Horne brings book and band to the Chicken Shop

Part-writer, part-rocker, Craig Horne of The Hornets is arriving at The Piping Hot Chicken and Burger Grill on October 27 with band, and new book Daddy Who? in tow.

“Melbourne Books recently published my biography of legendary band Daddy Cool and it’s already had some great reviews,” Mr Horne said.

“Daddy Who? is the story of a phenomenon, a band that in 18 short months changed the course of Australian rock history.”

Author and noted rock critic Ian McFarlane said, “I’d nominate (Daddy Who?) as one of the select few books on the history of Australian Rock ‘n’ Roll that gets the story right. Kudos to Craig Horne”.

Horne, a public servant, speechwriter and musician on the Melbourne scene over the last 48 years, said that as a teenager, Daddy Cool inspired him to take up the guitar and play in a rock and roll band of his own; eventually performing alongside Wayne Duncan, Gary Young and Ross Hannaford as members of his band The Hornets.

With an insider’s view, Horne said he tracks Daddy Cool’s journey from when they burst onto the scene October 1970, with their “infectious doo-wop mayhem”, to their rapid rise to the top—on the front cover of every newspaper and rock magazine in the country, with hits “Eagle Rock”, “Come Back Again” and “Hi Honey Ho!” on radio nonstop.

“The book reveals the madness of Daddy Cool’s three US tours, from their showcase performance at LA’s Whisky A Go Go, to New York’s famed Madison Square Garden, and supporting the likes of Elvin Bishop, Fleetwood Mac, Deep Purple, Little Feat and Captain Beefheart,” Horne said.

“Daddy Who? is the first book to tell the complete story of the enduring legacy of one of the most unique and loved bands Australia has ever produced.”

For tickets to the show and book launch in Ocean Grove, head to the website at geelongtickets.com.au/event/7939.