Doc Neeson
Template:Infobox musical artist 2 Bernard "Doc" Neeson (born in Belfast, Northern Ireland) is an Australian rock singer. Neeson is known as the lead singer and frontman for Australian hard rock band The Angels.
Career
Since the '70s, Neeson has been known as the lead singer and frontman for The Angels.
He was part of the Tour of Duty - Concert for the Troops held for the InterFET Troops in East Timor during December 1999. He performed a number of Angels songs and duets with John Farnham and The Living End[1]. On New Year's Eve, 1999, Neeson announced his departure from The Angels at the MGM Grand Darwin Millennium Concert, following a major car accident[2].
In February 2001, Neeson performed at the Tour of Duty Encore! concert at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra[3][4]. In the same year the ABC had featured Doc Neeson and The Angels in the music TV series Long Way To The Top which was an insight to 50 years of Australian rock 'n' roll[5]
In December 2003, he formed the band Doc Neeson's Angels[6].
In May 2005, Neeson formed the band Red Phoenix [7] and released a self-title album[8].
In 2006, The Angels and Doc Neeson were featured on a postage stamp for Australia Post as part of their "Australian Rock Posters The Stamps" collection[9].
In August and September 2007[10] Neeson appeared and toured with the Doc Neeson’s Angels for the Countdown Spectacular 2 tour[11].
From Oct 16 - 1 November 2007, Doc Neeson's Angels are on the "Tour de Force" tour of Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait, supporting the Australian Troops. The Angels' frontman Doc Neeson was presented with two military medals in Baghdad while touring across the Middle East as part of a morale-boosting concert series for Australian troops known as 'Tour de Force.'
Before becoming a professional musician, Doc was called on for National Service in 1968.
Originally posted to the 3rd Battalion The Royal Australia Regiment, Doc later transferred to the Education Corps to become a teacher. He was promoted to Sergeant and later left the service to sing and study for a double honours degree in drama and film production.
Although it's taken a while for the medals to be awarded, Doc was ecstatic they could be presented 'in the field' by the commander of Australian forces in the Middle East, Major General Mark Evans.
Doc Neeson said: "This has been really overwhelming. As Major General Evans pinned the medals on I was surrounded by the current generation of soldiers and they are not only brave and highly intelligent but they are good human beings.
"For me singing is more than getting the notes out, it's about releasing emotions and right now I feel like I could burst with patriotic pride," he said.
Doc Neeson was awarded the National Service Medal and the Australian Defence Medal.
They will sit alongside his Australian Services Medal, awarded in 1999 for peace keeping work 1947-1975 with a Papua New Guinea clasp.
The Aria Hall of Fame winner will wear his new medals during the remaining performances of his Tour De Force concerts for Australian troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. [12]
References
- ^ Tour of Duty information and Set list
- ^ Angels Biography accessed May 24, 2007
- ^ Thousands flock to Open Day Open Night - Australian War Memorial
- ^ Australian War Memorial - Open Day 2001
- ^ Long Way To The Top Beserk Warriors 1973-1981 (Episode 4)
- ^ Doc Neeson's Angels
- ^ Triple M Concerts - Red Phoenix
- ^ Red Phoenix CD information - Sanity.com.au
- ^ - Australian Rock Posters The Stamps (Australia Post)
- ^ The Doc's ready to rock - The Herald Sun, 24 June 2007
- ^ Frontier Touring Company - Countdown Spectacular 2
- ^ http://www.defence.gov.au/media/download/2007/Oct/20071030c/index.htm
External links
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