Tributes paid to Midnight Oil bassist Bones Hillman, who has died aged 62

Midnight Oil bassist and vocalist Wayne Stevens – higher often called Bones Hillman – has died on the age of 62 after a battle with most cancers. The information was confirmed by way of the Australian band’s social media accounts on Sunday (November 8).

“We’re grieving the lack of our brother Bones Hillman, who has handed away at his residence in Milwaukee right this moment after a most cancers battle,” reads an announcement from the band.

“He was the bassist with the gorgeous voice, the band member with the depraved sense of humour, and our good musical comrade.”

We’re grieving the lack of our brother Bones Hillman, who has handed away at his residence in Milwaukee right this moment after a most cancers battle. He was the bassist with the gorgeous voice, the band member with the depraved sense of humour, and our good musical comrade. pic.twitter.com/qP5EJqZowL

— Midnight Oil (@midnightoilband) November 8, 2020

“We are going to deeply miss our pricey buddy and companion and we ship our sincerest sympathies to [his wife] Denise, who has been a tower of energy for him,” the band added.

Seminal 90s Australian band Jebediah additionally shared a tribute to Hillman, explaining how he helped form the recording expertise of Jebediah’s debut album ‘Barely Odway’.

“Bones was the one who would all the time cease by for a sport and a chat and a hang around,” the band mentioned of Hillman, who was current on the identical studio engaged on Midnight Oil’s ‘Redneck Wonderland’.

“Being barely out of our teenagers and recording our first album, this was a fairly cool flip of occasions. I believe he was simply genuinely curious and pleasant sufficient to wish to shoot some pool with these humorous wanting children and hang around with us a bit however he was additionally demonstrating, in his personal delicate means the advantageous artwork of being a mature musician in an enormous band and all of the whereas simply protecting it low key and fashionable. We have been nonetheless an impressionable bunch again then and these experiences meant a lot extra to us than somebody like Bones may ever know.”

Russell Crowe additionally paid his respects on social media, writing “What a grand chap he was.”

R.I.P Bones Hillman.

What a grand chap he was.
Unhappy unhappy information.@alanthomasdoyle @daveindataform @StewartKirwan

— Russell Crowe (@russellcrowe) November 8, 2020

Canadian folk-rock icon and actor Alan Doyle shared his personal tribute to Hillman. Hillman had beforehand collaborated with each Doyle and Crowe.

Ah Bones. Rock on. RIP. pic.twitter.com/Vvg3oAgODe

— Alan Doyle (@alanthomasdoyle) November 8, 2020

Born in Auckland in 1958, Stevens performed in quite a few New Zealand acts similar to Masochists, Suburban Reptiles and the Swingers. In 1987, Stevens was sharing a home in Melbourne with Neil and Sharon Finn, taking part in in a neighborhood band and dealing as a home painter by day.

Midnight Oil drummer Rob Hirst sought Stevens out, informing him they have been on the lookout for a brand new bassist to exchange Peter Gifford, and welcoming him as much as Sydney to rehearse.

Stevens would go on to play bass and contribute vocals to each studio album the band launched from 1990’s ‘Blue Sky Mining’ as much as ‘The Makarrata Project’, which arrived simply final month. He additionally toured extensively with the group, performing 1000’s of reside reveals.

Along with his work with Midnight Oil, Hillman labored as a session musician and collaborated with quite a few different artists, similar to New Zealand singer-songwriter Dave Dobbyn for the latter’s 2005 album ‘Accessible Mild’.

Following Midnight Oil’s hiatus in 2002, Hillman briefly returned to New Zealand earlier than, in 2007, shifting to america along with his household. He participated within the band’s reunion and subsequent tour in 2017.

In August, Midnight Oil returned with ‘Gadigal Land’, their first single in 18 years. ‘The Makarrata Undertaking’, the album it featured on, arrived late October, that includes collaborations with the likes of Jessica Mauboy, Alice Skye, Dan Sultan, Tasman Keith, Kev Carmody and extra.