Ross still rock solid

Ross Wilson is coming to the Villa Noosa Hotel next week! With a stellar career spanning more than 45 years and showing no signs of slowing, Mr Eagle Rock Ross Wilson is one of Australian rock music’s most enduring and lauded talents.
Twice inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame (1989 solo and 2006 with Daddy Cool), Wilson continues to win acclaim. Eagle Rock has been included in the National Film and Sound Archive ‘Sounds of Australia Collection’, his latest three singles from his new album ‘I Come In Peace’ have been added to playlists at over 50 commercial stations nationally and the title track is released as a single accompanied by a hot new video, the 1st RW studio vid since 1990!!! Ross again sets new records for a performer of his generation with his ‘5 Decades of Cool’ concert series was nominated for the 2010 Helpmann Award for ‘Best Contemporary Australian Concert’. Wilson released two albums in 2010, the contemporary ‘I Come In Peace’ and a new ‘Best Of’ entitled Mr Eagle Rock, both released independently through Shock Entertainment.
From Daddy Cool to Mondo Rock, as a solo artist, or as songwriter of A-grade classics such as Eagle Rock, Cool World and A Touch of Paradise, or producer of the legendary Skyhooks, Jo Jo Zep, The Johnnys, and more recently The Screaming Jets, Ross’ involvement with success has continued unabated. He fronted Daddy Cool and exploded out of the ’70s playing rootsy 50s sounds. Then formed Mondo Rock who surfed the contemporary scene with chart topping singles and albums from the mid-70s to the late ’80s. As a solo performer and major songwriter, he continued to achieve success and make his mark during the ’90s and beyond with his songs being recorded by artists as diverse as Jimmy Barnes, John Farnham, DEF-FX, Custard, Jennifer Rush (EU), Troy Cassar-Daley, Leslie Avril, Hey Gringo, You Am I, Uncle Bill, Keke (Spain), Renee Geyer, Christine Anu, Duane Jarvis (US), Elkie Brooks (UK), Ann Kirkpatrick and Lee Kernaghan, Sovereign, Pleasantville, Beccy Cole, Sonic Jihad, and The Wiggles! On trips to Europe and the USA, he collaborated with O/S writers and concluded the millenium as a special guest performer on John Farnham’s “I Can’t Believe I’m 50″ tour and live CD/DVD.
On top of this in the ‘noughties’ Ross kept a busy tour schedule of his own with his live action band Ross Wilson and The Peaceniks, including national appearances on the successful ‘A Day On The Green’ series with Chris Isaak and also Crosby Stills and Nash, then began sessions for ‘Tributary’ (Liberation Blue) released mid-2008), a semi-acoustic project that revisits songs from his career catalogue resulting in sometimes radical rearrangements of the hits plus fresh airings of worthy lesser known works. Reactions from both critics and fans have been overwhelmingly positive.
Late 2008 found Ross in Nashville with producer Mark Moffatt directing sessions for an album full of brand new songs. These tracks were temporarily shelved while he took the 2009 ‘5 Decades Of Cool’ concerts to Melbourne and Sydney and released the resulting filmed footage as the debut RW solo DVD ‘Ross Wilson Live At The Palais’ showcasing RW’s long and diverse catalogue with guest performances from members of The Pink Finks, The Party Machine, Daddy Cool, Spectrum, Mondo Rock, Skyhooks and a three-song duet with national icon Jimmy Barnes.
Now with the ‘I Come In Peace’ album being his most successful solo album since “Dark Side of the Man” Wilson continues to expand his horizons globally with Joe Cocker recording, ‘I Come In Peace’ on his latest global hit album. He still regularly performs over 100 shows a year and has a touring schedule mapped out into 2018.
Don’t miss an Aussie icon next Thursday 2 November (opening 7pm.) Tickets are only $34.70 from www.villanoosa.com.au.