The Hottest Bird On The Planet

At the end of the Austalian ABC miniseries on the Easybeats, the manager says: “Our little Jehovah’s Witness [Dick Diamonde] just bagged the hottest bird on the planet.”

According to Wikipedia: “By October 1969 the Easybeats had disbanded and according to Young, Diamonde was “having a ball just being Dick.”[6] In that same month his mother reflected, “He has given up the faith… We never encouraged him to follow this life. As Jehovah’s Witnesses we do not believe in creature worship… It is not right the children idolise him.”

From the Advertiser in Adelaide in 2014:

Stevie Wright was the migrant kid who became the frontman for iconic Aussie rock outfit The Easybeats. But with the fame came a lifetime of pain.

…In the end, though, the heroin won and Stevie spiralled into years of addiction. Desperate to kick his habit, he even checked in to the notorious Chelmsford Private Hospital where he was subjected to deep-sleep therapy and electric shocks, treatment that would have a lasting – and devasting – effect.

When he did finally shake the drugs, he simply replaced them with alcohol, drinking a bottle, sometimes two, of southern Comfort a day. He developed Korsakoff’s syndrome, a brain disorder associated with alcohol abuse.

But that’s all in the past – Stevie’s in a good place now.

Speaking from his home, in a respite centre on the New South Wales south coast, the now 65-year-old rocker is quick to laugh as he recalls the good times.

About Luke Ford

I've written five books (see Amazon.com). My work has been covered in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and on 60 Minutes. I teach Alexander Technique in Beverly Hills (Alexander90210.com).
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