Brian George Cadd
AM (born 29 November 1946) is an Australian singer-songwriter, keyboardist, producer and record label founder, a staple of Australian entertainment for over 50 years. As well as working internationally throughout Europe and the United States, he has performed as a member of numerous bands including
the Groop
The Groop were an Australian folk, R&B and rock band formed in 1964 in Melbourne, Victoria and had their greatest chart success with their second line-up of Max Ross on bass, Richard Wright on drums and vocals, Don Mudie on lead guitar, Brian ...
,
Axiom
An axiom, postulate, or assumption is a statement that is taken to be true, to serve as a premise or starting point for further reasoning and arguments. The word comes from the Ancient Greek word (), meaning 'that which is thought worthy or f ...
,
the Bootleg Family Band
The Bootleg Family Band were an Australian folk, R&B and rock band formed in 1973 by Brian Cadd on lead vocals with Geoff Cox on drums, Tony Naylor on lead guitar, Penny Dyer on backing vocals, Gus Fenwick on bass guitar, Brian Fitzgerald on k ...
and in America with
Flying Burrito Brothers
The Flying Burrito Brothers are an American country rock band, best known for their influential 1969 debut album, ''The Gilded Palace of Sin''. Although the group is perhaps best known for its connection to band founders Gram Parsons and Chris ...
before carving out a solo career in 1972.
He briefly went under the pseudonym of Brian Caine in late 1966, when first joining the Groop.
Cadd produced fellow Australian acts Robin Jolley,
Ronnie Burns,
Broderick Smith
Broderick Smith (born 17 February 1948) is an English-born Australian multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter and sometime actor. He was a member of 1970s bands Sundown, Carson and the Dingoes, 1980s Broderick Smith's Big Combo and he has rec ...
,
Tina Arena
Filippina Lydia "Tina" Arena (born 1 November 1967) is an Australian singer-songwriter, musician, musical theatre actress and record producer. She is one of Australia's highest-selling artists and has sold over 10 million records worldwid ...
and
Glenn Shorrock
Glenn Barrie Shorrock (born 30 June 1944) is an English-born Australian singer-songwriter. He was a founding member of rock bands the Twilights, Axiom, Little River Band and post LRB spin-off trio Birtles Shorrock Goble, as well as being a solo ...
;
and established his own record label called Bootleg Records.
He also composed or performed music for the films ''
Alvin Purple
''Alvin Purple'' is a 1973 Australian sex comedy film starring Graeme Blundell in the title role; the screenplay was written by Alan Hopgood and directed by Tim Burstall, through his production company Hexagon Productions and Village Roadshow ...
'', ''
Alvin Purple Rides Again
''Alvin Rides Again'' is a 1974 Australian sex-comedy film sequel to ''Alvin Purple''. It was directed by David Bilcock and Robin Copping, who were regular collaborators with Tim Burstall.David Stratton, ''The Last New Wave: The Australian Film ...
'', ''
Fatal Vision
The controversy over ''Fatal Vision'', journalist and author Joe McGinniss's best-selling 1983 true crime book, is a decades-long dispute spanning several court cases and discussed in several other published works.
''Fatal Vision'' focuses on ...
'', ''
The Return of the Living Dead
''The Return of the Living Dead'' is a 1985 American comedy horror film written and directed by Dan O'Bannon in his directorial debut, and starring Clu Gulager, James Karen, Thom Matthews and Don Calfa. The film tells the story of how a ware ...
'', ''Vampires on Bikini Beach'', ''
Morning of the Earth
''Morning of the Earth'' is a 1971 classic surf film by Alby Falzon and David Elfick.
The film's soundtrack was produced by G. Wayne Thomas and included music and songs by noted Australian music acts Tamam Shud, John J. Francis, Brian Cadd, Mik ...
'' and ''
The Heartbreak Kid'' and for television ''
Class of 74'', ''
The Midnight Special'' and
Don Kirshner
Donald Kirshner (April 17, 1934 – January 17, 2011) was an American music publisher, music consultant, rock music record producer, producer, talent manager, and songwriter. Dubbed "the Man with the Golden Ear" by Time (magazine), ''Time' ...
's ''
Rock Concert
A rock concert is a performance of rock music.
During the 1950s, several American musical groups experimented with new musical forms that fused country music, blues, and swing genre to produce the earliest examples of "rock and roll." The coin ...
