Billy Thorpe was born in 1946 in Manchester England. His parents, Bill and Mabel Thorpe and he emigrated to Australia in 1955, arriving in Melbourne and then settling in Brisbane, Queensland. He performed as a ten-year-old under the pseudonym Little Rock Allen. Six months later, after he was heard singing and playing guitar by a television producer, Thorpe made regular musical appearances on Queensland television, brandishing his trademark stock whip. He toured regional venues with Reg Lindsay in 1961, and national venues with Johnny O'Keefe and with Col Joye. By 1963, as an experienced singer and musician, he decided to relocate to Sydney
After more line-up changes Thorpe dissolved the Aztecs early in 1975, as a solo artist he recorded Million Dollar Bill, which reached the top 40, with its top 50 single "It's Almost Summer"; and Pick Me Up & Play Me Loud in 1976. Both albums showed another change in style, being a mix of Adult-orientated Rock, funk and country. In December 1976, he relocated to Los Angeles in the United States, although he returned to Australia periodically to tour with varied line-ups of the Aztecs.
Thorpe suffered from chest pains at his home on 28 February 2007 and was taken by an ambulance to St. Vincent's Hospital in Sydney around 2:00 am AEDT after having a massive heart attack. He remained in the emergency ward in a serious condition and went into cardiac arrest around half an hour later; hospital staff unsuccessfully attempted to resuscitate him. His family was by his side when he died at 60 years of age. Thorpe is survived by his wife Lynn, and daughters Rusty and Lauren. His manager Michael Chugg said the death was a "terrible tragedy", as Thorpe had just finished recording a new album Tangier and was very happy after a recent acoustic tour. He was posthumously appointed a Member of the Order of Australia on 11 June 2007, with the citation, "For service to the entertainment industry as a musician, songwriter, producer, and as a contributor to the preservation and collection of contemporary Australian music".
Tracks
1. Back On The Streets Again (Gabriel Mekler, Trevor Lawrence) - 4:54
2. Drive My Car (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) - 3:28
3. I Really Miss You (Billy Thorpe) - 4:20
4. It's Almost Summer (Billy Thorpe) - 3:01
5. Do The Best You Can (Billy Kristian) - 4:25
6. Theme From Million Dollar Bill (Billy Thorpe) - 4:55
7. Mama Told Her (Catherine C. Williamson, Gabriel Mekler, Trevor Lawrence) - 3:21
8. Standin' Too Close To The Fire (Billy Thorpe) - 6:06
9. Don't Need No Protection (Chris Jagger) - 3:41
Musicians
*Billy Thorpe - Vocals, Guitar
*Gil Matthews - Drums, Percussion
*Billy Kristian - Bass
*Warren Morgan - Keyboards
*Jack Hotop - Fender Rhodes
*William Motzing - Synthesizer, Horn Arrangements, String Arrangements, Vocal Arrangements
*Peter Dawkins - Bongos, Producer
*Kerrie Biddell - Vocals
*Janice Slater - Vocals
*Alison Maccallum - Vocals
*John Lyle - Violin
*Julie Batty - Violin
*Klara Korda - Violin
*Della Woods - Violin
*Frank Coe - Violin
*Alice Waten - Violin
*R. Ingram - Violin
*Gordon Bennett - Violin
*Phillip Hartl - Violin
*David Pereira - Cello
*H. Gyors - Cello
*Robert W. Miller - Cello
*Vanessa Butters - Cello
*Frederick Mckay - Cello
*L. Kuring - Cello
*“Boof” Thompsen,
*Mike Cleary - Trumpet
*Mike Bukovsky - Trumpet
*Ed D’Amico - Trumpet
*Keith Dubber - Trumpet
*Tony Buchanan - Saxophone
*Don Wright - Saxophone
*Bob Mcivor - Trombone
*George Brodbeck - Trombone
*Ken Herron - Trombone
*John Fetter - Guitar
*“J.C.” Trevisano - Congas