After working in wool sheds in rural Victoria, he moved to Melbourne in the late 1970s to pursue a musical career.
[1] Frawley formed power pop band Japanese Comix in 1979, with vocalist Shane Day (ex-Cruisers, High Rise Bombers), bass guitarist Chris Jobson, drummer Greg Simpkins and James Williams (High Rise Bombers).
[7] The Dots disbanded by August 1983 and Frawley briefly joined the Paul Kelly Band but left before year's end.
[7] Frawley joined Olympic Sideburns late in 1983, an ever-evolving shockabilly outfit that had featured Spencer P. Jones (later in The Johnnys, The Beasts of Bourbon) which formed in 1982.
[8] Rooted in classic 1960s garage rock, their 'Oz-indie' racket made them distinct from most groups in the suburban beer barns.
The line-up was drummer Des Hefner (The Birthday Party, The Slaughtermen), guitarist Charlie Owen (The New Christs, The Divinyls), and bass player Shane Walsh.
Owen called them "the bad boys of folk" who played "the most passionate, beautiful, rollicking, cheeky, heartfelt music you could ever hear".
For thirteen years the band played the Melbourne pub circuit, establishing a base at The Esplanade Hotel in St Kilda.
He provided inspiration to younger musicians, teaching and mentoring acts including Dan Brodie, Tom Carlyon and Clinkerfield.
[1] In January 2009, Frawley performed at 'Life's What You Make It', a tribute to late Melbourne band manager Linda Gebar, alongside Not Drowning, Waving, The Killjoys and others.
[1] Owen, Kelly, Walker, Tex Perkins, Chrissy Amphlett, The Drones, The Kill Devil Hills, Megan Washington, Adalita, and Dan Sultan, combined to create a 3×CD tribute album, Long Gone Whistle – The Songs of Maurice Frawley, which was released in August 2010.