Mike Furber

Michael Alexander Furber (26 September 1948 – 10 May 1973) was an English-born Australian entertainer popular in the mid-1960s as the lead singer of Mike Furber and the Bowery Boys. Furber's group had hits with "Just a Poor Boy", "You Stole My Love" and "That's When Happiness Began" (all in 1966). In the Go Set Pop Poll, Furber was voted in the top 5 as most popular Male Vocalist in both 1966 and 1967. Furber's subsequent solo singing career was less successful and in the early 1970s he turned to stage musicals: including Godspell and Nuclear. According to police investigators Furber committed suicide on 10 May 1973, by hanging, in the garage of his home. Rock music historian Ian McFarlane writes, "Reputedly in the depths of depression, he hanged himself... It has been suggested, however, that Furber was actually murdered because he had befriended a Kings Cross prostitute." His father was Edward George Furber (born 1924) and his mother was Mary Furber ( Young 1926–1989); he was raised with a sister Marian. the family emigrated to Brisbane, Australia.

Furber as lead vocalist joined local pop band the Bowery Boys, which consisted of Robbie van Delft on lead guitar and vocals, Neville Peard on drums, Paul Wade on bass guitar and vocals, and Greg Walker on rhythm guitar. The group signed with Sunshine Records and were managed by label boss, Ivan Dayman, who also managed Normie Rowe. There were no national charts in Australia at that time, although David Kent back-calculated chart positions in 2005 and listed "Just a Poor Boy" in the top 50 in his Australian Chart Book 1940–1969s Kent Music Report. The track was written by van Delft, Peard and Wade. In February 1966 their second single, "You Stole My Love", was released – it is a cover version of the Mockingbirds 1965 single, written by the group's Graham Gouldman (later formed 10cc). Furber's version was a top 10 hit in Melbourne and peaked at No. 12 in Adelaide. In July 1966 a third single, "That's When Happiness Began", was issued but the group disbanded in August. During a performance in July 1967 in Queanbeyan he was dragged from the stage, "stunned and groggy, [he] climbed back with the aid of police and continued his act."

Furber's label, Sunshine, collapsed late in 1967 and the artist had a nervous breakdown. He was fired from Nuclear soon after it started. Brandon Stewart of Hamersley News reviewed the album in 1976 and compared Furber's track, "You Stole My Love", to his rival Normie Rowe's rendition of "Tell Him I'm not Home" (1965), "I always felt that in some ways [Furber] was a better vocalist than [Rowe] and I'm glad to see that his contribution to Australian music is justified by his presence on the album. [Baker's] notes follow his tragic career, constantly in [Rowe]'s shadow until his untimely death by suicide."

Health and death

Furber had his first of a series of nervous breakdowns in late 1967. Generally the service lasted for two years, unless an exemption or reduction was granted. Furber was cremated and in 1989 his ashes, together with his recently deceased mother's, were spread beneath a cherry blossom tree near Barramunga in the Otway Ranges.

Albums

Just a Poor Boy (1967) – Kommotion Records (KL-32030) Diddy Wah Diddy (compilation, 1999) – Spin Records/Festival Records (D-26296)

Extended plays

Just a Poor Boy (May 1966) – Sunshine Records/Kommotion Records (QX 11143) You Stole My Love (October 1966) – Kommotion Records (KX 11204) Where Are You? (1967) – Kommotion Records (KX 11253) It's Too Late (1967) – Sunshine Records (QX 11347)

Singles

Awards and nominations

Go-Set Pop Poll

Go-Set was a teen-oriented weekly pop music newspaper established in February 1966, which co-ordinated the Go-Set Pop Poll from 1966 to 1972. Its readers filled out coupons to determine the most popular personalities. Go-Set provided cover page articles: "Mike Furber & the Bowery Boys" (23 March 1966, pp. 1, 8), "Mike – Normie – Questions on their likes and dislikes" (21 September 1966, pp. 1, 34) and "Furber Collapses – Mike Furber found unconscious by Lily Brett" (23 November 1966, pp. 1, 34). 1966 himself Australian Acts: Male Vocal 4th 1967 himself Australian Acts: Male Singer 5th