History The Easybeats

The Easybeats were a rock and roll band of the 60s from Australia. They formed in Sydney in late 1964 and split at the end of 1969. They are widely regarded as one of the greatest Australian bands of the swinging sixties and were the first Australian act to score an international pop/rock hit with their classic 1966 single "Friday on My Mind", which has appeared in many albums since (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. In 1967, with the departure of Snowy Fleet from the group, Tony Cahill became the Easybeat's drummer.

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