Garry Gary Beers

Garry Gary Beers
Garry Gary Beers, August 1986
Background information
Birth name	Garry William Beers
Born	(1957-06-22) 22 June 1957 Manly, New South Wales, Australia
Genres	New wave, rock
Occupation(s)	Musician, songwriter, producer
Instruments	Bass guitar, guitar, keyboards
Years active	1975–present
Associated acts	INXS, Absent Friends

Garry William Beers (born 22 June 1957, Sydney), known as Garry Gary Beers, is an Australian musician and was the bass guitarist for the new wave rock group INXS.

Career

Beers was born to William "Bill" Beers, a front-end loader operator, and Lola who worked part-time in a variety of jobs. He has an older sister, Kerry. He grew up in the Sydney suburb of Manly and attended The Forest High School. His first band was Legolas Elvin Warrior in 1975, where he played acoustic guitar with school mates, Bill Hucker and Glen Fender. After nine months of studying acoustic guitar with little improvement, Beers moved over to bass guitar but refused to take further lessons. His inspiration was John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin. He met Andrew Farriss and joined his band Dr Dolphin, which was followed by the Farriss Brothers in 1977. Farriss Brothers became INXS in 1979 with Beers on bass guitar and double bass, Andrew Farriss on keyboards and guitar, Jon Farriss on drums and keyboards, Tim Farriss on lead guitar, Michael Hutchence on lead vocals and Kirk Pengilly on guitar, saxophone and backing vocals. Generally playing bass guitar, Beers' double bass work occurs on some INXS tracks including "By My Side".

In 1989, while on hiatus from INXS, he joined Absent Friends as bass guitarist. Their No. 7 album, Here's Looking Up Your Address (May 1990) spawned the No. 4 hit single, "I Don't Want To Be With Nobody But You". He also plays the guitar, keyboards, ukulele, and is adept at computer programming for song writing and music production. Beers has co-written tracks for INXS including "Listen Like Thieves", "Don't Change", and "Perfect Strangers". From 2008, Beers has been concentrating on his song writing in Los Angeles, as well as the INXS album, Original Sin released on 8 November 2010.

He co-wrote the song "She's so Cold" with Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots for Weiland's solo CD Happy in Galoshes (2008).

File:GGB at INXS Brighton Concert June 2007.jpg

Garry Beers: INXS UK Tour, Brighton June 2007

Personal life

Beers was given his double name at school, it was later misprinted on the cover of INXS' 1980 debut album, INXS, as Garry Gary Beers. Very rarely given as Gary, Beers adopted the alternative spelling, which appears on merchandise and personal items such as guitar picks.

Beers has an active song-writing facility in LA, and is involved in the LA film and song-writing community.

Beers married his wife, Jourdan, in September 2007. They live in Los Angeles and enjoy volunteering for several animal rescue organisations. They have girl/boy twins, Isla and August. Beers also has two daughters, Lucy and Matilda, from his first marriage to Jodie Crampton; and a son, Benjamin, from his short relationship with Shelley Preston.

Beers suffered the loss of his mother, Lola, to a long-term illness in late 2011.

Beers owns a one of a kind see through acrylic glass bass guitar, which he played on the video for "Bitter Tears" (1991).

External links

• Official INXS site: www.inxs.com
• Garry Gary Beers at the Internet Movie Database