Like so many music lovers, I was saddened to wake up to the news that Stevie Wright has passed away at age 68.
This isn’t one of those bolt from the blue deaths. Stevie’s been battling ill health for decades. But that doesn’t make the news of his passing any less tragic. I don’t know about you, but sometimes when a person seems to keep soldiering on despite ill health you almost start thinking that they’re made from stronger stuff than the rest of us, and that somehow they’re just going to keep on keeping on.
Stevie rose to fame as the frontman of The Easybeats in the 1960s. I’ve often marvelled at the way that songs like “Friday on my Mind” and “Sorry” still sound fresh as daisies despite all the years that have passed since their release. For me though, the name Stevie Wright will always be synonymous with the epic “Evie.” It was only on Boxing Day that I gave the DJ on the radio a thumbs up for playing parts 2 and 3, rather than just cutting it off at part 1 as so many do. It’s one of the best story songs of all time in my opinion, and that story deserves to be sold in its entirety.
RIP Stevie. I hope you’re up there rocking out with all of the greats who’ve gone before you. Thank you for the music.