For Australian music fans in the 1960s, the Easybeats were the Beatles and the Stones rolled into one. The group’s vocalist, Stevie Wright, who has died aged 68 after suffering from pneumonia, was one of the most uninhibited and exciting performers of the era, and singers including Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney, Bon Scott of AC/DC and Michael Hutchence of INXS have acknowledged their debt to him.
Between 1965 and 1969, the Easybeats notched up 14 Top 40 hit singles in Australia, including two No 1s, and a chart-topping EP. With the guitarist George Young, Wright co-wrote several of their early hits, including For My Woman, She’s So Fine and Women (Make You Feel Alright). However, it was a composition by Young and the lead guitarist Harry Vanda that broke them out to a global audience.
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