Brad Robinson (Australian musician)

Infobox musical artist
Name = Brad Robinson

---

Img_capt =
Img_size = 150
Landscape =
Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = Bradford Leigh Robinson
Alias =
Born = 1958
Mt Eliza, Victoria, Australia
Died = October 13, 1996
Origin =
Instrument =
Voice_type =
Genre = rock
Occupation = musician, singer, songwriter, guitarist
Years_active = 1976-1986
Label = EMI
Geffen
Virgin
Associated_acts = Spiff Rouch, Clutch Cargo, Australian Crawl
URL =
Notable_instruments =

Bradford Leigh Robinson or Brad Robinson (born 1958 in Mt Eliza, Victoria, Australia - died 13 October, 1996) was a rock musician best known as lead and rhythm guitarist with the 1980s band Australian Crawl.cite book |title=Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop |url=http://www.informationbrasil.com.br/diversao/musica/biografias/AUSTRALIAN%20CRAWL.doc |format=doc |last=McFarlane |first=Ian |authorlink= Ian McFarlane |publisher=Allen & Unwin |year=1999 |isbn=1-86448-768-2 |accessdate=2008-03-30] cite web |url=http://hem.passagen.se/honga/database/a/australiancrawl.html |title=Australian Rock Database entry on Australian Crawl |publisher=Magnus Holmgren |accessdate=2008-03-01 ] Robinson had a later career as a manager for musicians and sports personalities.cite web |publisher=Memorable TV |url=http://www.memorabletv.com/musicworld/ozrock/ctod.htm |title=Memorable TV entry on The Chantoozies |accessdate=2008-03-05 ] [ [http://www.geocities.com/colosseum/arena/5326/art1.html Australian Tennis Magazine (December, 1996)] ]

Biography

Early years

Robinson was a son of Federal Arbitration Court Justice James Robinson.cite web |url=http://www.memorabletv.com/musicworld/ozrock/atob.htm |title=Memorable TV Oz Rock: Australian Crawl entry |publisher=Memorable TV / Little Acorns Publishing |accessdate=2008-03-02 ] He was raised in the Mornington Peninsula suburb of Mt. Eliza on the outskirts of Melbourne and educated at The Peninsula School.

Spiff Rouch was a band formed in 1976, it included Robinson and fellow locals James Reyne, Bill McDonough, Guy McDonough, Paul Williams, Robert Walker, Mark Hudson and Simon Binks.cite web |title=Howlspace entry on Australian Crawl |url=http://www.whiteroom.com.au/howlspace/en/australiancrawl/australiancrawl.htm |publisher=Ed Nimmervol |accessdate=2008-03-01 ] By early 1978 Spiff Rouch had separated and Clutch Cargo was formed with Robinson, Reyne, Binks and Williams, they were joined by James Reyne's younger brother David Reyne (drums).

Australian Crawl

Clutch Cargo was renamed Australian Crawl and performed their first live gig in October 1978. [cite web |url=http://www.nostalgiacentral.com/music/australiancrawl.htm |title=Nostalgia Central entry on Australian Crawl |accessdate=2008-03-01 ] Bill McDonough replaced David Reyne within the first year. Besides guitars, Robinson also supplied keyboards, backing vocals and song writing for the Crawl. Robinson co-wrotecite web |url=http://www.apra.com.au/cms/worksearch/worksearch.srvlt?action=workSearch&switchDet=Y |title=Australasian Performing Right Association |publisher=APRA |accessdate=2008-03-19 ] Australian Crawls' early song "Indisposed" from the band's debut 1980 album, "The Boys Light Up". The song describes the car accident which resulted in Reyne breaking both wrists immediately before they recorded their first single "Beautiful People" (1979). [ cite web |url=http://www.countdown.com.au/the_music.asp?Page=&ArtistID=28 |title=Countdown Club entry on Australian Crawl |publisher=ABC |accessdate=2008-03-02 ] Co-writers of "Indisposed" included his father James Robinson who helped him write "Way I've Been" for the album and was the B-side of their fourth single "Downhearted". Crawl's second album was 1981's "Sirocco", which reached #1 on the Australian Albums Chart and became the best selling Australian album for the year. [cite book
last = | first = | authorlink = | coauthors = |editor=Angus Cameron | title =The Second Australian Almanac | publisher =Angus & Robertson | year = 1986 | location = | pages = | url = | doi = | id = | isbn =0-207-15232-2 ]