''.
His songwriting for other acts includes
The Masters Apprentices
The Masters Apprentices (or The Masters to fans) were an Australian rock band fronted by Jim Keays on lead vocals, which originally formed as The Mustangs in 1964 in Adelaide, South Australia, relocated to Melbourne, Victoria in February 1967 ...
,
The Bootleg Family Band
The Bootleg Family Band were an Australian folk, R&B and rock band formed in 1973 by Brian Cadd on lead vocals with Geoff Cox on drums, Tony Naylor on lead guitar, Penny Dyer on backing vocals, Gus Fenwick on bass guitar, Brian Fitzgerald on k ...
, Ronnie Burns,
The Pointer Sisters
The Pointer Sisters are an American pop and R&B singing group from Oakland, California, that achieved mainstream success during the 1970s and 1980s. Their repertoire has included such diverse genres as pop, jazz, electronic music, bebop, b ...
,
Little River Band
Little River Band (LRB) are a rock band originally formed in Melbourne, Australia, in March 1975. The band achieved commercial success in both Australia and the United States. They have sold more than 30 million records; six studio albums rea ...
and
John Farnham
John Peter Farnham Officer of the Order of Australia, AO (born 1 July 1949) is a British born Australian singer. Farnham was a Teen idol, teen pop idol from 1967 until 1979, billed then as Johnny Farnham, but has since forged a career as an Adu ...
.
In 2007, Cadd was inducted into the
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing th ...
(ARIA)
Hall of Fame
A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or Wiktionary:fame, fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actu ...
. He was awarded in the
Queens Birthday Honours in 2018, along with late musician
Phil Emmanuel
Phillip Ernest Emmanuel (6 July 1952 – 24 May 2018) was an Australian guitar player who found fame with The Trailblazers, and as the older brother of musician Tommy Emmanuel. He played with many other Australian artists including INXS, Jimmy ...
for his 50-year service to the music industry as a singer, songwriter, instrumentalist, mentor and producer and his work in production.
Early years
Cadd was born and raised in
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
, and was a
child prodigy
A child prodigy is defined in psychology research literature as a person under the age of ten who produces meaningful output in some domain at the level of an adult expert. The term is also applied more broadly to young people who are extraor ...
: winning a TV talent quest when 12 and being offered his first professional job as a pianist for a children's TV program.
His family relocated to
Tasmania
)
, nickname =
, image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdi ...
and then
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
, where Cadd became involved in jazz music of the early 1960s, playing with the Beale Street Jazz Band
ick Mabin, tpt; Frank Turner, d.and The Castaways. He was also widely renowned for his zany hats.
By 1965 The Castaways became The Jackson Kings playing
R&B, with Cadd on piano and Ronnie Charles on vocals they recorded two singles "Watch Your Step" and "Watermelon Man" by April 1966.
Career
1966–1969: The Groop
The Groop
The Groop were an Australian folk, R&B and rock band formed in 1964 in Melbourne, Victoria and had their greatest chart success with their second line-up of Max Ross on bass, Richard Wright on drums and vocals, Don Mudie on lead guitar, Brian ...
formed in Melbourne in 1964 and 1965 and had recorded singles, an
EP and an
LP, before Cadd and Charles were asked to join in October 1966 along with guitarist Don Mudie.
On advice from pop magazine ''
Go-Set
''Go-Set'' was the first Australian pop music newspaper, published weekly from 2 February 1966 to 24 August 1974, and was founded in Melbourne by Phillip Frazer, Peter Raphael and Tony Schauble. NOTE: This PDF is 282 pages. Widely described as ...
'' writer
Ian "Molly" Meldrum Cadd changed his surname to Caine, before changing it back after his family protested.
The new line-up was: Cadd, Charles, Mudie and Max Ross on bass and Richard Wright on drums.
The first single for this line-up was "Woman You're Breaking Me" (written by Cadd and Wright)
which reached No. 6 in Melbourne
and No. 12 in Sydney in July 1967.It was also a hit in parts of the US. Melbourne singer
Ronnie Burns had a local hit with "When I Was Six Years Old"
written by Cadd (who also produced)
and Ross.
