At the Country Music Awards of Australia of 1976 "Santa Never Made It into Darwin" won the APRA Song of the Year for the duo and Cate its writer.
[1][2][3] They started practising pop music in Robertson's bedroom and recorded a home version of "Angel" in about 1956.
[3] Their early repertoire was cover versions of overseas artists, especially The Everly Brothers and Elvis Presley.
Through the late 1960s they released further singles, extended plays and albums, gained popularity, toured the club circuit and regularly appeared on national TV shows, Bandstand and Six O'Clock Rock.
[5] In September 1967 Bill and Boyd's version of the Fiddler on the Roof track "If I Were a Rich Man" was issued on Sunshine Records and peaked at No.
[2][7] By 1970 they had signed with independent label, Fable Records, which released Bill and Boyd's version of "It's a Small World".
Cate wrote "Santa Never Made It into Darwin",[9] which was released as a charity single in January the following year by Bill and Boyd to support the city's rebuilding.
[11] At the Country Music Awards of Australia of 1976 "Santa Never Made It into Darwin" won APRA Song of the Year for the duo and Cate its writer.
[12] A follow-up single, "Put Another Log on the Fire", was a cover version of Tompall Glaser's hit from the same year.
[13] In June 1976 visiting US artist, Glen Campbell, hosted Down Home, Down Under on Nine Network with guests including the duo alongside Olivia Newton-John, John Meillon and Sherbet.
[3] In 2003 Bruce Ward curated a CD compilation album, The Very Best of Bill and Boyd which was issued by EMI Music New Zealand.