Archie Roach was a singer, songwriter, storyteller, and a gifted artist. He published an autobiography in 2019, and has also collaborated on musical theatre, written children's books, and published his lyrics and poetry.
Born at Framlingham Aboriginal Mission, Roach was taken from his family at an early age as part of the Stolen Generations. He spent some time in institutions before being fostered by a Scottish family. After learning of his Aboriginal family from a letter received from his sister, he left home. Suffering from alcoholism, Roach spent many years on the streets of Adelaide and Melbourne in search of his family and his identity. Roach met his partner Ruby Hunter, a Ngarrindjeri woman from South Australia. Hunter, a singer and songwriter, had also been removed from her family.
In the late 1980s, Roach formed a band called Altogether that played at community festivals and functions around Melbourne and in 1988 played as the opening act for Paul Kelly and the Messengers. In 1990, Roach recorded Charcoal Lane. This album became famous for two songs: Took the Children Away, which was about the forced separation of Aboriginal children from their parents during the implementation of the assimilation policy, and Down City Streets, which was co-written by Ruby Hunter.
Roach has won Aria Awards, Best Indigenous Album and Best New Talent and later a Human Rights television award for Land of the Little Kings, a feature-length documentary about the Stolen Generations. This was a collaboration between independent filmmakers Paul Roberts and Des Kootji Raymond and narrated by Archie Roach. In July 1997, Roach recorded Looking for Butter Boy, working with Malcom Burn, who acclaims Roach as one of the great singers. This album won three Aria Awards in 1998.
Together Roach and Hunter toured with many bands and artists over the years, including Paul Kelly, Weddings Parties Anything, Crowded House, and international artists such as Billy Bragg, Tracy Chapman, Suzanne Bega, and Patti Smith. In 1992, Roach toured America supporting Joan Armatrading and Bob Dylan and in 1993 returned as guests to Austin's South X South-West music convention. Roach toured the UK and Germany in 1994 and the following year, along with Hunter, Tiddas and Kev Carmody, toured Canada's Music West convention in Vancouver and into Europe. He again toured Europe in 1997 and also China, Japan and Taiwan before returning to Australia for a six week tour in remote communities in Cape York.
HarperCollins published an anthology of Roach's lyrics in 1994 called You Have the Power. In 2010, Roach's album Archie Roach - 1988 won the Deadly Award for Album of the Year and in 2013, Roach was inducted into the National Indigenous Music Awards Hall of Fame.
Over the years, Roach was a guest artist at many Indigenous Festivals across Australia and continued to work and be a representative for his community. He was active in many Aboriginal causes and continues to provide vocals for soundtracks for artists, albums, bands, and films.
Roach's sons have given permission for his name and image to continue to be used, to continue his legacy.
Albums:
- 1989 - Koori (with Ruby Hunter)
- 1990 - Charcoal Lane
- 1993 - Jamu Dreaming
- 1997 - Looking for Butterboy
- 2002 - Sensual Being
- 2002 - The Tracker
- 2004 - The Definitive Collection
- 2005 - Ruby (with Ruby Hunter)
- 2007 - Journey
- 2009 - 1988
- 2012 - Into The Bloodstream
- 2016 - Let Love Rule
- 2018 - Dancing with My Spirit
- 2019 - Tell Me Why
- 2020 - The Songs of Charcoal Lane (re-recording of Charcoal Lane)
Singles:
- 1990 - 'Took the Children Away'
- 1991 - 'Down City Streets'
- 1993 - 'From Paradise'
- 1993 - 'Walking into Doors'
- 1997 - 'Hold on Tight'
- 1997 - 'Watching Over Me'
- 1997 - 'A Child Was Born Here'
- 2002 - 'All Men Choose the Path They Walk'
- 2002 - 'Alien Invasion'
- 2005 - 'A Child Was Born Tonight'
- 2012 - 'Song to Sing'
- 2012 - 'We Won't Cry'
- 2013 - 'Colour of Your Jumper'
- 2014 - 'Freedom' (Mau Power feat. Archie Roach)
- 2016 - 'It's Not too Late'
- 2016 - 'Get Back to the Land'
- 2019 - 'Open Your Eyes'
- 2019 - 'Rally Round the Drum' (with Paul Kelly)
- 2022 - 'One Song'
Compilations
- 2004 - The Definitive Collection
- 2009 - Music Deli Presents Archie Roach 1988
- 2013 - Creation
- 2022 - My Songs 1989-2021
Australian Writing and Rock Music affiliation: vocals, songwriter, lyricist, guitar.
