Bart Willoughby facts for kids

Bart Willoughby (born in 1960) is an amazing Aboriginal Australian musician. He is famous for mixing reggae music with traditional Indigenous Australian sounds. He helped grow Indigenous music in Australia a lot!

Bart is a talented musician who plays many instruments. He also writes songs and sings. He started and led the band No Fixed Address. This was Australia's first Aboriginal rock band. They were also the first Aboriginal band to travel and play music overseas.

In 2024, Bart Willoughby won a special award called the Ted Albert Award. It was for his outstanding work in Australian music.

Bart's Early Life and Learning

Bart was born in 1960 at Koonibba Mission. This is a place near Ceduna in South Australia. His family comes from the Pitjantjatjara, Mirning, and Kokatha peoples.

When Bart was three years old, he was taken from his family. He was placed in a children's home. This was part of a sad time in history called the Stolen Generations. When he was six, he got very sick. He had to wear a plaster cast for two and a half years. But even then, he found music! There were pianos and organs at the children's home.

At 16, Bart went to the Centre for Aboriginal Studies in Music (CASM) in Adelaide. There, he learned more about music. He also met the people who would become his bandmates. They were all related to him! His first time performing for money was with a Salvation Army band.

Bart's Music Career

Bart Willoughby started his music career in 1978. He became known for mixing reggae with Aboriginal music. This was a new and exciting sound!

Starting No Fixed Address

In 1978, Bart formed his first band, No Fixed Address. It was Australia's first Indigenous rock band. The band members were Ricky Harrison, Leslie Lovegrove Freeman, John John Miller, and Veronica Rankine. They were all family.

In 1979, No Fixed Address played their first big show. It was at the National Aboriginal Day event. They played at many concerts to support Aboriginal causes. They also toured with famous bands like Cold Chisel and The Clash.

We Have Survived and Touring

In 1982, Bart wrote the song "We Have Survived" when he was just 18. It quickly became a classic protest song.

Bart and his band toured Australia with Peter Tosh in 1982. A TV show on SBS TV showed this tour. In 1983, No Fixed Address became the first Aboriginal band to tour overseas. They even played at Madison Square Gardens! In 1984, they toured the UK. They played in London and other cities. They also played at a concert for striking miners. You can watch a documentary about this tour on YouTube.

New Bands and Projects

After touring, Bart joined his cousin's band, Coloured Stone, in 1985. He played drums for them. They even toured Scotland and played at the Edinburgh Festival. Coloured Stone won an award for Best Indigenous Album in 1986.

Bart started No Fixed Address again in 1987. In 1988, they toured Eastern Europe. Later in 1988, Bart played drums for Yothu Yindi. They toured the US and Canada with Midnight Oil. In 1989, Bart left Yothu Yindi to start a new band called Mixed Relations. This band toured many Aboriginal communities, Australian cities, and islands.

Bart also played with the musical group Black Arm Band. In 1993, his band Mixed Relations played at Indigenous festivals in Los Angeles and London.

In 2007, Bart formed the Bart Willoughby Band. He was the first Indigenous artist to play the pipe organ. He played a concert called "We Still Live On" in 2014. In 2017, he released an album of organ music called Resonance.

No Fixed Address got back together in 2008 after 20 years. They played at the Dreaming Festival. Bart also led the music for a play called The Shadow King from 2013 to 2014.

As of 2024, Bart still leads the Bart Willoughby Band. He says his music aims to share love, hope, and unity. He plays drums, guitar, bass, and piano.

Bart in Film and TV

In 1980, Bart starred in a film called Wrong Side of the Road. It was about Aboriginal musicians facing racism. The film won an award in 1981.

No Fixed Address was the first Aboriginal band to play on the TV show Countdown in 1982. Tina Turner was the guest host!

Bart also directed and wrote music for a film called Always Was - Always Will Be. In 1990, he acted in the movie Until the end of the World.

In 1992, Bart became the first Aboriginal person to write and direct the music for a feature film. The film was called Jindalee Lady. It was special because it was also the first feature film directed by a First Nations director. The film was shown at festivals in Canada and Hawaii.

In 1994, Bart and his son Woonun appeared in a docudrama called La Perouse. In 2011, Bart was in the documentary Murundak: Songs of Freedom.

Bart as a Teacher

In 1995, Bart took a break to teach music. He worked with students at Yalata Anangu School in Yalata, South Australia. He taught them drums, guitar, and songwriting.

In 2023, he led workshops for children. They learned about music and art.

Awards and Recognition

The famous British punk band The Clash were big fans of No Fixed Address!

In 1993, Bart Willoughby received a special award. It was the first Indigenous ARIA Australian Lifetime Achievement Award. This award was for his amazing work in Indigenous music. Will Smith presented the award!

A photo of Bart taken in 2000 is kept at the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra.

Bart was nominated for the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Deadly Awards in 2004, 2005, and 2006. These awards celebrate Indigenous music.

In 2013, Bart was a finalist for the Melbourne Prize for Music. In 2016, he received a music fellowship from Australia Council.

In 2023, Bart Willoughby received the Medal of the Order of Australia. This honor was for his great service to the performing arts, especially music.

In 2024, he won the Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music at the APRA Music Awards of 2024.

In May 2024, an exhibition celebrating Bart's work opened at the Australian Music Vault in Arts Centre Melbourne.

Bart's Albums