Brian Cadd will receive an Honorary Masters degree from The Australian Institute of Music next weekend.
The degree will recognise Cadd’s outstanding achievements in the music industry that started when he was a teenager in the 60s. “These were the days that The Beatles were changing music forever,” he commented in a statement. “If you wanted to play popular music, you had to get out there, make it up as you go and learn from your mistakes.”Cadd finished school and went straight into music. My parents always wanted me to get an education,” he says, “but when I finished high school, the only way to break into the music industry was to get out and work. If you went to study music at a tertiary level, it was to become a music teacher or join an orchestra.”
“Brian Cadd is recognized by his peers as a seminal figure in Australian music,” says Dr Raffaele Marcellino, Dean of AIM. “He is such an inspiration to our students and staff that we felt it important to recognize his contribution to the music industry.”
Cadd’s career really started when he won a TV talent quest at the age of 12.
His first commercial success was with The Groop. In 1967, The Groop had a top 10 hit with ‘Woman You’re Breaking Me’.
Between 1969 and 1971, Cadd formed Axiom with Glenn Shorrock (ex-Twilights and next LRB). Axiom’s hits included ‘A Little Ray of Sunshine’, ‘Arkansas Grass’ and ‘My Baby’s Gone’.
After Axiom, Cadd had a one-off hit with his Axiom and The Groop buddy Don Mudie. ‘Show Me The Way’ reached number 15 on the Australian charts.
His solo career delivered ‘Ginger Man’ while at the same time he handed John Farnham ‘Don’t You Know Its Magic’ and recorded the themes for Alvin Purple and The Class of ’74.
In 1975, Cadd left Australia for the US and brought in the big bucks when his song ‘Love Is Like A Rolling Stone’ was covered by the Pointer Sisters and featured as the b-side to the Bruce Springsteen composed ‘Fire’. The single was a number one hit in America, and Brian got half of the songwriting royalties.
Brian returned to Australia in 1993 and is still recording. His most recent album was ‘Quietly Rusting’ in 2005.
Brian will receive his degree on Saturday July 11 at the Australian Institute of Music.
