William Shakespeare (singer)
| William Shakespeare | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | John Stanley Cave |
| Also known as | Johnny Cabe, Billy Shake |
| Born | 19 November 1948 |
| Origin | Sydney, Australia |
| Died | 5 October 2010 (aged 61) |
| Genres | glam, pop |
| Occupation(s) | singer |
| Instruments | vocals |
| Years active | 1966–1993 |
| Labels | Albert |
| Associated acts | The Amazons |
William Shakespeare (19 November 1948 – 5 October 2010) was the stage name of Australian Glam rock singer John Stanley Cave, also known as John Cabe or Billy Shake. He had two Australian hit singles, "Can't Stop Myself from Loving You" which peaked at No. 2 on the Kent Music Report in 1974 and "My Little Angel" which peaked at No. 1 in 1975. Both hits were written by Vanda & Young, who also groomed Shakespeare into a Glam rocker.
Shakespeare was born as John Stanley Cave in 1948 and grew up in Dulwich Hill, New South Wales. He was the only son of Stanley John Cave and Betty May Thursfield. The Cave family lived in Kintore Street, and John lived there for most of his early life.
He was vocalist for beat music group, The Amazons, with Nick Barlow on guitar, Harry Brus on bass guitar, Chris Carroll on guitar and Dally Carroll on drums. In 1966, they released a single, "Ain't that Lovin' You Baby". After The Amazons, Shakespeare continued performing in Sydney clubs as Johnny Cabe. In early 1974, Shakespeare was in Albert Studios where noted Australian producers/songwriters Vanda & Young (ex-The Easybeats) were recording "Can't Stop Myself from Loving You" for another singer who was unable to reach its high notes.
Cave's falsetto voice was suitable so Vanda & Young signed him to Albert Productions and groomed him into William Shakespeare as a glam rocker along the lines of Alvin Stardust or Gary Glitter. "Can't Stop Myself from Loving You" was released as a single in July and peaked at No. 2 nationally (No. 1 in Sydney & Melbourne) Kent Music Report. Another Vanda & Young/Albert Productions act was hard rock group, AC/DC who were looking for a new lead singer, on the short-list were: Shakespeare, John Paul Young and eventual vocalist Bon Scott.
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