Across five decades and counting, New Zealand-born singer/songwriter and Crowded House founder Neil Finn has become one of the best-loved figures in popular music, crafting enough hits along the way—‘Weather With You’, ‘Locked Out’, ‘I Got You’, ‘Fall At Your Feet’, ‘It’s Only Natural’, and of course ‘Don’t Dream It’s Over’—to forge his very own one-man Great Antipodean Songbook.One fateful day in April 1977, teenage Neil received a transcontinental phone call that would change his...

He was the pop star with the raccoon eyes who sang ‘Hollywood Seven’ and ‘Six Ribbons’; the swashbuckling Pirate King in The Pirates of Penzance; the rocker who packed beer barns across Australia; and, in the words of Tim Rice, ‘a brilliantly judged and truly exciting’ Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar. On the small screen he was as comfortable portraying Bobby Rivers in All Together Now as he was Jonathan Garrett in Against the Wind.But there was a lot more to Jon English. He was a ...

Post-war Australia didn't know what to make of promoter Lee Gordon. To some he was a typical Yank: crass, loud and outspoken, focused on just one thing - making money. But to others, such as rocker Johnny O'Keefe, Lee Gordon was a mentor, a guru and a lifeline to the big time. One thing is undeniable: without Lee Gordon, there would be no billion-dollar entertainment industry in Australia today; and names like Michael Gudinski, Harry M. Miller and Michael Chugg would mean little. Gordon wa...

Pop star, mentor and icon, George Young was one of the most important figures in Australian pop music history. Jeff Apter reveals the little-known facts that helped create a music empire.George Young wasn't so much on the charts for the best part of three decades: he and his musical partner Harry Vanda were the charts.George's journey began with the trailblazing Easybeats and continued, alongside Harry, as producer/songwriter for hire with John Pau...

The first in-depth biography of Malcolm Young, from the author of High Voltage.'What a great read. The last chapters really got to me - so sad.'Herm Kovac, bandmate and lifelong friend of Malcolm (and co-founder of TMG)Malcolm Young was a legend: the founder and the driving force of AC/DC, a man with what many have called 'the greatest right hand in rock and roll'. That right hand provided the instantly recognisable riffs and muscle behind s...

He had it all-the heroin chic thing before it was chic, the scars, the swagger, an incredible stage presence. After bursting on to the Australian music scene in 1975, Dragon fast developed a reputation for both hard rocking and hard living. As the highly visible and charismatic lead singer, Marc Hunter was the voice behind such timeless hits as ‘April Sun in Cuba', ‘Are You Old Enough?' and ‘Rain'. Yet Hunter was also a maverick whose destructive genius and serious heroin addiction led to ...

In this definitive biography of Keith Urban, music biographer Jeff Apter presents the legendary Australian country star turned international superstar whose career spans the Nashville music scene, American Idol, The Voice, and much more, including the highs and lows along the way.Keith Urban came from humble origins. His father worked at the local landfill and Keith was a high school dropout. But Keith had a plan: conquer Nashville. “It’s my destiny,” he s...

The first biography of guitar legend Angus Young, who has kept AC/DC at the top of the rock pile.Angus Young, the co-founder and the last surviving original member of AC/DC, has for more than 40 years been the face, sound and sometimes the exposed backside of the trailblazing rock band. In his trademark schoolboy outfit, guitar in hand, Angus has given his signature sound to songs such as 'A Long Way to the Top', 'Highway to Hell' and 'Back in Black', helping AC/...

The rollercoaster careers of the brothers Gibb – Barry, Robin, Maurice and younger brother Andy – is perhaps the greatest saga in Australian music history. The Bee Gees as a group, and the brothers individually, enjoyed several rebirths over careers that spanned many decades, but it seemed that tragedy followed them at every turn. For every incredible career high there seemed to be a hefty personal downside: divorce, drunkenness and early death are as synonymous with the Gibbs as falsetto ...

The rise and fall of the brothers Gibb—Barry, Robin, Maurice, and younger brother Andy—is perhaps the greatest saga in Australian music history.Although the Bee Gees enjoyed several rebirths in a career that spanned many decades, it seemed that tragedy followed the Gibbs like a curse. For every incredible career high there was a hefty personal downside: divorce, drunkenness, and death seemed as synonymous with the Gibbs as falsetto harmonies, flares, and multi-platinum record sales...

A pure drop explores all of Buckley's fascinating facets and seeks to explain why he became so extraordinarily influential. It was his take on John Cale's cover version of Leonard Cohen's rather obscure song 'Hallelujah' that made the number famous and one solitary album - Grace - that caused everyone from Led Zeppelin and U2 to Radiohead and Coldplay to look up to Buckley as an illuminating spirit. This meticulous exploration of the short life of Jeff Buckley draws on personal letters and...

The life, death and rock'n'roll rollercoaster career of AC/DC frontman Bon Scott.Bon Scott was once asked if he was AC or DC. 'Neither,' he grinned, 'I'm the lightning flash in the middle.' And that's how he lived his life.No one had the same skill with lyrics as Bon, who called his words 'toilet poetry', his 'dirty ditties'. He could also vividly depict life on the road, best heard in the AC/DC classics 'Long Way to the Top' and 'Highway to Hell'.W...