The band won a trip to UK from the 1967
Hoadley's National Battle of the Sounds;
publishers sent "When I Was Six Years Old" to England where it was recorded by
Manfred Mann
Manfred Mann were an English rock band, formed in London and active between 1962 and 1969. The group were named after their keyboardist Manfred Mann, who later led the successful 1970s group Manfred Mann's Earth Band. The band had two differen ...
's lead vocalist
Paul Jones.
The Groop arrived in UK as the single was released and managed to get a deal with
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
, then they toured there and in Germany.
Band members had written most of their hits in Australia, but CBS decided they would cover an Italian ballad, "What's the Good of Goodbye", which failed to chart. The Groop returned to Australia by October 1968 and Ross left,
they released two more singles, including "Such A Lovely Way" before disbanding in May 1969.
Their last recorded work was an uncredited appearance as instrumental support on
Russell Morris
Russell Norman Morris (born 31 July 1948) is an Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist who had five Australian Top 10 singles during the late 1960s and early 1970s. On 1 July 2008, the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) recog ...
' No. 1 single "
The Real Thing The Real Thing or Real Thing may refer to:
Film and television
* The Real Thing (film), ''The Real Thing'' (film) or ''Livers Ain't Cheap'', a 1996 American film
* ''The Real Thing'', a 1980 television documentary by James Burke (science historian) ...
".
[ Note: Used for Australian Singles and Albums charting from 1970 until ARIA created their own charts in mid-1988.]
1969–1971: Axiom
Following the break-up of The Groop, Cadd and Mudie formed
Axiom
An axiom, postulate, or assumption is a statement that is taken to be true, to serve as a premise or starting point for further reasoning and arguments. The word comes from the Ancient Greek word (), meaning 'that which is thought worthy or f ...
in May 1969 with
Glenn Shorrock
Glenn Barrie Shorrock (born 30 June 1944) is an English-born Australian singer-songwriter. He was a founding member of rock bands the Twilights, Axiom, Little River Band and post LRB spin-off trio Birtles Shorrock Goble, as well as being a solo ...
(ex-
The Twilights
The Twilights were an Australian rock band that formed in Adelaide in 1964. The band developed from a three-piece acapella group consisting of Glenn Shorrock, Mike Sykes and Clem "Paddy" McCartney, who merged with instrumental group the Hurric ...
) on vocals, Doug Lavery (ex-The Valentines) on drums and Chris Stockley (ex-
Cam-Pact
Cam-Pact was an Australian soul and psychedelic pop band which formed in April 1967. Originally they performed as The Camp Act but soon changed to Cam-Pact (or CamPact). Although little known outside Melbourne at the time, the various lineups of ...
) on guitar.
Cadd and Mudie were the primary songwriters for Axiom including their three hit singles.
They signed with
EMI
EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British Transnational corporation, transnational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in March 1 ...
and released their debut single "Arkansas Grass" which reached No. 7 in December 1969, followed by "A Little Ray of Sunshine" (although Cadd did not write 'A Little Ray of Sunshine' this song was written by the Groop following the birth of a members daughter, pre Axiom, however the deemed it to be "not rock and roll enough" and allowed Cadd to record) at No. 5 in April 1970.
Axiom travelled to England and attempted to enter the UK market but had no chart success.
Then, relocating to the US, they released their single "My Baby's Gone" in January 1971, this was followed by their second album ''If Only...'' in September.
However, Axiom had already disbanded by March and Cadd returned to Australia.
Shorrock later became the lead singer for
Little River Band
Little River Band (LRB) are a rock band originally formed in Melbourne, Australia, in March 1975. The band achieved commercial success in both Australia and the United States. They have sold more than 30 million records; six studio albums rea ...
and Stockley joined
the Dingoes
The Dingoes are an Australian country rock band. They were initially active from 1973 to 1979, and reformed in 2009. Initially based in Melbourne, the band relocated to the United States from 1976. The most stable line-up comprised John Bois on ...
.
1972–1975: The Bootleg Family Band, ''Brian Cadd'', ''Parabrahm'' and ''Moonshine'' albums
Cadd and Mudie, as a duet, released "Show Me the Way" which reached No. 15 in early 1972.
Cadd turned to producing other acts and recording solo material on his own Bootleg Records label which was set up under
Ron Tudor
Ronald Stewart Tudor MBE (18 May 1924 – 21 August 2020) was an Australian music producer, engineer, label owner and record industry executive. He started his career with W&G Records in 1956 as a sales representative; he became their in-hous ...
