Biography

The Easybeats were a rock and roll band in the 1960s from Australia. They formed in Sydney in late 1964 and split at the end of 1969. They are widely regarded as the greatest Australian pop band of the Sixties and were the first Australian rock and roll act to score an international pop hit with their classic 1966 single Friday On My Mind (however the folk-pop group, The Seekers, had international hits in 1965). Their manager was former Sydney real estate agent, Mike Vaughan.

The band’s line-up exemplifies the influence of post-war migration on Australian society. All five founding members were from families who had migrated to Australia from Europe; lead singer Stevie Wright was from London, rhythm guitarist George Young (who is the older brother of the AC/DC members Angus and Malcolm Young) was from Glasgow, lead guitarist Harry Vanda and bassist Dick Diamonde were from The Netherlands, and drummer Gordon “Snowy” Henry Fleet was from Bootle, Liverpool, England.