While still a member of Skyhooks, he had solo singles, which charted on the Kent Music Report, with a cover recording of Brenda Holloway's "Every Little Bit Hurts" (October 1976, No.
[1] He was the older brother of three sisters, and he was the son of Joyce and Ronald Strachan, who was a carpenter and former World War II Navy sailor.
[1] Strauks and Greg Macainsh, on bass guitar, were members of Claptrap in 1970, and they asked Strachan to join on lead vocals in the following year.
[4][5] The group were renamed Frame with Strachan; Strauks and Macainsh were joined by Pat O'Brien and Sintjio Oohms, both on guitars.
[2] In November 1972, Strachan left Frame and moved to Phillip Island to take up surfing and part-time carpentry.
"[1] While Strachan was surfing at Philip Island, Macainsh and Strauks formed a new band, Skyhooks, in March 1973 with Steve Hill on lead vocals (ex-Lillee), Peter Inglis on guitar (ex–Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band) and Peter Starkie on guitar and vocals (ex–Lipp & the Double Decker Brothers).
[6] In March 1974, Strachan replaced Hill on lead vocals in Skyhooks alongside Macainsh, Strauks and Bob "Bongo" Starkie (ex–Mary Jane Union) and Red Symons (ex-Scumbag), both on guitars.
[6] Australian musicologist Ian McFarlane described Strachan as "a natural frontman: young and gifted, loudmouthed and witty, blessed with a sweet yet powerful voice and androgynous good looks".
In October 1976, he issued a cover version of Brenda Holloway's 1964 hit "Every Little Bit Hurts" as his debut single, which peaked at No.
[6] In 1984, Strachan joined a rock supergroup, the Party Boys, for a national tour and was recorded on lead vocals for their third live album, No Song Too Sacred, alongside founding members Graham Bidstrup on drums, Kevin Borich on guitar and Paul Christie on bass guitar, and new guitarist, Robin Riley (ex-Rose Tattoo).
[16] Strachan relocated to Queensland in that year and started as a regular presenter on home makeover program, Our House, where he resurrected skills from his pre-Skyhooks carpentry trade.
[18] Apter had already written 15 celebrity biographies; for Shirl, Apter had access to Skyhooks' band members, Strachan's family, and "music industry figures, people from Strachan's later career in TV and radio, and the surfing gang he assembled after relocating to Queensland in the 90s.
"[19] Alistair Jones of The Australian felt that Apter's sources "all contribute to a picture of a good bloke fondly remembered" with the biography's strength being the "input that keeps the journey of a larger-than-life character grounded in personal terms" while a "down-side" was that "in sympathetically honouring the trust of his sources, Shirl becomes something of a tear-jerker.
In early September 2001, a beachside funeral was attended by Strachan's family and friends, including Skyhooks' guitarist, Red Symons, and radio colleagues, Gary Belcher and Dean Miller.
[27] In September 2001, remaining members of Skyhooks reunited for a memorial gig at the Palais Theatre, St Kilda.
[28] Guest vocalists included Daryl Braithwaite on "All My Friends Are Getting Married" and Ross Wilson on "Warm Wind in the City".