Joe Camilleri
| Joe Camilleri | |
|---|---|
Joe Camilleri at Mordialloc Festival, March 2006
Photo: Mandy Hall |
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Joseph Vincent Camilleri |
| Also known as | Jo Jo Zep, Joey Vincent |
| Born | 21 May 1948 |
| Origin | Malta |
| Genres | Rock, R&B, blues |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, musician |
| Instruments | Vocals, saxophone, guitar |
| Years active | 1964 through present |
| Associated acts |
The Pelaco Brothers Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons Black Sorrows The Revelators Adderley Smith Blues Band |
| Website | Joe Camilleri.com.au |
Joseph Vincent "Joe" Camilleri, (born 21 May 1948 in Malta) aka Jo Jo Zep or Joey Vincent, is an Australian vocalist, songwriter and saxophonist. Camilleri has recorded as a solo artist and as a member of Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons and The Black Sorrows. Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons' highest charting single was "Hit & Run" from June 1979, which peaked at #12; Jo Jo Zep's "Taxi Mary" peaked at No. 11 in September 1982; and The Black Sorrows top single, "Chained to the Wheel", peaked at No. 9 in March 1989.
Camilleri has also produced records for The Sports, Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons, Paul Kelly & the Dots, The Black Sorrows, Renée Geyer and Ross Wilson. Australian music journalist, Ian McFarlane, described him as "one of the most genuinely talented figures in Australian music", and, as a member of Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons, Camilleri was inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Hall of Fame in 2007.
Joe Camilleri was born the third of ten children in Malta in 1948. The family migrated to Australia when he was two. Camilleri grew up in Port Melbourne and listened to rock music on the radio. His mother called him Zep and he became known as Jo Zep. Camilleri began his music career in 1964 when literally thrown onstage to sing with The Drollies. He played blues and R&B in the mid-1960s with The King Bees, and was then a member of Adderley Smith Blues Band. In 1968, lead singer for the band, Broderick Smith had been conscripted for National Service during the Vietnam War. Camilleri lasted a year with Adderley Smith, and enjoyed working with the band including guitarist Kerryn Tolhurst (later in The Dingoes with Smith). According to Australian music journalist Ed Nimmervoll, Camilleri was sacked for sounding too much like Mick Jagger and upstaging other band members. After Adderley Smith, Camilleri was a member of various bands, including The Pelaco Brothers during 1974–1975.
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