Dick Diamonde

Last updated

Dick Diamonde
Dick Diamonde 1968 (cropped).jpg
Diamonde performing in 1968
Background information
Birth nameDingeman Adriaan Henry van der Sluijs
Born(1947-12-28)28 December 1947
Hilversum, Netherlands
Origin Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Died18 September 2024(2024-09-18) (aged 76)
GenresRock
OccupationMusician
InstrumentBass guitar
Years active1964–1969, 1986
Labels Parlophone, Albert

Dingeman Adriaan Henry van der Sluijs (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈdɪŋəˌmɑnˈɑdriaːnˈɦɛnriˈvɑndərˈslœys] ; 28 December 1947 – 18 September 2024), better known by his stage name Dick Diamonde, was an Australian bass guitarist. He was a founding mainstay member of the Easybeats. Diamonde, with the group, was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2005.

Contents

Early years

Dingeman Adriaan Henry van der Sluijs was born in 1947 in Hilversum, Netherlands. [1] His father is Harry van der Sluijs (also seen as Vandersluys) and he has a younger sister. [2] Diamonde emigrated with his family from the Netherlands to Australia when he was four years old. [3] Diamonde was raised in a Jehovah's Witness family, living in the suburb of Villawood near the migrant hostel of that name. [3] [4]

The Easybeats

Widely regarded as Australia's greatest pop group of the mid-1960s, The Easybeats had their beginnings in Sydney's Villawood Migrant Hostel. [4] [5] All of the five founding members were migrants to Australia from Europe. [4] In mid-1964 the group was formed by van der Sluys (renamed as Dick Diamonde) on bass guitar. He was joined by fellow Dutchman Johannes van den Berg (known as Harry Vanda) on lead guitar and vocals, George Young from Scotland on guitar and vocals, and two Englishmen: lead singer Stevie Wright (Yorkshire) and drummer Snowy Fleet (Liverpool). [4] [5]

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 idolize him." [2] In September 1986, Diamonde participated in a reunion of the Easybeats for a series of concerts touring Australian capitals in the following two months. [7] [8] According to Stuart Coupe of The Canberra Times Diamonde had been "playing with a series of small-time bands up the north-east coast." [8] The group was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2005. [3]

Death

Diamonde died on 18 September 2024, at the age of 76. [9] [10]

Discography

Studio albums

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Easybeats</span> Australian rock band

The Easybeats were an Australian rock band which formed in Sydney in late 1964. They are best known for their 1966 hit single "Friday on My Mind", which is regarded as the first Australian rock song to achieve international success; Rolling Stone described it as "the first international victory for Oz rock". One of the most popular and successful bands in the country, they were one of the few Australian bands of their time to foreground their original material; their first album Easy (1965) was one of the earliest Australian rock albums featuring all original songs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Villawood Immigration Detention Centre</span> Immigration Detention Centre in Sydney, Australia

Villawood Immigration Detention Centre, originally Villawood Migrant Hostel or Villawood Migrant Centre, split into a separate section named Westbridge Migrant Hostel from 1968 to 1984, is an Australian immigration detention facility located in the suburb of Villawood in Sydney, Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harry Vanda</span> Australian musician (born 1946)

Johannes Hendrikus Jacob van den Berg, better known as his stage name Harry Vanda, is an Australian musician, songwriter and record producer. He is best known as lead guitarist of the 1960s Australian rock band the Easybeats who with fellow member George Young formed the 1970s and 1980s songwriting and record production duo Vanda & Young.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Young (rock musician)</span> Australian rock musician (1946–2017)

George Redburn Young was an Australian musician, songwriter and record producer. He was a founding member of the bands The Easybeats and Flash and the Pan, and was one-half of the songwriting and production duo Vanda & Young with his long-time musical collaborator Harry Vanda, with whom he co-wrote the international hits "Friday on My Mind" and "Love Is in the Air", the latter recorded by John Paul Young.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stevie Wright</span> Australian singer (1947–2015)

Stephen Carlton Wright was an Australian singer, songwriter, and musician. Called Australia's first international pop star, he is best known for being the lead singer of the Easybeats, who are widely regarded as the greatest Australian pop band of the 1960s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Friday on My Mind</span> 1966 single by The Easybeats

"Friday on My Mind" is a 1966 song by Australian rock group The Easybeats. Written by band members George Young and Harry Vanda, the track became a worldwide hit, reaching No.16 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in May 1967 in the US, No.1 on the Dutch Top 40 chart, No.1 in Australia and No.6 in the UK, as well as charting in several other countries. In 2001, it was voted "Best Australian Song" of all time by the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) as determined by a panel of 100 music industry personalities. In 2007, "Friday on My Mind" was added to the National Film and Sound Archive's Sounds of Australia registry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ten Pound Poms</span> Immigration plan

Ten Pound Poms were British citizens who migrated to Australia and New Zealand after the Second World War. The Government of Australia initiated the Assisted Passage Migration Scheme in 1945, and the Government of New Zealand initiated a similar scheme in 1947. The Australian government arranged for assisted passage to Australia on chartered ships and aircraft.

Ladislav "Les" Scheinflug is a former professional soccer player and manager. Born in Germany, he played for the Australia national team.

<i>Easy</i> (Easybeats album) 1965 studio album by The Easybeats

Easy is the debut studio album by the Australian rock band the Easybeats, released on 23 September 1965.

