Beeb Birtles was born Gerard Bertelkamp on November 28, 1948, in The Netherlands. Searching for a better life for his family, his father moved the family to Adelaide, South Australia, when Beeb was a young boy. Speaking no English, the first few years in Australia were difficult, to say the least, for the young lad who loved to sing harmonies with his mother. As a teenager, Beeb and his schoolmates formed a band known as Times Unlimited, which eventually turned professional and took the Australian teen music scene by storm as The Zoot. They scored several hits, including a rocking version of "Eleanor Rigby", which earned them a gold record. Following the breakup of Zoot in 1971, Beeb teamed up with former Zoot lead singer Darryl Cotton, and formed the musical duo, Frieze. The two released a moderately successful album in 1972, but parted within a year to pursue other interests. Shortly thereafter, Beeb received an invitation from Graeham Goble to join Mississippi, where...
