STEVIE WRIGHT

Stevie Wright is frequently overlooked among Australian rock pioneers, largely because a prolonged struggle with substance abuse cut short his professional trajectory. He became part of the Easybeats in 1964, scoring several domestic successes that included the international phenomenon “Friday on My Mind” before the group disbanded in 1969. After forming Rachette he also produced Bootleg’s first single, “Whole World Should Slow Down,” and appeared with his new band at the 1971 Odyssey Music Festival; a short stint with Likefun in Perth followed. Returning to Sydney, he joined the local cast of Jesus Christ Superstar and remained with the production through 1971–1973. In 1972 he additionally played with Black Tank and contributed to the Jesus Christ Superstar soundtrack issued in 1973.

Teaming once more with Easybeats songwriters Harry Vanda and George Young, he recorded his debut solo album Hard Road, which appeared in April 1974, reached number five nationally, and yielded the signature track “Evie,” a number-two single. After touring extensively with his backing group the All Stars, he delivered the follow-up Black Eyed Bruiser, another quintessential example of 1970s Australian rock that included the December 1974 hit “Guitar Band,” which peaked at number eight.

When the All Stars departed in 1975 to support John Paul Young, Wright assembled the Stevie Wright Band, yet escalating drug dependency soon limited his activities. He played occasional shows with Sacha in 1976 and performed “Evie” at the Concert of the Decade in November 1979, an event later documented on the double album Concert of the Decade (1980). He next contributed to Flash and the Pan’s 1982 album Headlines; the single “Waiting for a Train” reached number seven in the U.K., while Headlines became the act’s third consecutive number-one release in Scandinavia.

Legal troubles intervened in January 1984 when Wright, then undergoing rehabilitation, faced housebreaking charges; the same month authorities arrested him for heroin possession after he was discovered unconscious in a hotel restroom. The Easybeats staged a six-week national reunion tour in October 1986. Wright launched Hard Rain in 1988 and issued the album Striking It Rich in 1991. Declining health prompted his final appearance at Sydney’s Coogee Bay Hotel on April 4, 1992.