Bart Willoughby facts for kids

Bart Willoughby is an amazing Aboriginal Australian musician. He was born in 1960. He is famous for mixing reggae music with traditional Indigenous Australian sounds. He helped grow Indigenous music in Australia a lot. Bart plays many instruments, writes songs, and sings. He started the band No Fixed Address. This was Australia's first Aboriginal rock band. They were also the first Aboriginal band to travel to other countries.

In 2024, Bart Willoughby received a special award. It was the Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music. This award celebrates his huge impact on music.

Bart Willoughby's Early Life

Growing Up in South Australia

Bart Willoughby was born in 1960. His birthplace was Koonibba Mission. This mission is near Ceduna in South Australia. He is a Pitjantjatjara man and a Mirning man from his mother's side. His father is a Kokatha man. His father grew up in the Simpson Desert. He learned the Warlpiri first.

Finding Music as a Child

When Bart was three, he was taken from his family. He was placed in a children's home. This made him one of the Stolen Generations. At six, he got a bone marrow disease. He had to wear a plaster cast for two and a half years. But he found music early in the children's home. There were pianos and organs he could play.

Learning Music at CASM

At 16, Bart went to the Centre for Aboriginal Studies in Music (CASM). This was at the University of Adelaide. There, he learned more about music. He also met his future band members. They were all related to him. Leila Rankine, who helped start CASM, guided him. Bart's first professional show was with a Salvation Army band.

Bart Willoughby's Music Career

Starting No Fixed Address

Bart Willoughby's music career began in 1978. He became known for mixing reggae with Aboriginal music. In 1978, he formed No Fixed Address. This was Australia's first Indigenous rock band. The band members were Ricky Harrison, Leslie Lovegrove Freeman, John John Miller, and Veronica Rankine. All of them were related.

Bart also played with Jimmy Chi's new band, Kuckles.

Early Concerts and Tours

In 1979, No Fixed Address played their first big concert. It was at the National Aboriginal Day event. Over the years, they played many concerts for Aboriginal causes. These included "Rock Against Racism." They also toured with famous bands. These bands included Cold Chisel, Ian Dury and the Blockheads, and The Clash.

Their 1982 song "We Have Survived" became very popular. Bart wrote it when he was just 18. It was a powerful protest song.

International Success

In 1982, Bart and his band toured Australia. They supported Peter Tosh, a reggae star. A TV show on SBS TV showed this tour. It featured Bart and No Fixed Address. In 1983, Bart's band became the first Aboriginal band to tour overseas. They even played at Madison Square Gardens!

In 1984, the band toured the UK. They played in nine cities, including London. They also performed at the Elephant Fayre rock festival. A documentary about this tour was shown on SBS TV.

Joining Other Bands

After touring, Bart joined his cousin Bunna Lawrie's band, Coloured Stone. He played drums for them from 1985 to 1986. They toured Scotland and played at the 1986 Edinburgh Festival. Coloured Stone won "Best Indigenous Album" for Human Love in 1986.

No Fixed Address reformed in 1987. In 1988, they toured Eastern Europe. This was before the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Later in 1988, Bart played drums for Yothu Yindi. He also played with Native American activist John Trudell. They supported Midnight Oil on their 1989 tour in the US and Canada. In 1989, Bart left Yothu Yindi. He started a new band called Mixed Relations. This band toured many Aboriginal communities and cities. They also visited the Pacific Islands, New Zealand, and Hawaii.

Bart also played with the musical group Black Arm Band.

Recent Music Projects

In 2007, Bart formed the Bart Willoughby Band. He was the first Indigenous artist to play the pipe organ. In 2014, he played the Grand Organ in Melbourne Town Hall. This was for a concert called "We Still Live On." In 2017, he released his second organ music album, Resonance.

No Fixed Address reunited in 2008 after 20 years. They played at the Dreaming Festival in Woodford. They released a special CD called From My Eyes.

From 2013 to 2014, Bart was the bandleader for a play. It was called The Shadow King. This play was based on King Lear. It toured many Australian arts festivals.

In 2016, Bart was the main performer at the Yabun Festival in Sydney.

As of 2025, he 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 Willoughby in Film and Television

Acting and Music for Films

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

No Fixed Address was the first Aboriginal band to perform on ABC Television's show Countdown in 1982. Tina Turner was the guest host.

A documentary was made about the band's UK tour in 1984.

Bart also directed and composed music for a film. It was called Always Was - Always Will Be. An Indigenous filmmaker made it.

In 1990, Bart acted in a German film. It was called Until the End of the World. He played "Ned the Computer Expert." Famous actors like William Hurt and Sam Neill were in it.

First Indigenous Film Composer

In 1992, Bart made history. He became the first Aboriginal person to compose, play, and direct the music for a feature film. The film was Jindalee Lady. This film was also the first feature film directed by a First Nations director. It was shown at film festivals in Canada and Hawaii. In 1993, it was shown at the Woodstock Tribute.

In 1994, Bart and his son Woonun appeared in a docudrama. It was called La Perouse. It was for the Museum of Sydney.

In 2011, Bart appeared in a documentary. It was called Murundak: Songs of Freedom. He was with other artists from the Black Arm Band.

Teaching and Community Work

Music Instructor

In 1995, Bart took a break from touring. He worked with his Pitjantjantjara community. He taught music to high school students. This was at Yalata Anangu School in Yalata, South Australia. He taught drums, guitar, and songwriting.

In 2023, he led music and art workshops for children. These workshops were called "The Colour and Sound of My Totem."

Awards and Recognition

Major Achievements

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

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

A photo of Bart Willoughby is in the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra. It was taken in 2000.

He was nominated for the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Deadly Awards in 2004, 2005, and 2006. This was for his contribution to 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 award recognized his service to the performing arts, especially music.

In 2024, he received the Ted Albert Award. This award is for outstanding services to Australian Music.

In May 2024, an exhibition celebrating his work opened. It is at the Australian Music Vault in Arts Centre Melbourne.

Discography