of 60 'Thorpie' died at Sydney's St Vincents Hospital after suffering a massive heart attack at his home.
After a career spanning 50 years we could not believe he was gone. Billy started his career in Brisbane after his family moved to Australia from Manchester, England.
His performing career began in Brisbane at the age of 10 in 1956 under the stage name 'Little Rock Allen'
He was soon appearing on Australian TV , which fortuously had just begun. Billy went through many phases in his recording career, from the 1960's Aztecs front man through solo recordings and later as frontman for the 'Sunbury Aztecs' who pioneered Australian 'Pub Rock' in the 70's with gigs at Melbourne's Village Green Hotel and The Whitehorse Inn.
Melbourne music moved from unlicensed clubs in the city ( Berties and Thumping Tum ) to the pubs where music fans could now drink beer ( suck more piss ) and see some great music at the same time.
His legion of fans followed the band from pub to pub and eventually to the Sunbury Music Festivals in the early 70's, on the outskirts of Melbourne . This is where Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs shone and they went on to have many hits over the years. Billy's youthful enthusiasm will be sadly missed by the whole industry.
There is an album which was nearing completion which will hopefully be released post humously, over the next few months
The album is a musical tribute to Morocco and is tentatively titled 'Tangiers'.

Billy Thorpe is survived by his wife Lynne, and daughters Rusty and Lauren.

::NEWS STORiES::

As Billy would have wanted

3.45pm Sunday, 4 March 2007
Sydney Entertainment Centre

Over The Rainbow, a memorial service for Australian music legend, Billy Thorpe, will be held this Sunday, 4 March, 2007, at the Sydney Entertainment Centre, at 3.45pm.

For more details go to Chugg Entertainment

::Billy Thorpe was born William Richard Thorpe on the 29th March 1946 in Manchester, England.. & emigrated to Queensland, Australia with his parents at the age of 9 in1955.

::In 1956 at the age of 10, Billy Thorpe made his music debut , at a railway hotel in rural Queensland, and then made his television debut on Brisbane TV 6 months later as 'Little Rock Allen', when he was overheard by a television producer, while he was playing guitar and singing at the back of his parents’ Brisbane store.

::In 1957 at the age of 11, Billy Thorpe debuted in a band called ''The Planets', where he was introduced to rock'n'roll, beer and sex.

::In 1963 at the age of 17, Billy Thorpe moved to the sleazy Sydney suburb of Kings Cross at the age of 17 where he won the audition with The Aztecs, and started mixing with musos, drag queens and bent cops.

::In 1964 Billy Thorpe's first single, 'Blue Day/You Don't Love Me' enters the Sydney Top 40.

::In June 1964 Billy Thorpe's first Sydney No.1 hit is 'Poison Ivy'.. followed by 'Over The rainbow' as his second No.1 hit in the same year.

::In 1966 Billy Thorpe gets his own TV show called 'It's All Happening'.. the first show to feature real live performances.

::In 1972 Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs headline the Sunbury Pop Festival .. the album 'Live At Sunbury' goes No.3 nationally.

::In 1972 Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs play to 200,000 people at the Myer Music Bowl.

::In 1972 'Most People I Know (Think That I'm Crazy)' reaches No.3 on the national music charts.

::In 1974 'More Ass Than Class' is released, and becomes the most successful studio album produced by Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs.

::In 1974 Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs are the first band to ever play at the Sydney Opera House.

::In 1979 Thorpe recorded the science fiction/rock opera concept album called ‘Children Of The Future’, which reached gained gold in the Top 20 in America, selling 500,000 copies.. with the follow-up album ‘21st Century Man’ also gaining a gold record in USA.

::In 1991 Billy Thorpe is inducted into the ARiA (Australian Record Industry Association) Hall of Fame.

::In 1996 Billy Thorpe returns to Australia.. and releases a best selling book about his life and career, called 'Sex Thugs And Rock'n'Roll'.

::In 2002 Billy Thorpe was behind the 'Long Way To The Top' tour, performing with both the original and the Sunbury Aztecs.

::At 2:30am Wednesday 28th February 2007, Billy Thorpe dies at the age of 60, of a heart attack at St.Vincent's Hospital in Sydney, with his family by his side.

.::: s H a M o Z z L eV i D E O V a u l t :::.