I'm shattered. Aussie rock legend Billy Thorpe, pictured above, passed away this morning. He was 60 years old, and he had a heart attack. It can't have been entirely unexpected, but it still comes as a shock to me.

I saw the great man in concert twice - once as the support for Deep Purple, once in his own show. Let me tell you, he was wonderful. He was an amazing showman, an extremely talented musician, had a great sense of humour... I would have liked to see him once more.

Being the young thing that I am, I do not remember the early days of Billy Thorpe's career - he started off well before I was born. They say he and his band The Aztecs kicked off the Melbourne pub band scene, which is a big claim to fame. Melbourne is very big on pub bands, and I'd be happy to think that legacy lives on after Billy Thorpe's sad demise.

Rest in peace, Mr Thorpe. I'm sure most people you knew thought you were crazy. I thought you were the personification of rock. May you sing with choirs of Hell's Angels now.