Stand by your band
WHEN OLLIE BAILEY was three years old, his dad died of cancer. It was devastating. His father was Chris Bailey, bass player in rock bands The Angels and GANGgajang.
“Chris was an amazing dad,” says Ollie’s mum, Jo O’Reilly. “He was this long-term muso who’d never really been around kids, so everything Ollie did was a wonder.” But Chris, like many musicians, didn’t have a financial safety net. A bunch of his colleagues staged a benefit concert and, after his death, a charity called Support Act, which helps music professionals and their families in times of need, channelled the donations to Ollie and Jo. It was a godsend. Then, three years later, Ollie was diagnosed with brain cancer. Jo had to stop work because the treatment was intensive and “it was full-time by
Ollie’s bed.” Support Act stepped in. They raised funds to help Jo and Ollie through.
Today Ollie is nine years old, in remission and full of beans. Right now he’s putting down a ukulele track on a single to raise money for Support Act. The song, Stand By
You, features many of Australia’s best known musicians (including Paul Kelly, Kasey Chambers, Deborah Conway, members of Cold Chisel, Midnight Oil and The Wiggles) as well as thousands of musos who have laid down tracks online. It’s available on iTunes and to stream from Apple Music, Spotify and music providers from June 1.