Ronnie Burns (singer)
| Ronnie Burns | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Ronald Leslie Burns |
| Born |
8 September 1946 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Genres | folk, pop |
| Occupation(s) | musician, singer, rhythm guitarist, composer |
| Instruments | vocals |
| Years active | 1963–2000 |
| Labels | Spin, RCA, Festival |
| Associated acts | The Flies, The Bee Gees, Burns Cotton & Morris |
Ronald "Ronnie" Leslie Burns AM (born 8 September 1946) is an Australian rock singer and guitarist. He fronted the Melbourne band The Flies in the early 1960s, followed by a solo career into the 1970s and was a member of Burns Cotton & Morris in the 1990s. He retired from performing in 2000. His solo hit single, "Smiley" peaked at number two on the Go-Set National Top 40 in 1970. On 10 June 2013 Burns was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia with the citation "For significant service to the community, particularly to children recovering from illness and trauma, and to the entertainment industry".
Born on 8 September 1946, Burns was raised in Melbourne, Victoria. His father was a butcher, his mother Edna was a fan of vaudeville and his brother Frank, who is five years older, was a drummer. To buy his first guitar for 10 shillings, Burns had part-time jobs selling newspapers, working in a milk bar and in a fruit shop. He joined his brother's folk music band as lead vocalist and was working in a clothes store. He transferred to the Myers Store' display window but was fired for having long hair, however he had already joined the Mod band The Flies in early 1964.
They won a Moomba band competition for a group most like The Beatles. The line-up consisted of Burns (rhythm guitar, lead singer), Themi Adams (aka Themistocles Adamopoulo, bass guitar), John Thomas (lead guitar) and Hank Wallace (drums). Concert promoter Garry Spry was looking for a resident band for his new rock club, Pinocchios, which opened in March. The Flies were reputedly the first long-haired band in Australia and drew heavily on The Beatles for their musical and fashion influences and soon acquired a large local following. Their repertoire included covers of The Searchers, The Hollies and Herman's Hermits. Spry became their manager and secured a recording deal with RCA Records – they started recording their first single, "Tell Her That", in Sydney, with producer-engineer David Mackay, it was released in June 1964 and was a local hit in Melbourne.
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