Glenn Shorrock’s story, when it is finally told, will have the ingredients of an epic. It’s one of ambition, global stardom, longevity and battles. Back in 2016, he released his first album of new material in 16 years, “Rise Again”. And he had some stories to tell.

Shorrock, the founding frontman of The Twilights, Axiom and ‘70s hitmakers Little River Band (later known as LRB) carved out astonishing success around the globe and in particular the U.S., where LRB shifted the bulk of its 30 million-plus career album sales. The living legend has the outstanding distinction of having been inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame on two occasions, both as a member of LRB, and as a solo artist.

“I’ve been lucky enough, I’ve never had a proper job over my career,” he quips. “It’s one of the measures of success as far as I’m concerned. People say, ‘what’s the secret of your success?’ … It’s about surviving and keeping busy in the entertainment industry. It’s something I think a lot about now, being in my mid 70’s and being a so-called ‘rock legend,’ which I find amusing.”

The veteran singer isn’t caught reminiscing on “Rise Again,” rather, it’s a collection of songs from different writers. It’s a textured reflection of a mature, ever-evolving artist who has enjoyed rare perspectives from the summit of showbiz, and knows all too well the struggle that invariably comes with it. Shorrock has always tapped into this struggle and found new energy. 

It’s no secret Shorrock and his longtime bandmates Beeb Birtles and Graeham Goble have been hardened from experiences in the music industry, but never battle-weary. He has been to the wall and turned the struggle into song and came up with his opening track “Hear My Voice”, which features captivating lyrics such as “I don’t care who is right or wrong/you’ve got my name/ I’ve still got my song/ I don’t care what you might call me/Hear my voice and you will know me”.

More than 12 months in the making, “Rise Again” explores Americana, folk and rock with hues of funk and swing. A brassy rebooted cover of New Zealand great Dave Dobbin’s classic “Slice of Heaven” also makes the cut.

What began as an EP project expanded as Shorrock discovered new avenues and inspiration through collaboration.  The British-born artist shaped a handful of songs with some help from former Twilights bandmate Terry Britten. “I felt my creativity coming out again. I wanted to record them and my players were enthusiastic about the songs. Fellow musician, Graeham Goble said he believes songs find their own time to surface. I think that’s true.”

As a fully-fledged album took shape, Shorrock reflected on his own state of mind. “During the early stages of writing the album, I thought of calling it ‘Grumpy,’” he says with a laugh. “I’m glad the songs came along like ‘Rise Again’, which are much more of a positive to come out of much negativity in life. That helps me with my attitude. I’m not a negative person, but I’m realistic and my feet are firmly on the ground.”

Over the years many millions have been romanced by Shorrock’s lyrics. With Shorrock at the helm, LRB’s “Reminiscing” catapulted to No. 3 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, the United States’ official singles chart. “Reminiscing” is one of six U.S. Top 10 hits for the band, and 10 to crack the Top 20. The album “First Under The Wire” cracked the U.S. Billboard 200 albums chart and made the Top 10 hits celebrating songs "Lonesome Loser" and "Cool Change".

“The statistics are good, and the runs on the board are great,” Shorrock admits. “It’s just my approach to what I do. I’ve never chased celebrity status as such. I think I was just lucky to be born at the right time, in post-war south east England. I got sucked into the whirlpool of rock ‘n roll that was 1956. I suddenly arrived in Australia and, to paraphrase Keith Richards, everything turned to technicolour.”

Shorrock has enjoyed good friendships with fellow musicians over the years. In the mid nineties he got together with fellow Axiom (1969-71) band member, Brian Cadd, to write and produce ‘Blazing Salads’ and in 2000 ‘Spin Me ‘Round”. They were both commercially unsuccessful but contained some good quality songs. He has indulged his passions across the entertainment business, from starring in and producing theatre and cabaret shows such as “Evita,” “The Rocky Horror Show,” “Grease” and his own productions “One for the Money,” and “Go Cat Go” to name just a few. In a career highlight, Shorrock produced and performed alongside the late Sir George Martin in the acclaimed, six-date 1998 production “All You Need Is Beatles”. Shorrock has never left the music business, he’s just been forever spreading out his wings.  “My passport says ‘entertainer’. It doesn’t say ‘songwriter’ because that’s just one of the strings of my bow. I’ve been lucky enough to write some very successful songs. I don’t think some of us knew we were going to be in our ‘70s and still singing pop songs. It’s a situation you have to adjust to and I’m lucky to still be doing and enjoying it. Of course it helps to have a vast body of work behind me.”

Shorrock always revels in paying respect to the past through his live performances. His typical set list will feature a wealth of classic tracks from across his nearly 60 year career, woven in with material from his latest album. “It’s an eclectic bunch of material,” he says of “Rise Again”. “I didn’t want to reproduce the same song over and again, and not everybody is going to like everything. But I wanted it to be a very dynamic album. I think I succeeded in doing that.”

Moving forward to the years following, 2018 saw Glenn release is autobiography “Now Where Was I?”. He also went back into the studio to record with producer and artist, Steve Balbi, and re-imagine some of LRB’s biggest hits as an original member of the band and released “Glenn Shorrock Sings Little River Band” in March 2019.

Glenn has recently starred alongside veteran actors, Maggie Blinco, Belinda Giblin and John Gregg and a newcomer to the acting scene, Hoa Xuande in a new Australian movie, written, directed and produced by Sasha Hadden. The movie, A Stitch in Time, has been released in cinemas across Australia and has received glowing reviews from the critics.

Now in his mid 70’s, Glenn Shorrock is still loving touring and performing constantly across Australia and enjoys the interaction with his fans. He quips that he is “Definitely not ready to slow down yet!”