Chris Bailey, singer of Australian rock band The Saints, has died at the age of 65

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Chris Bailey, lead singer of Australian rock band The Saints, has died at the age of 65.

The band confirmed the news of Billy’s death via their official Facebook page this morning. No cause of death was given. The post read: “It is with great pain in our hearts that we have to inform you of the passing of Chris Bailey, Saints singer-songwriter, on April 9, 2022.”

“Chris lived a life of poetry and music and was stranded on a Saturday night.”

Born in Kenya in 1957 to Irish parents, Billy spent the first seven years of his life in Belfast. They moved to Brisbane, Australia, where Billy met guitarist Ed Cuper and drummer Ivor Hay in high school. The trio formed the band in 1973 (originally called Kid Galahad and the Eternals), which would go into several formations over the following years.

In 1974 they changed the name to Saints, and Jeffrey Wegener joined in on drums, with Hay switching to bass guitar. Wegner left the group the following year, sending Hay to the drums and welcoming Kim Bradshaw on bass.

The band achieved their first success in 1976 with “(I’m) Stranded”, releasing their debut album of the same name in the followinfg year. They went on to release 13 other records, including “Prodigal Son,” “Eternally Yours,” “Prehistoric Sounds,” and “All Fools Day,” among others. Bruce Springsteen covered Just Like Fire Would, the lead single from this latest album, on his 2014 album High Hopes.

In 2001, the Saints were inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Hall of Fame, and lauded as one of the most influential bands on the Australian punk scene of the 1970s.

Billy, who was the longest-running member of the band, released a number of solo albums.

Expressions of homage have flowed in since news of his death broke, with former classmate Ed Cuper writing: “Very sad to confirm the news of Chris Bailey’s death over the weekend. Chris and I met when we were almost 14 while in detention at Oxley High School and became close friends who developed into a After what I’ve always thought was a very strong technical partnership.”

“I could not have wished for a better singer. My sincere condolences to his wife Elizabeth, sisters Margaret, Carol, Maureen, the rest of his family and loved ones.”

Others, like Guns N ‘Roses’ Duff McKagan, Jimmy Barnes, Warren Ellis of Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, Dave Graney and Lindsay McDowens of Frenzal Rhomb, have paid their respects online.

Read the salutation below.

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