<i>Its 2 Easy</i> 1966 studio album by The Easybeats

It's 2 Easy is the second studio album by Australian rock band the Easybeats. Released on 24 March 1966, the album featured four hit singles; "Wedding Ring", "Sad and Lonely and Blue", "Women " and "Come And See Her".

<i>Volume 3</i> (Easybeats album) 1966 studio album by The Easybeats

Volume 3 is a studio album by the Australian rock band The Easybeats, released on 3 November 1966. It was the third and final album from the group recorded in Australia before relocating to England.

<i>The Best of The Easybeats + Pretty Girl</i> 1967 greatest hits album by The Easybeats

The Best of The Easybeats + Pretty Girl is the first compilation album by The Easybeats featuring a selection of songs recorded by the group between 1965 and 1966. The album was originally released in Australia and New Zealand under the Parlophone label under the then current licensing arrangement by the band's production company Albert Productions.

<i>Friends</i> (Easybeats album) 1970 studio album by The Easybeats

Friends is the sixth and final studio album by Australian rock band the Easybeats. It was released in early 1970 as part of the group's new recording contract with Polydor Records. It would be the only album Polydor released of the band as they broke up before its release.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vanda & Young</span> Australian songwriting/producing duo

Vanda & Young were an Australian songwriting and producing duo composed of Harry Vanda and George Young. They performed as members of 1960s Australian rock group the Easybeats where Vanda was their lead guitarist and backing singer and Young was their rhythm guitarist and backing singer. Vanda & Young co-wrote all of the Easybeats' later songs including their international hit "Friday on My Mind" and they produced themselves from 1967. Young was the older brother of Malcolm and Angus Young of the hard rock band AC/DC and younger brother of Alexander Young of the English band Grapefruit.

Van der Sluijs is a Dutch surname. Meaning "from the locks / sluice" it could have a toponymic origin or could be a metonymic occupational surname. Alternative spellings are Van der Sluys, Van der Sluis, and Van der Slice while some or all compounds can be concatenated and capitalized outside the Netherlands. Notable people with the surname include:

<i>Good Friday</i> (album) 1967 studio album by The Easybeats

Good Friday is the fourth studio album by The Easybeats, released in May 1967. It was the first album released after the band signed an international recording deal with United Artists Records. The original UK album was released in May 1967. Although "Friday on My Mind" was a big single in the UK, the album failed to make the top 40.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Music Goes 'Round My Head</span> 1967 song performed by The Easybeats

"The Music Goes 'Round My Head" is a 1967 song and single by Australian rock group The Easybeats, which was written by band members George Young and Harry Vanda.

<i>Friday on My Mind</i> (miniseries) 2017 Australian TV series or program

Friday On My Mind is an Australian television drama miniseries, based on the lives of Australian rock band The Easybeats, which first screened on the ABC in November 2017. The series is produced by Playmaker Media and was written by Christopher Lee and directed by Matthew Saville.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Come and See Her</span> 1966 single by The Easybeats

"Come and See Her" is a song written by Stevie Wright and George Young. It was released as the sixth single for their Australian rock group the Easybeats in April 1966, which reached No. 3 on the Australian charts. It was the group's debut single in the United Kingdom, issued on the United Artists Records in July.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snowy Fleet</span> Musical artist

Gordon Fleet, known professionally as Snowy Fleet, is an English-born Australian drummer.

References

  1. ↑ "the easybeats". The Good Neighbour . ACT: National Library of Australia. 1 June 1967. p. 4. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
  2. 1 2 Kusko, Julie (15 October 1969). "A family reunion for the Easybeats". The Australian Women's Weekly . National Library of Australia. pp. 8–9. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 "2006/126/1 Award, 'ARIA Hall of Fame', awarded to 'Dick Diamonde from 'The Easybeats' ', metal / cloth, designed by Mark Denning, made by Northside Patternmakers, Australia, 2005". Powerhouse Museum Collection. Powerhouse Museum. 2006. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 4 McFarlane, Ian (1999). "Encyclopedia entry for 'Stevie Wright'". Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop . St Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin. ISBN   1-86508-072-1. Archived from the original on 19 April 2004. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
  5. 1 2 Elder, Bruce. "The Easybeats | Biography & History". AllMusic . All Media Guide . Retrieved 16 November 2015.
  6. ↑ Munson Christobel; Foster, Michael (11 October 1969). "Chasing Beats". The Canberra Times . National Library of Australia. p. 17. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
  7. ↑ Nestel, Christine (11 September 1986). "Easybeats get together for 'a bit of fun'". The Canberra Times. National Library of Australia. p. 3 Supplement: The Good Times. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
  8. 1 2 Coupe, Stuart (9 November 1986). "Legendary band back in action". The Canberra Times. National Library of Australia. p. 11. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
  9. ↑ Cashmere, Paul (22 September 2024). "R.I.P. Dick Diamonde of The Easybeats". Noise11.com. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
  10. ↑ Gossling, Bronte (24 September 2024). "'Helped shape the sound of a generation': Legendary The Easybeats guitarist Dick Diamonde dies aged 76". Nine Entertainment. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "The Easybeats". Toppermost. 28 October 2017.
  12. 1 2 3 "Kram, Tim Rogers, Phil Jamieson, Chris Cheney and Tex Perkins join forces for Easybeats tribute gigs". The Courier Mail. 2 December 2017. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 Larkin, Colin (1998). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music: Dutch Swing College Band-Heptones. Muze. p. 1695.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.