Beeb Birtles
Encyclopedia
Beeb Birtles is a Dutch
/ Australia
n musician
, one of the founding members of the Little River Band
.
Birtles emigrated to Australia with his parents in 1957, settling in Adelaide
. He discovered a passion for music while in high school
. During his high school days, he was nicknamed "BB Eyes", after a Dick Tracy
character, which shortly thereafter became "BB". After high school, he formed his first band, Zoot
, moving to Melbourne
. At this time, he adopted his professional name; bandmate Darryl Cotton shortened his nickname to "Beeb", and he anglicised the first two syllables of his legal surname to "Birtles".
Zoot broke up in 1971, and Birtles and Cotton performed together as Frieze for a year. Then, in 1972, Birtles was asked to join the band Mississippi
, which like Zoot had moved from Adelaide to Melbourne. After Mississippi disbanded in 1975, band members Birtles, Graeham Goble
, and Derek Pellicci
recruited Glenn Shorrock
and Ric Formosa
, plus manager Glenn Wheatley
, and formed the Little River Band.
After a run of major international success in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Birtles left the Little River Band in 1983. He had married Donna Brucks, a United States
woman who was the assistant to LRB's booking agent in 1979. They settled in Melbourne and had two daughters, Hannah and Emmie. During this period Birtles produced a number of albums, including the Steve Grace record "Children Of The Western World", the first Australian Christian artist album to be certified gold.
In 1992, Birtles moved to the U.S.
with his wife and children. They briefly settled in Donna's hometown of Jefferson City, Missouri
, before moving to Nashville, Tennessee
, where he and his wife still live (both daughters have since graduated from college in the U.S.). In 1998 Birtles and Bill Cuomo established Sonic Sorbet, a music production company. Sonic Sorbet has produced album
s for a number of recording artists
, including Birtles' first solo
album
Driven by Dreams, released in 2000.
Birtles continues to write music, and performs with Goble and Shorrock as Birtles Shorrock Goble
: The Original Voices of the Little River Band.
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
/ Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, one of the founding members of the Little River Band
Little River Band
Little River Band is an Australian rock band, formed in Melbourne in early 1975.The group chose the name after passing a road sign leading to the Victorian township of Little River, near Geelong, on the way to a performance. Little River Band enjoyed sustained commercial success in not only...
.
Birtles emigrated to Australia with his parents in 1957, settling in Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
. He discovered a passion for music while in high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
. During his high school days, he was nicknamed "BB Eyes", after a Dick Tracy
Dick Tracy
Dick Tracy is a comic strip featuring Dick Tracy, a hard-hitting, fast-shooting and intelligent police detective. Created by Chester Gould, the strip made its debut on October 4, 1931, in the Detroit Mirror. It was distributed by the Chicago Tribune New York News Syndicate...
character, which shortly thereafter became "BB". After high school, he formed his first band, Zoot
Zoot (band)
Zoot are a pop/rock band formed in Adelaide, South Australia in 1965 as Down the Line. They changed their name to Zoot in 1967 and by 1968 had relocated to Melbourne...
, moving to Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. At this time, he adopted his professional name; bandmate Darryl Cotton shortened his nickname to "Beeb", and he anglicised the first two syllables of his legal surname to "Birtles".
Zoot broke up in 1971, and Birtles and Cotton performed together as Frieze for a year. Then, in 1972, Birtles was asked to join the band Mississippi
Mississippi (band)
Mississippi was an Australian band , which featured some big names in Australian rock music, Graeham Goble, Beeb Birtles and Kerryn Tolhurst...
, which like Zoot had moved from Adelaide to Melbourne. After Mississippi disbanded in 1975, band members Birtles, Graeham Goble
Graeham Goble
Graeham George Goble is a musician, singer/songwriter and record producer, best known as a founding member of rock performers Little River Band ....
, and Derek Pellicci
Derek Pellicci
Derek Allan Pellicci is an Australian pop music drummer. He is best known as a founding member of Little River Band...
recruited Glenn Shorrock
Glenn Shorrock
Glenn Barrie Shorrock is an English-born Australian singer-songwriter. He was a founding member of pop groups The Twilights, Axiom and Little River Band as well as being a solo performer....
and Ric Formosa
Ric Formosa
-External links:...
, plus manager Glenn Wheatley
Glenn Wheatley
Glenn Dawson Wheatley is an Australian artist manager and entertainment industry executive.Wheatley began his career as a musician in Brisbane in the mid-1960s and in the late 1960s became nationally famous as a member of leading pop-rock band The Masters Apprentices...
, and formed the Little River Band.
After a run of major international success in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Birtles left the Little River Band in 1983. He had married Donna Brucks, a United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
woman who was the assistant to LRB's booking agent in 1979. They settled in Melbourne and had two daughters, Hannah and Emmie. During this period Birtles produced a number of albums, including the Steve Grace record "Children Of The Western World", the first Australian Christian artist album to be certified gold.
In 1992, Birtles moved to the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
with his wife and children. They briefly settled in Donna's hometown of Jefferson City, Missouri
Jefferson City, Missouri
Jefferson City is the capital of the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Cole County. Located in Callaway and Cole counties, it is the principal city of the Jefferson City metropolitan area, which encompasses the entirety of both counties. As of the 2010 census, the population was 43,079...
, before moving to Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, where he and his wife still live (both daughters have since graduated from college in the U.S.). In 1998 Birtles and Bill Cuomo established Sonic Sorbet, a music production company. Sonic Sorbet has produced album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s for a number of recording artists
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, including Birtles' first solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
Driven by Dreams, released in 2000.
Birtles continues to write music, and performs with Goble and Shorrock as Birtles Shorrock Goble
Birtles Shorrock Goble
Birtles Shorrock Goble are an Australian pop/rock group composed of the three original singers and songwriters of Little River Band, namely Beeb Birtles, Glenn Shorrock, and Graeham Goble. The members are known for their extensive writing and performance of hit songs and distinctive vocal harmonies...
: The Original Voices of the Little River Band.
External links
- Official site (article adapted from this site)