Stevie Wright Of The Easybeats Dead At 68

Stevie Wright, the frontman for the legendary Australian outfit The Easybeats has died.

He was 68.

Although no cause of death has been determined, what we do know is that Wright began to feel ill on Boxing Day and was taken to Moruya Hospital on the New South Wales south coast on Sunday night.

The ARIA Hall of Fame band got their start in Sydney in 1964 and are best known for numbers like “Friday On My Mind,” “I’ll Make You Happy” and “Wedding Ring.”

“Friday On My Mind” is particularly notable for topping the charts in Australia and going Top 10 in the UK and Top 20 on the Billboard charts in the United States, a feat that no other Australian act had ever done at the time.

The band called it a day in 1969, but Wright, who was affectionately known as “Little Stevie” remained active with the Stevie Wright Band and Stevie Wright & The Allstars.

Wright’s songs have been covered over the years by a range of acts, including everyone from David Bowie to INXS.