's Fable Records.
"Ginger Man" was the first single from Cadd's self-titled debut album, released in November 1972 on Bootleg Records.
Bootleg was based along similar lines to US pianist
Leon Russell
Leon Russell (born Claude Russell Bridges; April 2, 1942 – November 13, 2016) was an American musician and songwriter who was involved with numerous bestselling records during his 60-year career that spanned multiple genres, including rock and ...
's
Shelter Records
Shelter Records was a U.S. record label started by Leon Russell and Denny Cordell that operated from 1969 to 1981. The company established offices in both Los Angeles and Tulsa, Russell's home town, where the label sought to promote a "workshop ...
– signed artists recorded and toured together as a
The Bootleg Family Band
The Bootleg Family Band were an Australian folk, R&B and rock band formed in 1973 by Brian Cadd on lead vocals with Geoff Cox on drums, Tony Naylor on lead guitar, Penny Dyer on backing vocals, Gus Fenwick on bass guitar, Brian Fitzgerald on k ...
.
Studio musicians used by Cadd became the Bootleg Family Band and had their own hit single by covering
Loggins and Messina
Loggins and Messina was an American rock- pop duo consisting of Kenny Loggins and Jim Messina, who achieved their success in the early to mid-1970s. Among their well-known songs are "Danny's Song", "House at Pooh Corner", and "Your Mama Don't D ...
's "Your Mama Don't Dance", where Cadd provided lead vocals.
Cadd also won the composer's section of Hoadley's Battle of the Sounds for 1972 with his song, "Don't You Know It's Magic", this became a top 20 hit for John Farnham (known then as "Johnny" Farnham).
The song also won the 'Most Outstanding Composition' award at the Tokyo World Popular Song Festival, with Cadd performing there live. Cadd released a second album, ''
Parabrahm'', in 1973, and followed with the theme song and score for the 1973 movie ''
Alvin Purple
''Alvin Purple'' is a 1973 Australian sex comedy film starring Graeme Blundell in the title role; the screenplay was written by Alan Hopgood and directed by Tim Burstall, through his production company Hexagon Productions and Village Roadshow ...
'' (Australia's first
R-rated comedy) and its sequel ''
Alvin Purple Rides Again
''Alvin Rides Again'' is a 1974 Australian sex-comedy film sequel to ''Alvin Purple''. It was directed by David Bilcock and Robin Copping, who were regular collaborators with Tim Burstall.David Stratton, ''The Last New Wave: The Australian Film ...
'' in 1975. After releasing his third solo album, ''
Moonshine
Moonshine is high-proof liquor that is usually produced illegally. The name was derived from a tradition of creating the alcohol during the nighttime, thereby avoiding detection. In the first decades of the 21st century, commercial dist ...
'' in 1974, Cadd left Australia for the US.
''Moonshine'' was certified gold in Australia by November 1974.
1975–1979: United States
Cadd arrived in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
in 1975 and began working on a record with
Chelsea Records
Chelsea Records was an American-based record company founded by musician, songwriter, and record producer Wes Farrell in 1972. Within the company's first four months, it released its first gold single, ''Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast'' by Wayne N ...
. The label was forced into bankruptcy and ultimately ceased. Cadd then signed with
Capitol Records
Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of note ...
and released his fourth studio album, ''
White On White
''Suprematist Composition: White on White'' (1918) is an abstract oil-on-canvas painting by Kazimir Malevich. It is one of the more well-known examples of the Russian Suprematism movement, painted the year after the October Revolution.
Part ...
'', in 1976. The album was mixed and produced to have a "pop sound" along the lines of
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...
and
Billy Joel
William Martin Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American singer, pianist and songwriter. Commonly nicknamed the "Piano Man (song), Piano Man" after his album and signature song of the same name, he has led a commercially successful career as a solo ...
, but performed poorly in the US. In 1978, Cadd released ''
Yesterdaydreams'' which also performed poorly and his contract with Capitol Records ceased. The track "Yesterdaydreams" was covered by
Bonnie Tyler
Gaynor Sullivan (née Hopkins; born 8 June 1951), known professionally as Bonnie Tyler, is a Welsh singer who is known for her distinctive husky voice. Tyler came to prominence with the release of her 1977 album '' The World Starts Tonight'' a ...
.
