Steve Gilpin

Steve Gilpin (1949–January 6, 1992) was a former New Zealand cabaret singer and vocalist best known for his work in the band Mi-Sex.

Born in Wellington, New Zealand, Gilpin started as a cabaret singer in hotels, Gilpin's star rose in 1972 when he was the winner of television talent show "New Faces". After releasing a string of singles until 1977, his focus soon shifted from that of a cabaret singer to a rock singer. In 1976 Gilpin met with progressive rock band Father Thyme at the Awapuni Hotel, and suggested that they work together in the future.

In 1978, Gilpin teamed up with Don Martin and Alan Moon, two of the members of Father Thyme, after they disbanded in 1977. However, Moon soon left and was replaced by Murray Burns, and after Steve Osborne was recruited, he was quickly replaced by Richard Hodgkinson. Kevin Stanton was the guitarist. These five members, playing New Wave, called themselves Mi-Sex, and after an unsuccessful first single release, the band decided that they would have a go at the Australian touring circuit. Amazingly, within a very short time they were among Sydney's most popular bands. Mi-Sex hit their peak in late 1979 with the extremely popular single "Computer Games". This culminated in them performing at the Sydney Opera House in the "Concert of the Decade" in November 1979 and led to the group winning the 1979 TV Week/Countdown Awards for “most popular record”, “best Australian single” and “most promising new talent”. The following year they recorded their follow-up album and completed a six week tour of the US, but by now their star was already on the wane. The releases weren’t as successful and their audiences were starting to dwindle. Gilpin couldn’t work his magic on the group again and, while they kept playing and recording, the writing was on the wall; the group split in 1985 with Gilpin remaining in Australia to play with a variety of bands. They released a Greatest Hits collection in 1988.

Gilpin performed with several bands in New Zealand following Mi-Sex's demise, including Under Rapz. Driving from a gig at Coolangatta in November 1991, Gilpin was involved in a car accident and went into a coma. He never recovered, and died in Southport Hospital (Gold Coast) on 6th January 1992, aged 42.

External links

* [http://www.sergent.com.au/stevegilpin.html Steve Gilpin profile]