Joe Camilleri is an icon of Australian music. He has paved the way for four generations of singers and songwriters, writing and recording an enormous catalogue of incredible music over an astonishing 46 year career. He has shown fans and critics alike that he is a performer with an undeniable energy and love of it all. It is this love, this sense of adventure that keeps Camilleri going and the punters coming back for more.

In the mid 80s following the success of his first band, Jo Jo Zep and The Falcons, Joe Camilleri gathered together a group of musician friends and dubbed them The Black Sorrows.

The band began playing for the fun of it, recording independent albums and selling them out of the boot of the car.When radio picked up the classic track, 'Mystified', The Black Sorrows really took flight. They signed to CBS and proceeded to release some of Australia's most successful albums including the multi-platinum sellers Hold On To Me, Harley & Rose and The Chosen Ones.

Over the past 3 decades, The Black Sorrows have toured Australia more times than anyone can remember, played sell out shows across Europe, won the ARIA for 'Best Band' and sold more than a million albums world-wide.Joe Camilleri's songs have become part of our lives. The Sorrows' string of hits is seemingly endless: Dear Children, Country Girls, Snake Skin Shoes, Harley & Rose. The Chosen Ones, Mystified, Ain't Love The Strangest Thing, Better Times, Never Let Me Go, Chained To The Wheel, Daughters of Glory, Stir It Up, New Craze... and he's certainly not done yet.

Look around the world and you have to put Joe in the same company as people like Eric Clapton and Van Morrison - legends, performers whose careers span back decades, transcending all styles and fads, performers who are loved for the fact that they're obviously in it for the music.

The Black Sorrows has always had a very elastic line-up and has been home to 40 talented Australian musicians at different times. The band has acted as a launch pad for the careers of some of our most successful musicians including Vika & Linda Bull and Jen Anderson.

'The Black Sorrows has always been a family, and I hear that from record to record. You can tell me any track and I'll remember the conversations and the food', says Joe. 'It's a joyous thing making music with your friends'.

To me, music is about people having fun. It's not an intellectual thing. I remember reading something that John Lennon said. Some guy asked him what his favourite Beatles songs were. He started saying Love Me Do and things like that. The guy couldn't understand it. But he was dealing with the simplicity of the music. I always thought that was a great thing to say.

Writing is important to me. I didn't write one song on the first Sorrows' album. You can do a record where you don't write any of the songs, but you can only do one. Usually, if you haven't got anything to say, you can't exist. I want to write good things and be smart enough to know the difference between a good one and a bad one.

So what have I learned?

I don't believe that things necessarily fall your way, but sometimes things just happen. You never corner the market. Never take anything for granted. You're only as good as your last record, and people will come and see you if they hear your song on the radio.

And I've learned that I love it.

Some people like playing golf, I like playing music with people.

I'm not a great singer, and I'm not really a great musician. And I ain't got no show!

But my biggest asset is my will.

And I hope I die on the tour bus.

For more information www.joecamilleri.com.au and www.theblacksorrows.com.au 

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