LOCAL musician Deebee Bishop is celebrating 40 years as a professional musician this month.

Leaving school at the early age of fifteen years Deebee started an apprenticeship as a ship’s carpenter and went to Ultimo College in Sydney.

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He worked as a musician/carpenter until 1989 when he auditioned as a saxophone player at the Wollongong Conservatorium of Music, studying composition and jazz studies under the acclaimed Australian violinist Don Harper.

Deebee describes himself as an Australian musician, performer, writer, woodworker, and Dad.

“I’ve been a professional musician for almost 40 years, my instruments are vocals, acoustic guitars, stage piano, mandolin, banjo, ukulele, and more.

Deebee’s musical career has spanned four decades of musical expertise incorporating vocals, instrumental, performance and writing.

In 1981 Odds n Ends was the first band Deebee formed with three other friends, and the attic Coffee House Drop-in Centre in Hornsby was their rehearsal room.

Odds n Ends eventually became Sneak Preview in 1982, and was very popular at pubs in and around Sydney, recording an EP at a small studio in Sydney’s North Shore.

Out of Sneak Preview came the Nu Motives with Martin Kirkpatrick as guitarist.

“Martin Kirkpatrick was a focus driven musician who would not take ‘no’ as an answer, and coaxed me to leave Sneak Preview and start a ska rock band with Steve Lewis (drummer), and Dirk Dubious on bass,” said Deebee.

Nu Moves (1982-1985) immediately fell into a groove, rehearsing and writing six hours a day, seven day a week.

Within six months the band was touring Australia with touring manager Leith Krakuer, a fiery, highly motivated manager who was able to get the support acts with bands like INXS, Kate Ceberano, The Triffids and The Violent Femmes.

Later embarking on a solo career, busking allowed Deebee to play and write music all over the world, spending long periods in Tasmania, and touring Spain, France, Ireland and Scotland.

When finally returning to Australia he continued making a living out on the streets busking.

“Busking is where it’s at if you want to learn how to work an audience,” said Deebee.

Between 1994–1996 he started to seriously write songs, “every day, a new song”.

Deebee soon had thousands, and recorded them all with a new band ‘Twang’ at Troy House studio in Newtown.

“In 2013 I moved to the Mid North Coast and started working on ‘Thirst’,” said Deebee.

‘Thirst’ is a songwriting journey with lots of original music on acoustic guitar, piano, banjo, tenor uke, and blues harp.

When completed, Deebee began to perform ‘Thirst’ in small theatres up and down the East Coast.

At present Deebee is performing ‘House Concerts’, a great way of bringing a professional musician up close and personal without the distractions of regular venues.

With his warm tenor voice, he entertains audiences in the comfort of their home, veranda, or backyard BBQ area.

Deebee, said, “I’ve toured and performed around Australia and overseas since the late 1980’s, and I come equipped with everything a concert needs.”

For more information visit www.houseconcert.net.au.

By Karen GRIBBIN