Bill Armstrong

Bill Armstrong AM (24 June 1929 – 7 August 2026) was an Australian music producer.

Life and career Armstrong grew up in Melbourne and began his career recording his friends' bands onto wire, before being hired to record court proceedings and civil ceremonies. These included recordings of Robert Menzies opening Geelong's Shell Refinery. He recorded live jazz performances, including the 1949 Australian Jazz Convention, and created acetate copies for the performers to purchase.

He started Bill Armstrong Sound in December 1949, and in the early 1950s began releasing local jazz records on his own record labels, Paramount, Magnasound, and Danceland.

After sound engineer Roger Savage arrived from England, he and Armstrong set up Armstrong Studios in 1965 and recorded artists such as Russell Morris, Daddy Cool, John Farnham, Skyhooks They were credited with recording 80% of the music in the Australian charts at the time.

In 1977, Armstrong left the studio to work for SBS Radio, before starting EON FM, Australia's first commercial FM radio station where he worked as managing director.

Armstrong left EON in 1986 and set up the jazz label Bilarm Music, where he continued to work into 2015.

Armstrong died in August 2026 at the age of 97.

Awards 1995 – Advance Australia Award 1995 – Audio Engineering Society (of USA) Australian chapter, Lifetime Achievement Award 2015 – Member of the Order of Australia 2015 – The Age Music Victoria Hall of Fame