Jimmy Doyle (musician)

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Jimmy Doyle, born James Vivian Alfred Doyle on 14 October 1945 in Sydney, Australia, was a guitarist, radio presenter and songwriter. He played in many genres, including blues, pop, rock and jazz fusion, and his career lasted about 45 years.

Doyle was the founding guitarist of Ayers Rock, a jazz-fusion band formed in Melbourne in 1973. He played on all three Ayers Rock albums: Big Red Rock (1974), Beyond (1976) and Hotspell (1980). The band toured across Australia and overseas, including a 1975 show in Seattle where they opened for Bachman–Turner Overdrive to a 35,000-strong audience. For Hotspell, Doyle wrote or co-wrote four tracks.

His music career began at age 15. He later served as musical director and guitarist for Winifred Atwell for two years and played with the Delltones and Dig Richards. Doyle was also involved with several other groups, including the Soulmates (1967), Col Nolan and the Soul Syndicate, Aesop’s Fables (1968–69), and Moonstone (1970). Aesop’s Fables formed in Sydney in 1968 with Doyle on guitar.

In September 1970, Doyle joined the progressive rock group King Harvest, though he was soon replaced by Billy Green. He remained best known as a founding member of Ayers Rock, which included various members over the years and released three albums before disbanding in 1981. Doyle wrote or co-wrote four tracks on Hotspell, the band’s final album.

Future praise for Doyle came from peers. US blues musician Elvin Bishop, who toured Australia with Doyle backing him in 1986, called him a hell of a guitar player. Georgie Fame later invited Doyle to join the Aussie Blue Flames, Fame’s backing band on his Australian tours.

Doyle also worked in radio, hosting a regular program called In the Deep with Jim on Sydney’s community radio station FM99.3 (2NSB). He was diagnosed with liver cancer and died on 5 May 2006 in Sydney. A tribute concert on 26 May raised money for his family, with performances by Billy Field, Col Loughnan and Mother Earth featuring Renée Geyer.