Graeme Strachan

File:Shirley with Skyhooks at the Nambassa 3 day Music & Alternatives festival, New Zealand 1978. Photographer Jeff O'donnell..jpg

Strachan onstage with Skyhooks, Nambassa, New Zealand (1978)

Graeme "Shirley" Strachan (January 2, 1952 - August 29, 2001) was the lead singer of Australian 1970s rock group Skyhooks. Born in the Melbourne suburb of Malvern, he was an avid surfer, and his nickname "Shirley" was given to him by his surfer friends because of his long, sunbleached and very curly hair, referring to Shirley Temple. He first pursued a solo singing career during his time as a Skyhook and released a number of records, the most successful of which was his cover of "Every Little Bit Hurts" in 1976. He left the Skyhooks in 1978 and then worked as a radio and television presenter, and became known to a new generation as host of children's television series Shirl's Neighbourhood in the early 1980s. In the 1990s he was a regular presenter on home makeover program Our House where he resurrected skills from his pre-Skyhooks career of carpentry. He was also instrumental in several Skyhook reformations during the 1980s and 1990s.

Triple M Radio Career

Shirl won himself a position on the breakfast show on Brisbane radio station 4MMM in the mid 90's. Together with former football legend Gary 'Badge' Belcher and anchor Dean Miller, Shirl and company made a name for themselves on Brisbane radio, and were well liked. The listeners loved the three boys' larrikin like ways, and, Queensland being a sport-mad state, they loved Gary Belcher's contributions. As Shirl said of the show in 1998, "We're just a bunch of guys having fun on the radio, no sheilas to tell us what to do!"

It was not to be forever, however. In 1999, Shirl went into negotiations with 4MMM management for contract renewal. Shirl demanded a pay rise that was deemed by management to be non-justifiable, despite the show's good ratings. After a heated battle with then General Manager Jim Johnston which was eventually lost, Shirl resigned and left the station for good.

Death

Strachan was killed in a helicopter accident on 29 August 2001. He had been a keen student pilot, and had been undergoing training for a helicopter pilot's licence. On his second solo flight in Queensland in clear weather, Strachan strayed off course and entered a mountain lee. The powerful air currents at the base of the mountain threw his helicopter onto its back, and it crashed inverted into the forest. Strachan's neck was broken and he died instantly. He was aged 49.

Experienced helicopter pilots who have flown in the area had said it was a tricky place to fly. Even in clear weather it can cause trouble for pilots.

The beachside funeral was attended by Shirl's family, friends, including Skyhooks guitarist Red Symons and Gary Belcher and hundreds of fans. Shirl's ashes were scattered into the sea from a helicopter by his wife, Sue.

Radio 4MMM, Shirl's former employer, held a day long on air tribute to him on the day after his death. Old archived audio was retrieved and played to air, put together by production guru Rick Wade.

The episode of the ABC documentary Long Way To The Top featuring Skyhooks was scheduled to be broadcast on the day of his death. The episode was dedicated to his memory.

Channel Nine ran a tribute episode of Our House featuring footage filmed in the weeks before his death, along with archive footage.

Strachan never had children of his own. He is survived by his wife of 26 years, Sue Strachan.

Solo Discography

45 singles

• Every Little Bit Hurts/Cruisin' Out With You - 1976
• Tracks of my Tears/Missing You -1977
• Mr Summer/Song For a Friend - 1978
• Christmas in the Neighbourhood/Christmas Children - 1979
• Nothing But The Best/Your Love -1979

Album

• It's All Rock 'n Roll To Me - 1980

References

• Noel McGrath's Australian Encyclopedia of Rock & Pop - 1978

• An Australian Rock Discography - Chris Spencer -1990 - Moonlight Publishing

• The Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop - Ian McFarlane - Allen & Unwin, Sydney - 1999

External links

• Tribute from Dave Warner
• Skyhooks Homepage
• Memorial service image - Newspix
• Tribute page