1980 - 1993: The Flying Burrito Brothers and Graffiti Records
Early in 1980, Cadd toured France with the "French Elvis",
Johnny Hallyday
Jean-Philippe Léo Smet (; 15 June 1943 – 5 December 2017), better known by his stage name Johnny Hallyday, was a French rock and roll and pop singer and actor, credited for having brought rock and roll to France.
During a career spanning 57 ...
. He recorded solo albums for Interfusion, his songs were also recorded by
Gene Pitney
Gene Francis Alan Pitney (February 17, 1940 – April 5, 2006) was an American singer-songwriter and musician.
Pitney charted 16 top-40 hits in the United States, four in the top ten. In the United Kingdom, he had 22 top-40 hit singles, inclu ...
,
Glen Campbell
Glen Travis Campbell (April 22, 1936 – August 8, 2017) was an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, actor and television host. He was best known for a series of hit songs in the 1960s and 1970s, and for hosting ''The Glen Campbell Goodt ...
,
Dobie Gray
Dobie Gray (born Lawrence Darrow Brown; July 26, 1940 – December 6, 2011) was an American singer and songwriter whose musical career spanned soul, country, pop, and musical theater. His hit songs included " The 'In' Crowd" in 1965 and "Dr ...
,
Cilla Black
Priscilla Maria Veronica White (27 May 1943 – 1 August 2015), better known as Cilla Black, was an English singer, actress and television presenter.
Championed by her friends the Beatles, Black began her career as a singer in 1963. Her ...
,
Wayne Newton
Carson Wayne Newton (born April 3, 1942) is an American singer and actor. One of the most popular singers in the nation from the mid-to-late 20th-century, Newton remains one of the best-known entertainers in Las Vegas. He is known by the nicknam ...
,
Bonnie Tyler
Gaynor Sullivan (née Hopkins; born 8 June 1951), known professionally as Bonnie Tyler, is a Welsh singer who is known for her distinctive husky voice. Tyler came to prominence with the release of her 1977 album '' The World Starts Tonight'' a ...
,
Joe Cocker
John Robert "Joe" Cocker (20 May 1944 – 22 December 2014) was an English singer known for his gritty, bluesy voice and dynamic stage performances that featured expressive body movements. Most of his best known singles were recordings of son ...
and
Ringo Starr
Sir Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940), known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, singer, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the ...
.
His biggest success occurred when
the Pointer Sisters
The Pointer Sisters are an American pop and R&B singing group from Oakland, California, that achieved mainstream success during the 1970s and 1980s. Their repertoire has included such diverse genres as pop, jazz, electronic music, bebop, b ...
covered "Love is Like a Rolling Stone" as a B-side for their version of "
Fire
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material (the fuel) in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction Product (chemistry), products.
At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called the ignition ...
" which reached No. 2 on the US pop singles charts. In the mid 1980s, Cadd ran a small label called Graffiti Records and worked with
Daryl Somers
Daryl Paul Somers (né Schulz; 6 August 1951) is an Australian television personality and musician, and a triple Gold Logie award-winner. He rose to national fame as the host and executive producer of the long-running comedy-variety program '' ...
and was the first person to sign
Tina Arena
Filippina Lydia "Tina" Arena (born 1 November 1967) is an Australian singer-songwriter, musician, musical theatre actress and record producer. She is one of Australia's highest-selling artists and has sold over 10 million records worldwid ...
.
He released a 1985 album titled ''No Stone Unturned''. The
Charlie Daniels Band
Charles Edward Daniels (October 28, 1936 – July 6, 2020) was an American singer, musician, and songwriter. His music fused rock music, rock, country music, country, blues and jazz, pioneering Southern rock. He was best known for his numb ...
covered his song "Still Hurting Me" from that album on their October 1985 album, ''
Me and the Boys''.
Cadd travelled to Nashville in 1989, joined the
Flying Burrito Brothers
The Flying Burrito Brothers are an American country rock band, best known for their influential 1969 debut album, ''The Gilded Palace of Sin''. Although the group is perhaps best known for its connection to band founders Gram Parsons and Chris ...
in 1991 and toured with them for two years, returning to Australia in 1993.
1993–2015 Return to Australia, The Blazing Salads, ARIA Hall of Fame and autobiography
In 1993, Cadd teamed up with fellow Axiom member,
Shorrock and released an album under the title ''The Blazing Salads'' and completed a two-year tour.
