Difference between revisions 35567792 and 40008528 on enwiki

Australian drummer '''Stewie Speer''' (born [[Melbourne]], [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]], [[June 26]] [[1928]]; died [[Sydney]], [[New South Wales]], [[September 16]] [[1986]]) is best known as a member of the 1960s-70s Australian group [[Max Merritt & The Meteors]]. Like [[Charlie Watts]], Speer was one of many rock players who began their career in jazz, and like other contemporary Australian jazz musicians who worked in popular music – [[Bob Bertles]], [[Bernie McGan(contracted; show full);s band (which included Bernie McGann, Bob Bertles and [[Graham Morgan]]) was introducing Sydney club goers to the latest sounds of [[soul music]]. It was during this period that Stewie succeeded legendary New Zealand actor-drummer [[Bruno Lawrence]] as the drummer in the Latin Quarter's resident band, after Bruno (who was soon to join The Meteors) fell ill with [[hepatitis]].

In the mid-Sixties, Speer was an integral part of the fertile scene that centred on the famous [[El Rocco Jazz Lounge]] in [[
King's Cross, London|Kings Cross]], playing with groups that included by [[John Sangster]], [[Judy Bailey]], pianist [[Col Nolan]], clarinettist [[Don Burrows]], [[Warren Daly]] and others. Founded by [[Arthur James]] in 1957, and developed by musicians including Sydney drummer [[John Pochee]] from 1957-59, the converted plumber's shop at the top of William Street became the epicentre of modern jazz in Sydney in the [[1960s]]. 

(contracted; show full)

Stewie Speer returned to live in Sydney in 1980, and he remained active on the local scene, although the health problems stemming from the 1967 car accident affected him increasingly during his last years. He died of a heart attack in Sydney on [[16 September]] [[1986]], aged 58.

[[Category:Australian jazz musicians|Speer, Stewie]]
[[Category:Jazz drummers|Speer, Stewie]]
[[Category:1928 births|Speer, Stewie]]
[[Category:1986 deaths|Speer, Stewie]]