Troy Newman was an Australian singer-songwriter and musician who was a member of Perth pop, rock band Boys from 1987 to 1988 and also had a solo career, releasing two albums, Gypsy Moon (1991) and It's Like This (1995) before he died in March 1997.
[1][2] He began writing songs while attending Hollywood Senior High School and, in his earlier years, fronted The Exdreamists.
[3][4][5] A year later the band changed their name to Boyschool but split soon after,[4] with Parise and Celenza moving to form Bamboo Curtain, before joining Baby Animals.
In September 1989 Newman appeared in the controversial stage musical, Bad Boy Johnny and the Prophets of Doom alongside Daniel Abineri, Wendy Stapleton, Gary Olsen, Steve Bastoni and Nadine Garner – he took over the lead role from Russell Crowe.
[6][7] The musical spawned a cast album on WEA Records and a Top 40 single, "Enemy the Sun", (November 1989) performed by Newman.
The label flew Newman to Los Angeles where he recorded his debut solo album, Gypsy Moon, with session musicians, Craig Fall, Luis Conte, Bob Glaub, Jerry Goodman, Russ Kunkel, C. J. Vanston and Waddy Wachtel, and guest appearances from Rick Vito and Billy Burnette.
In August 1996, Ladanyi & Newman teamed up again - This time at 301 Studios, Sydney Australia to record a 10 track demo entitled "Velvet Hammer."