On tour Cadd played his hit songs, along with those of Axiom accompanied by Shorrock.
Veteran rocker
Max Merritt
Maxwell James Merritt (30 April 1941 – 24 September 2020) was a New Zealand-born singer-songwriter and guitarist who was renowned as an interpreter of soul music and R&B. As leader of Max Merritt & The Meteors, his best known hits are " Slipp ...
had also toured Australia with Cadd.
In 1997, he built a recording studio Ginger Man Sound. In March 1998 he took over as CEO of The Streetwise Music Group in Brisbane, eventually becoming a co-owner. The company, which is distributed through
Warner Music
Warner Music Group Corp. ( d.b.a. Warner Music Group, commonly abbreviated as WMG) is an American multinational entertainment and record label conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It is one of the " big three" recording companies and t ...
, now has some 20 acts spread over three labels (Streetwise, Stallion and Belly Laugh).
Cadd is the chairman of the Music Industry Advisory Council (Australia),
President of the
Australian Music Foundation and on the board of the musicians' benevolent organisation, Support Act. Cadd lectures at universities as well as continuing to record and perform, he independently released an album of new material ''Quietly Rusting'' in 2005 featuring musicians like Mark Meyer, Tony Naylor,
Wilbur Wilde
Wilbur Wilde (born Nicholas Robert Aitken on 5 October 1955) is an Australian saxophonist, television personality and radio presenter. He is best known for his work on '' Hey Hey It's Saturday''. He rose to prominence with the bands Ol' 55 and ...
and
Ross Hannaford
Ross Andrew Hannaford (1 December 1950 – 8 March 2016) was an Australian musician, active in numerous local bands. He was often referred to by his nickname "Hanna". Widely regarded as one of the country's finest rock guitarists, he was best kn ...
together with some of Australia's hottest new players including Paul White, Damien Steele-Scott and
James Meston.
In 2007, Cadd was inducted into the
ARIA Hall of Fame
In music, an aria (Italian: ; plural: ''arie'' , or ''arias'' in common usage, diminutive form arietta , plural ariette, or in English simply air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrumental or orchestral accompanime ...
, his acceptance speech included:
Also in 2007, Cadd was inducted into the Australian Songwriters Association (ASA) Songwriters Hall of Fame in recognition of his lifetime of songwriting achievements.
In November 2010, Cadd released his autobiography, ''From This Side of Things''.
In the book Cadd tells the stories of his upbringing in Western Australia where he won a TV talent quest at the age of 12 and worked on a children's TV program as a pianist, about his time in Tasmania and Melbourne where he played jazz with the Beale Street Jazz Band and the Castaways who would become the Jackson Kings. Having success with both the Groop and Axiom as well as his solo success in Australia, working in the United States and Europe for over 20 years and being inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2007 by
Jimmy Barnes
James Dixon "Jimmy" Barnes (née Swan; born 28 April 1956) is a Scottish-born Australian rock singer. His career, both as a solo performer and as the lead vocalist with the rock band Cold Chisel, has made him one of the most popular and best-s ...
.
In 2011, Cadd released a country album, ''
Wild Bulls and Horses'', with his longtime friend
Russell Morris
Russell Norman Morris (born 31 July 1948) is an Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist who had five Australian Top 10 singles during the late 1960s and early 1970s. On 1 July 2008, the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) recog ...
.
2016-present: ''Bulletproof'' and ''Silver City''
In November 2016, Cadd released a new studio album with
the Bootleg Family Band
The Bootleg Family Band were an Australian folk, R&B and rock band formed in 1973 by Brian Cadd on lead vocals with Geoff Cox on drums, Tony Naylor on lead guitar, Penny Dyer on backing vocals, Gus Fenwick on bass guitar, Brian Fitzgerald on k ...
titled ''
Bulletproof
Bulletproofing is the process of making an object capable of stopping a bullet or similar high velocity projectiles (e.g. shrapnel). The term bullet resistance is often preferred because few, if any, practical materials provide complete protectio ...
'', which was credited to Cadd and t he Bootleg Family Band.
In January 2019, Cadd will release a new solo studio album titled ''Silver City''.
