Music News:  Billy Thorpe Dies

Bloc Party's second full-length album - "A Weekend In The City" - has reached ARIA GOLD sales status, shipping out over 35,000 units across the nation.

Produced by Jacknife Lee and recoded at Grouse Lodge Studios in Ireland, Bloc Party's impressive follow up to the celebrated "Silent Alarm" has been met by mixed response by fans - despite the fact the rather unusal single The Prayer is going gangbusters.

So it's no surprise to hear that the boys are heading downunder to play a series of shows. The rumour mill has it that this may be the last time the guys will be seen together with talks that BP are on the verge of a breakup due to lead singer Kele Okereke's plans for a solo career.

For those interested, Bloc Party will be playing Festival Hall in Melbourne 3 August and Sydney's Horden Pavillion 4 August, with tickets on sale from March 16.The Australian music industry and music fans around the world were in a state of mourning after the terrible loss of a revered musical hero - Billy Thorpe.

Just shy of his 61st birthday, Billy succumbed to a massive heart attack at 2.30am EST (February 28, 2007) in Sydney, Australia.  A fit and energetic musician, who was still performing as recently as last Sunday night when he did a solo acoustic show at Westenport Hotel on Phillip Island in Victoria, left the country in shock.

His last recorded project is a semi-acoustic work of both old and new classic Thorpe compositions, recorded at The Basement in Sydney in December. He had also been working on a ground-breaking multimedia project titled 'Tangier' which was in the final stages of mixing.  A decision about its release has yet to be discussed and is expected to be announced within the next few weeks.

Most importantly, Billy had been working tirelessly in his new position on the board of Support Act Limited - a charity that assists musicians and their families with financial support in time of need. Support Act Limited is incorporated in both New South Wales and Victoria.  Last year’s tribute concert to Lobby Loyde, Billy's old Aztec guitarist mate, was a cornerstone in marking the level of support within the music industry fraternity. Today many members of that family have joined in an outpouring of love and support to Billy's wife Lynne and daughters Lauren and Rusty.

Billy's long time friend and manager, Michael Chugg, said “His reputation always preceded him as loudly as his amps turned up to 11. He gave 110% in everything he did. His performance, his love of his family, his support of his fellow musicians was both passionate and selfless - he was the first ones to put up his hand when anybody else was in trouble. It was the initiatives he took as a young musician, moving forward with his career, that laid the pathway for Australian rock acts such as Cold Chisel, AC/DC and The Oils. A great Australian has passed away today and no-one will ever stand up again like my good friend, Billy Thorpe”.

Fellow musician and Support Act Limited Board member, Brian Cadd, commented, “Billy was always the most positive, most definitely, loudest and greatest vibe in any room he was in! Whenever I spent time with him, I would go away much more determined to write, record or perform better. Billy was an inspiration to us all”.

Music Guru, Molly Meldrum, mentioned that he remembers Billy Thorpe as the first Australian independent artist he saw live at Surf City in Sydney: "It was around 1965 and a bunch of us had come up to the ‘big smoke’ from Melbourne. Seeing Billy perform live that night, long before I was working in the industry, was a life altering experience and one I’ve never forgotten. If Johnny O’Keefe was the Godfather of Australian rock then Billy Thorpe was surely its chairman of the board.”

A public service will be held on Sunday afternoon (March 4, 2007) in Sydney. Further details will be announced soon.