Early in 1981 Robinson was briefly married to actress Kerry Armstrong,cite web |url=http://www.abc.net.au/austory/content/2003/s932955.htm |title=Australian Story |publisher=ABC |year=2003 |month=February |accessdate=2008-03-30 ] cite news |url=http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23659246-5006022,00.html |title=Kerry Armstrong finds that life's not a bed of roses |last=Devlyn |first=Darren |publisher="Herald Sun" |date=2008-05-07 |accessdate=2008-05-09 ] later an Australian Film Institute Award winner, [imdb name|id=0035788|name=Kerry Armstrong] and they co-wrote "Easy On Your Own", which was also B-side of the single, "Errol".

Armstrong had received a scholarship to study at the Herbert Berghof acting school in New York City and so she emigrated to the USA.cite web |url=http://www.juliemccrossin.com/armstrong.pdf |title="Back to basics" |publisher="Life etc" |last=McCrossin |first=Julie |format=pdf |accessdate=2008-05-04 ] In order to obtain residency, Armstrong and Robinson agreed she would have to marry a US citizen, so they separated and she married her friend Alexander Bernstein. Armstrong only had a professional arrangement with Bernstein, but her long-distance from Robinson dissolved their relationship.

The Crawl's 1982 release "Sons of Beaches" also reached #1 on the albums charts, this was followed by 1983's "Semantics" EP which topped the Australian Singles Charts containing the song "Reckless". Upheaval occurred within the band with Bill McDonough leaving in 1983 and his brother Guy McDonough dying of viral pneumonia. Other members left subsequently with the only mainstays, Robinson and James Reyne, remaining until Crawl disbanded in early 1986.

Later career

After Australian Crawl disbanded Robinson moved into a career in television (with Network Ten's "Page One") and as a co-producer of documentaries. Robinson was an award presenter on "Countdown" Music & Video Awards broadcast on 20 April 1986. [cite web |url=http://www.abc.net.au/rage/archive/s1976344.htm |title="Countdown" and "Recovery" episodes |publisher=ABC-TV |accessdate=2008-05-02 ] He was the manager for Chantoozies (included David Reyne) in the late 1980s. In the 1990s he managed both Reyne brothers and worked as an agent for the Advantage Sports Management Group, including managing tennis player Mark Philippoussis. [cite web |url=http://www.geocities.com/colosseum/arena/5326/art1.html |title="Master Blaster" |last=Petkovski |first=Suzi |publisher="Australian Tennis Magazine" |month=December |year=1996 |accessdate=2008-05-02]

Robinson was a member of the Challenge Board of Management, [cite web |url=http://www.zoominfo.com/people/Robinson_Brad_634216999.aspx |title=Brad Robinson entry |publisher=ZoomInfo Business People Information |accessdate=2008-04-01 ] which assists children with cancer. [cite web |url=http://www.challenge.org.au/generic.asp?pageid=2 |title=Challenge - About Us |publisher=Challenge, supporting kids with cancer |accessdate=2008-04-01 ] Australian Crawl had been inducted into the Australian Record Industry Association (ARIA) Hall of Famecite web |url=http://www.ariaawards.com.au/history-by-year.php?year=1996 |publisher=ARIA |title="1996: 10th Annual ARIA Awards" |accessdate=2008-03-01 ] [cite web |url=http://alldownunder.com/oz-p/aria/1996-aria.htm |title=Australia 1996 ARIA Awards |publisher=ALLdownunder.com |accessdate=2008-07-05 ] two weeks before Robinson died on 13 October 1996, three years after being diagnosed with lymphoma. His memorial service was held in Melbourne's Botanical Gardens. [cite news |url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2005/04/02/1112302282135.html |last=Ellingsen |first=Peter |title=Something so wrong |publisher="The Age" |date=2005-04-03 |accessdate=2008-05-02 ]

Discography

* Spiff Rouch (1976-1978)
** no known recorded output

* Clutch Cargo (1978)
** no known recorded output

* Australian Crawl (1978-1986)
** "The Boys Light Up" (1980)
** "Sirocco" (1981)
** "Sons of Beaches" (1982)
** "Semantics" (1983 EP, 1984 LP)
** "Between a Rock and a Hard Place (1985)

References