Beloved Australian ARIA-award winning musician who was in the country's first big rock band dies aged 76 READ MORE: Iconic New Zealand actress Glenis Levestam dead at 87 By Jimmy Briggs For Daily Mail Australia Published: 00:48, 24 September 2024 | Updated: 00:52, 24 September 2024 e-mail View comments Beloved Australian bass guitarist Dick Diamonde died earlier this month aged 76. The iconic musician was a founding member of legendary rock band The Easybeats, who emerged as Australia's first internationally successful rock act in the 1960s. He was born Dingeman van der Sluijs in the Netherlands in 1947 and emigrated to Australia with his parents when he was a young child.
Australian music journalist Glenn A. Baker confirmed the heartbreaking news on social media. 'The Easybeats turned Australia upside down – they were like our Beatles and Rolling Stones combined,' Glenn began.
'Founding member Dick was, like so many bass players, a sober anchor in the band. Farewell!' Alongside lead singer Stevie Wright and fellow musicians George Young and Harry Vanda, The Easybeats took America by storm and at one point rivalled The Beatles in popularity. Their 1966 hit song Friday on my Mind reached number one on the Australian charts and number 16 in America, becoming the first Aussie song to crack the US top 20.
Beloved Australian bass guitarist Dick Diamonde died earlier this month aged 76. Pictured in 1967 Read More MasterChef star and beloved celebrity chef dead at 64 With his band he had several other hit singles, including Sorry and Good Times, which was covered by INXS and Jimmy Barnes in 1987. Diamonde remained with the band for their entire run from 1964 - 1969, after which he retired from music and lived a quiet life.
The band's story was later dramatised in 2017 in the ABC mini-series Friday on my Mind, in which Preacher star Du Toit Bredenkamp portrayed Dick. The Eastbeats were also inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2005, for their contributions to the music industry. Diamonde is survived by his ex-wife Charlene Collins.
The iconic musician was a founding member of legendary rock band The Easybeats, who emerged as Australia's first internationally successful rock band in the 1960s. Pictured in 1965 The Easybeats' 1966 hit song Friday on my Mind reached number one on the Australian charts and number 16 in America, becoming the first Aussie song to crack the US top 20 Celeb Deaths Jimmy Barnes The Beatles Share or comment on this article: Beloved Australian ARIA-award winning musician who was in the country's first big rock band dies aged 76 e-mail Add comment.
