Steve Prestwich, best known as drummer for Aussie rock legends Cold Chisel, has passed away. He died Sunday January 16th at around 3:30 pm, only ten days after he had been diagnosed with a brain tumour.
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He underwent surgery at Macquarie University Hospital in Sydney last Friday but never regained consciousness.
The drummer's music career began in Liverpool, Great Britain when he was sixteen.
After moving to Adelaide in Australia with his family a year later Steve became a founding member of the band Orange, featuring Jimmy Barnes, Ian Moss, Don Walker and Les Kaczmarek. In 1974, they changed their name to Cold Chisel.
Cold Chisel was a major influence on the hard rock scene in Australia and on Aussie culture in general, and is often seen as one of many bands that helped bring Aussie rock to the world stage.
Steve Prestwich wrote some of Chisel's best-loved songs, such as Forever Now and When the War is Over. He co-wrote the band's classic hit Flame Trees.
Cold Chisel's last studio album, 'Twentieth Century', was released in 1984. The recording had begun in September 1983 one month before the Last Stand Tour commenced. Drummer Steve Prestwich had already left the band by them. He is only heard on three of the 13 songs. His replacement was Ray Arnott.
After Cold Chisel broke up that same year, Steve Prestwich joined the Little River Band and later toured with John Farnham.
As well as being part of Chisel's numerous reunions, Prestwich had released two solo albums, the most recent being 'Every Highway' (2009).
In September 2010, Cold Chisel reformed and performed a brand new Don Walker song All For You. It was the first track for what was to be their first album in 13 years.
Steve Prestwich, best known as drummer for Aussie rock legends Cold Chisel, has passed away. He died Sunday January 16th at around 3:30 pm, only ten days after he had been diagnosed with a brain tumour.