Personal life
Cadd, his then partner, and her daughter, were caught in the
flash flood
A flash flood is a rapid flooding of low-lying areas: washes, rivers, dry lakes and depressions. It may be caused by heavy rain associated with a severe thunderstorm, hurricane, or tropical storm, or by meltwater from ice or snow flowing o ...
of the
Mudgeeraba
Mudgeeraba ( ) is a town and suburb in the City of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. In the , the suburb of Mudgeeraba had a population of 13,624 people.
Mudgeeraba's essential character remains one of a nineteenth-century village, and contai ...
River (
Gold Coast, Queensland
The Gold Coast is a coastal city in the state of Queensland, Australia, approximately south-southeast of the centre of the state capital Brisbane. With a population over 600,000, the Gold Coast is the sixth-largest city in Australia, the nati ...
) in February 1999, when their car was washed off a causeway.
All three escaped the sinking car through its windows, but Cadd and his wife were swept away before they could get ashore. They were subsequently rescued by a local resident.
During the 2002
Long Way to the Top Tour, Cadd developed a relationship with one of the promoters, Amanda Pelman, and they are still together. Pelman was a judge on ''
It Takes Two'' between 2006 and 2008, and is a producer, director and TV personality.
Discography
Albums
* ''
Brian Cadd
Brian George Cadd AM (born 29 November 1946) is an Australian singer-songwriter, keyboardist, producer and record label founder, a staple of Australian entertainment for over 50 years. As well as working internationally throughout Europe and the ...
'' (1972)
* ''
Parabrahm'' (1973)
* ''
Moonshine
Moonshine is high-proof liquor that is usually produced illegally. The name was derived from a tradition of creating the alcohol during the nighttime, thereby avoiding detection. In the first decades of the 21st century, commercial dist ...
'' (1974)
* ''
The Magic of Brian Cadd'' (1975)
* ''
White on White
''Suprematist Composition: White on White'' (1918) is an abstract oil-on-canvas painting by Kazimir Malevich. It is one of the more well-known examples of the Russian Suprematism movement, painted the year after the October Revolution.
Part ...
'' (1976)
* ''
Yesterdaydreams'' – (1978)
* ''No Stone Unturned'' (1985)
* ''Cleanskin'' (2003)
* ''Quietly Rusting'' (2005)
* ''
Wild Bulls and Horses'' (with
Russell Morris
Russell Norman Morris (born 31 July 1948) is an Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist who had five Australian Top 10 singles during the late 1960s and early 1970s. On 1 July 2008, the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) recog ...
) (2011)
* ''The Story of Sharky and the Caddman'' (with
Glenn Shorrock
Glenn Barrie Shorrock (born 30 June 1944) is an English-born Australian singer-songwriter. He was a founding member of rock bands the Twilights, Axiom, Little River Band and post LRB spin-off trio Birtles Shorrock Goble, as well as being a solo ...
) (2013)
* ''
Bulletproof
Bulletproofing is the process of making an object capable of stopping a bullet or similar high velocity projectiles (e.g. shrapnel). The term bullet resistance is often preferred because few, if any, practical materials provide complete protectio ...
'' (with
The Bootleg Family Band
The Bootleg Family Band were an Australian folk, R&B and rock band formed in 1973 by Brian Cadd on lead vocals with Geoff Cox on drums, Tony Naylor on lead guitar, Penny Dyer on backing vocals, Gus Fenwick on bass guitar, Brian Fitzgerald on k ...
) (2016)
* ''Silver City'' (2019)
See also
*
The Groop
The Groop were an Australian folk, R&B and rock band formed in 1964 in Melbourne, Victoria and had their greatest chart success with their second line-up of Max Ross on bass, Richard Wright on drums and vocals, Don Mudie on lead guitar, Brian ...
*
Axiom (Australian band)
Axiom was an Australian rock band formed in Melbourne, Victoria, in 1969 that included former Twilights frontman Glenn Shorrock, and Brian Cadd formerly of The Groop.
Biography
Axiom's formation was a by-product of the annual Hoadley's Bat ...
*
The Bootleg Family Band
The Bootleg Family Band were an Australian folk, R&B and rock band formed in 1973 by Brian Cadd on lead vocals with Geoff Cox on drums, Tony Naylor on lead guitar, Penny Dyer on backing vocals, Gus Fenwick on bass guitar, Brian Fitzgerald on k ...
