Wayne Duncan, bass player of legendary Australian rockers Daddy Cool, has died, aged 72. His death follows that of bandmate Ross Hannaford, who was 65 when he passed away just nine months ago. According to Noise11, via the Sydney Morning Herald, Duncan suffered a stroke last week.
“It is with deep sadness that I let you know… that our great friend Wayne Duncan passed away in the early hours of this morning,” Mr Horne wrote on Facebook today,” said Craig Horne, a friend of the late musician, said in a statement written on behalf of the Duncan family to Fairfax.
Duncan, who leaves behind his partner Anne and daughters Catherine and Justine, was a member of Daddy Cool with Hannaford, singer Ross Wilson, and drummer Gary Young. THey went on to become one of Australia’s biggest bands. In 1971, they released their debut album, Daddy Who?, which included now iconic songs like ‘Eagle Rock’ and ‘Come Back Again’.
The band broke up in 1972, briefly reformed in ’74, and were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2006. Many people credit part of the band’s success to Duncan’s distinctive bass lines, which added a layer of locomotive groove to the blues-influenced rock stylings of the rest of the group and have made the band a staple of Australian rock radio.
Tributes have begun to pour in for the late musician on social media.
