Tributes have flowed for iconic musician Doug Parkinson, who was once dubbed "Australia's greatest soul voice".
Parkinson was born in Waratah, lived at Wallsend and has relatives in the Hunter.
He died at age 74 on Monday night.
Country musician Troy Cassar-Daley tweeted: "Man, RIP Doug Parkinson - you moved my soul, brother. Thank you."
Parkinson was remembered as "an authentic soul man" and "one of this country's most underrated giants".
"What a voice, now singing in the cosmos," one post said.
The Newcastle Herald's Ian Kirkwood wrote in a feature article in 2015 that Parkinson's life "began at the Mater Hospital at Waratah on October 30, 1946".
"There's not too many of my generation of Australian pop stars still out there on the road," Parkinson said at the time.
"I just turned 69 and, as far as I'm concerned ... I'm singing better now than I ever have."
Parkinson formed the band Strings and Things while still in school. In the late 1960s, he was playing psychedelic rock with a band called The Questions. They supported The Who and Small Faces on a national tour.
He formed another band called Doug Parkinson in Focus, which recorded a cover of the Beatles' song Dear Prudence in 1969. The cover song gained worldwide attention.
Music journalist Ian McFarlane once described Parkinson as having "considerable charisma with his imposing presence, 'Lucifer' beard and gruff, raspy voice".
Disco Inferno
Do you know the capital of Lithuania? Neither do we.
As a kid, we did play the computer game Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? Maybe the capital of Lithuania didn't feature much in that game.
Funnily enough, Wikipedia confirms the game had 30 locations including the likes of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Cairo, Egypt; Reykjavk, Iceland; Istanbul, Turkey; Budapest, Hungary and Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Lithuania's capital Vilnius was a non-starter.
Anyhow, the point of this story is that Remigijus Simaius, the mayor of Vilnius, has promised to organise a disco under the stars on one condition.
That is, this year's Lithuanian representatives of the Eurovision Song Contest, The Roop and their catchy beat Discoteque, must be crowned winners.
To celebrate this victory [if it happens], the city will be turned into a "giant open-air dance floor", with COVID safety precautions of course.
"The Roop's song has helped many of us forget the gloomy reality even for a moment and to shake off the pandemic fatigue in disco rhythm. So let's support our Lithuanian entry."
Wonder if Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes can top that one.
How about ... drum roll ... the Supercars Disco Inferno.
