Vince Lovegrove

Vince Lovegrove is an Australian music manager, journalist, television producer, AIDS awareness pioneer and musician. Amongst his former client list was Aussie rock legend Jimmy Barnes and rock group Divinyls.

The Valentines

Lovegrove started his career in the 1960s as the singer in Perth pop groups, The Dymensions and The Winstons. Rival group The Spektors contained drummer and sometime singer Bon Scott. Lovegrove and Scott split their bands and formed a new pop group with two vocalists: The Valentines. They issued several singles from 1967 onwards on Martin Clark's Clarion label and had moderate success in Australia, before splitting in the late 1960s.

The 1970s

Moving to Adelaide, by the early 1970s Lovegrove briefly managed AC/DC (with Bon Scott as vocalist) and Cold Chisel, but factors, including becoming a parent, led him into journalism and television production in Adelaide. He relocated to Melbourne, and produced "The Don Lane Show" in 1978. In 1979 he produced a music documentary "Australian music to the world".

Divinyls, Suzi, Troy & AIDS

In 1981 Vince moved to Sydney and became manager for Divinyls, splitting his time between Sydney and New York. During one of his many trips, Vince met his future soulmate, American-born actress Suzi Sidewinder.

After living together for four years, Vince married Suzi, but not long after the birth of their son Troy, the family was devastated by the tragic news that both mother and child were HIV-positive. Suzi had unknowingly contracted HIV several years earlier and had transmitted the virus to unborn Troy. In response to personally experiencing the massive degree of prejudice and ignorance that existed about AIDS at the time, Vince and Suzi chose to speak out and the result was "Suzi's Story." This award winning documentary became the cornerstone for dispelling the public's fears, ignorance and belief that HIV was simply a "gay disease."

Because of the numerous personal pressures involving the HIV status of his wife and son, Vince withdrew from managing the Divinyls, and concentrated his energies on making the most of whatever time was left with his wife and son. Suzi died in on the 14th of June 1987, just weeks before "Suzi's Story" was screened on Network Ten across Australia.

After some advances in the development of new anti-viral drugs, Troy surpassed his expected life span of 5 years, and became a HIV awareness campaigner in his own right. Another documentary "A Kid Called Troy" was made for ABC Australia, but just a few weeks before it was screened nationally, Troy died on the 3rd of June 1993 - three weeks before his 8th birthday.

2006 and beyond

In July 2006 Vince wrote a profile of his friend Bon Scott for "The Australian" newspaper. This commemorated what would have been Scott's 60th birthday (Scott died in 1980). Vince's band "Mongrels of Passion" featured alongside Noiseworks and Rose Tattoo at the Bon Scott Statue unveiling in February 2008.

Vince currently lives near Byron Bay NSW with his daughter Lilli-Rae, not far from his eldest daughter Holly and her son Arlo.

References

*cite web|url=http://www.milesago.com/artists/valentines.htm|title=The Valentines, Perth - Melbourne 1966-70|work=www.milesago.com|accessdate=2007-05-11
*cite web|url=http://www.naf.org.au/aidsabstracts.htm|title=AIDS RevisitedPart of this entry has been compiled from personal recollections and experiences of Kerrie Hadield - hospital wardmate and friend of Troy Lovegrove - who was so inspired by the life of her friend that she went on to become a HIV educator in 1991, and spoke at many national conferences and AIDS Awareness Days.