*
The Flying Burrito Brothers
The Flying Burrito Brothers are an American country rock band, best known for their influential 1969 debut album, ''The Gilded Palace of Sin''. Although the group is perhaps best known for its connection to band founders Gram Parsons and Chris ...
Awards and nominations
ARIA Music Awards
The
ARIA Music Awards
The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (commonly known informally as ARIA Music Awards, ARIA Awards, or simply the ARIAs) is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Austr ...
is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of
Australian music
The music of Australia has an extensive history made of music societies. Indigenous Australian music forms a significant part of the unique heritage of a 40,000- to 60,000-year history which produced the iconic didgeridoo. Contemporary fusions of ...
. They commenced in 1987.
!
, -
,
2007
File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
, himself
,
ARIA Hall of Fame
In music, an aria (Italian: ; plural: ''arie'' , or ''arias'' in common usage, diminutive form arietta , plural ariette, or in English simply air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrumental or orchestral accompanime ...
,
,
, -
,
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
, ''The Story of Sharky and The Caddman'' (with
Glenn Shorrock
Glenn Barrie Shorrock (born 30 June 1944) is an English-born Australian singer-songwriter. He was a founding member of rock bands the Twilights, Axiom, Little River Band and post LRB spin-off trio Birtles Shorrock Goble, as well as being a solo ...
)
,
Best Original Soundtrack, Cast or Show Album
,
,
[ARIA Award previous winners. ]
, -
Australian Radio Records Awards
Cadd won Best Male Vocal Album three years in a row between 1972 and 1974.
, -
, 1972
, ''Brian Cadd''
, Best Male Vocal Album
,
, -
, 1973
, ''Parabrahm''
, Best Male Vocal Album
,
, -
, 1974
, ''Moonshine''
, Best Male Vocal Album
,
Australian Songwriter's Hall of Fame
The Australian Songwriters Hall of Fame was established in 2004 to honour the lifetime achievements of some of Australia's greatest songwriters.
, -
, 2007
, himself
, Australian Songwriter's Hall of Fame
,
Go-Set Pop Poll
The Go-Set Pop Poll was coordinated by teen-oriented pop music newspaper, ''
Go-Set
''Go-Set'' was the first Australian pop music newspaper, published weekly from 2 February 1966 to 24 August 1974, and was founded in Melbourne by Phillip Frazer, Peter Raphael and Tony Schauble. NOTE: This PDF is 282 pages. Widely described as ...
'' and was established in February 1966 and conducted an annual poll during 1966 to 1972 of its readers to determine the most popular personalities.
, -
, 1972
, himself
, Songwriter
, style="background:gold;", 1st
King and Queen of Pop Awards
The King and Queen of Pop Awards were voted by the readers of
TV Week
''TV Week'' is a weekly Australian magazine that provides television program listings information and highlights, as well as television-related news.
Content ranges from previews for upcoming storylines of popular television programs, particu ...
. The King of Pop award started in 1967 and ran through to 1978.
, -
, rowspan="3", 1973
, rowspan="3", himself
, Best Songwriter
,
, -
, Most Popular Australian Musician
,
, -
, Contribution to Australian Pop Industry
,
, -
, rowspan="2", 1974
, rowspan="2", himself
, Most Popular Australian Musician
,
, -
, Contribution to Australian Pop Industry
,
, -
Mo Awards
The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards (commonly known informally as the
Mo Awards
The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards (commonly known informally as the Mo Awards) were an annual Australian entertainment industry award, that where established in 1975, to recognise achievements in live entertainment in Australia. They were l ...
), were annual Australian entertainment industry awards. They recognise achievements in live entertainment in Australia from 1975 to 2016. Brian Cadd won one award in that time.
(wins only)
, -
, 2009
, Brian Cadd
, Rock Performer of the Year
,
, -
References
External links
*
Cadd at the Australian Rock DatabaseListen to "With Eyes Closed" at the National Film and Sound Archive
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cadd, Brian
1946 births
ARIA Award winners
ARIA Hall of Fame inductees
Australian pop singers
Living people
The Flying Burrito Brothers members
Musicians from Perth, Western Australia
Australian multi-instrumentalists
Australian singer-songwriters
Australian pianists
Australian keyboardists
Australian expatriates in the United States
Australian record producers
Male pianists
21st-century pianists
21st-century Australian male musicians
21st-century Australian musicians
Australian male singer-songwriters