Doc Neeson | |
|---|---|
 Doc Neeson's Angels The Forum, November 2008 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Bernard Patrick Neeson |
| Also known as | Doc |
| Born | 4 January 1947 Belfast, Northern Ireland |
| Origin | Adelaide, South Australia, Australia |
| Died | 4 June 2014 (aged 67) Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Genres | Hard rock, blues rock, rock and roll, pub rock |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, musician |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, bass guitar, guitar |
| Years active | 1971–2014 |
Bernard Patrick "Doc" Neeson OAM (4 January 1947 – 4 June 2014) was an Australian singer-songwriter and musician. He was the front man for the hard rock band The Angels from its formation in February 1976 through to 1999. The band then split up and reformed in 2008 after a lengthy legal battle where Doc resumed his place as front man. For the group, Neeson was the main singer-songwriter and was the driving force behind the band being propelled into stardom for a period spanning over three decades. Their top 20 studio albums on the Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart are Face to Face (June 1978), No Exit (June 1979), Dark Room (June 1980), Night Attack (November 1981), Watch the Red (May 1983), Two Minute Warning (November 1984) and Howling (October 1986). Their number-one album, Beyond Salvation, on the ARIA Albums Chart appeared in February 1990 and was followed by another top 20 album, Red Back Fever (November 1991). The group's top 20 singles on the related Australian charts are "No Secrets" (1980), "Into the Heat" (1981), "Never so Live" (1981), "We Gotta Get out of This Place" (1987), "Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again" (live, 1988), "Let the Night Roll On" (1990) and "Dogs Are Talking" (1990). On 20 October 1998, at the ARIA Awards the group were inducted into the Hall of Fame.
In early December 1999, three weeks prior to his performance at the Tour of Duty - Concert for the Troops in East Timor, Neeson had a car accident on the Sydney M4 motorway, which led to years of pain and rehabilitation. Against all medical advice, he returned to the stage to carry on his legacy and resumed performing in 2006. He died of a brain tumour on 4 June 2014, aged 67, approximately 18 months from his initial diagnosis.