Graham Strachan

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Strachan onstage with Skyhooks, 1978

Graham "Shirley" Strachan (2 January 1952 - 29 August 2001) was the lead singer of Australian 1970s rock group Skyhooks. Born in the Melbourne suburb of Malvern, he was an avid surfer, and his nickname "Shirley" was given to him by his surfie mates because of his long, sunbleached and very curly hair, referring to Shirley Temple. After Skyhooks dissolved, Strachan worked as a radio and television presenter, and became known to a new generation as host of children's television series Shirl's Neighbourhood in the early 1980s. In the 1990s he was a regular presenter on home makeover program Our House where he resurrected skills from his pre-Skyhooks career of carpentry.

[edit] Triple M Radio Career

Shirl won himself a position on the breakfast show on Brisbane radio station 4MMM in the mid 90's. Together with former football legend Gary 'Badge' Belcher and anchor Dean Miller, Shirl and company made a name for themselves on Brisbane radio, and were well liked. The listeners loved the three boys' larrikin like ways, and, Queensland being a sport-mad state, they loved Gary Belcher's contributions. As Shirl said of the show in 1998, "We're just a bunch of guys having fun on the radio, no sheilas to tell us what to do!"

It was not to be forever, however. In 1999, Shirl went into negotiations with 4MMM management for contract renewal. Shirl demanded a pay rise that was deemed by management to be non-justifiable, despite the show's good ratings. After a heated battle with then General Manager Jim Johnston which was eventually lost, Shirl resigned and left the station for good.

[edit] Death

Strachan was killed in a helicopter accident on 29 August 2001. He had been a keen student pilot, and had been undergoing training for a helicopter pilot's licence. On his second solo flight in Queensland in stormy weather, Strachan strayed off course and entered a mountain lee. The powerful air currents at the base of the mountain threw his helicopter onto its back, and it crashed inverted into the forest. Strachan's neck was broken and he died instantly. He was aged 49.

The beachside funeral was attended by hundreds of friends, including Skyhooks guitarist Red Symons and Gary Belcher.

Radio 4MMM, Shirl's former employer, held a day long on air tribute to him on the day after his death. Old archived audio was retrieved and played to air, put together by production guru Rick Wade.

The episode of the ABC documentary Long Way To The Top featuring Skyhooks was scheduled to be broadcast on the day of his death. The episode was dedicated to his memory.

Channel Nine ran a tribute episode of "Our House" featuring footage filmed in the weeks before his death, along with archive footage.

Strachan never had children of his own. He is survived by his 'on and off' wife of 26 years, Sue Strachan.