Jim Keays, Australian rock legend, dies of complications from cancer
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Version 0 of 1. Australian rock legend Jim Keays has been remembered as always the master and never the apprentice. The lead singer of the Masters Apprentices died on Friday morning from pneumonia arising from complications from multiple myeloma, which he had been fighting for seven years. He was 67. Keays had been on life support since Monday. Keays, who had been inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame, began his career in the 1960s as lead singer with the Masters Apprentices, whose hits included Turn Up Your Radio, Living In a Child's Dream, Elevator Driver, 5-10 Man and It's Because I Love you. Publicist Dianna O'Neill said Keays' death was another sad loss for the Australian music industry, after the death of the Angels’ frontman, Doc Neeson, last Wednesday. “We've lost another rock legend,” she said. An Australian artist manager and entertainment industry figure, Glenn Wheatley, said he had shared some of the best years of his life with his friend. “I will always remember him as the consummate showman,” he said. “Jim had an aura about him; you always knew when he was in the room. “Always the master, never the apprentice. His presence will remain with me always. “Do what you wanna do, be what you wanna be, Jim. Vale, my friend. You will be greatly missed.” Keays headlined the Masters of Rock concert at Crown casino in Melbourne on 25 May but was admitted to hospital with pneumonia the next day and transferred to the intensive care unit. He had been putting the finishing touches to his latest album, the follow-up to Dirty Dirty. Keays is survived by his partner, Karin, and children Holly, Bonnie and James. |