Joe Camilleri | |
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![]() Joe Camilleri at Mordialloc Festival, March 2006 Photo: Mandy Hall | |
Background information | |
Birth name | Joseph Vincent Camilleri |
Also known as | Jo Jo Zep |
Born | Crown Colony of Malta | 21 May 1948
Genres | Rock, R&B, blues |
Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, musician |
Instrument(s) | Vocals, saxophone, guitar |
Years active | 1964–present |
Website | Joe Camilleri.com.au |
Joseph Vincent Camilleri,[1] (born 21 May 1948) aka Jo Jo Zep, is a Maltese Australian singer-songwriter and musician.[2][3] Camilleri has recorded as a solo artist and as a member of Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons and The Black Sorrows.[2][4] Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons' highest-charting single was "Hit & Run" from June 1979, which peaked at #12;[5] Jo Jo Zep's "Taxi Mary" peaked at No. 11 in September 1982;[5] and The Black Sorrows top single, "Chained to the Wheel", peaked at No. 9 in March 1989.[6]
Camilleri has also produced records for The Sports, Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons, Paul Kelly & the Dots, The Black Sorrows, Renée Geyer, and Ross Wilson.[4] Australian music journalist, Ian McFarlane, described him as "one of the most genuinely talented figures in Australian music",[3] and, as a member of Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons, Camilleri was inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Hall of Fame in 2007.[7][8]
The Black Sorrows' Saint Georges Road (2021) represented Camilleri's 50th career release.[9]