Bill and Boyd
| Company type | Pop music duo |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1959 |
| Founder | William "Bill" Cate and William "Boyd" Robertson |
| Defunct | 1989 |
| Headquarters | Sydney , Australia |
Area served | New Zealand, Australia, United States |
Key people | William "Bill" Cate, William "Boyd" Robertson |
| Products | Music albums and singles |
Bill and Boyd were a pop duo active between 1959 and 1989, consisting of William "Bill" Cate (1940–2020) and William "Boyd" Robertson (born 1941), both serving as lead singers and guitar players. Originally from Wellington, New Zealand, they moved to Sydney by 1964. In 1968, they toured the United States as supporting acts for The Supremes and Herb Alpert.
Their most successful single, "Santa Never Made It into Darwin", climbed to No. 2 on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart in early 1975. This charity release aided reconstruction efforts in Darwin, Northern Territory after Cyclone Tracy. The song was honored with the APRA Song of the Year award at the 1976 Country Music Awards of Australia. Their 1975 self-titled album reached the top position on the New Zealand Albums Chart, while "Put Another Log on the Fire" peaked at No. 5 in New Zealand and No. 23 in Australia. The duo remained active until 1989, after which Cate went on to establish a trio named after himself.
History
William "Bill" Cate (1940–2020) and William "Boyd" Robertson (born 1941) first crossed paths at Naenae College in Lower Hutt during the mid-1950s. They started performing local cover versions of artists such as The Everly Brothers and Elvis Presley, often supporting performers like rock and roller Johnny Devlin. By 1960, they had signed with Peak Records and released five singles including "Fall in Love with You" and "Corrine, Corrina". In 1961, they transitioned to Philips Records and by 1963 had relocated to Auckland, touring alongside notable musicians such as Peter Posa, Max Merritt, and Dinah Lee.
After moving to Sydney in 1964, their single "Chulu Chululu", co-written by both members, attracted Australian attention. Early successes included a No. 1 cover of "Cathy's Clown" on the Lever Hit Parade in 1960. Throughout the late 1960s, they continued releasing singles and albums while maintaining an active presence on club circuits and television programs like Bandstand and Six O'Clock Rock. In 1966, they supported an Australian tour by folk-pop group The Seekers. Their September 1967 single "If I Were a Rich Man" reached No. 24 on the Go-Set National Top 40 chart. The following year, they toured the US with prominent acts and appeared regularly on A Guy Called Athol.
By 1970, Bill and Boyd had signed with independent label Fable Records, releasing their rendition of "It's a Small World". After Cyclone Tracy devastated Darwin in late 1974, Cate composed "Santa Never Made It into Darwin", which was issued as a charity single selling 50,000 copies within eight weeks and peaking at No. 2 on Australian charts. This track won them the APRA Song of the Year accolade in 1976.
Their subsequent single "Put Another Log on the Fire", a cover of Tompall Glaser's original, reached No. 5 in New Zealand and No. 23 in Australia. The duo’s December 1975 self-titled album topped New Zealand’s Albums Chart. In June 1976, they appeared on Nine Network’s Down Home, Down Under, hosted by Glen Campbell alongside Olivia Newton-John and others. Bill and Boyd continued their musical partnership until disbanding in 1989. In 2003, EMI Music New Zealand issued a compilation album titled The Very Best of Bill and Boyd, curated by Bruce Ward.
Albums
| Title | Album information | Highest chart rankings | |
|---|---|---|---|
| NZL | AUS | ||
| Swingin' Together |
|
- | - |
| Songs for a Cloudy Summer Afternoon |
|
- | - |
| Interfusion Talent Plus |
|
- | - |
| Bill and Boyd |
|
1 | 83 |
| Companions |
|
- | - |
Compilation albums
| Title | Album information | Highest chart rankings | Certification status |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUS | |||
| Dreamin': 18 All Time Greats |
|
41 |
|
| The Very Best of Bill and Boyd |
|
- |
Extended plays
| Title | EP information | Highest chart rankings |
|---|---|---|
| AUS | ||
| Chulu Chululu |
|
|
| If I Were a Rich Man |
|
Charting singles
| Year | Single title | Chart rankings | Certification status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS | NZ | |||
| 1960 | "Cathy's Clown" | 1 | ||
| 1961 | "Surrender My Love" | 7 | ||
| 1962 | "Double Trouble" | 8 | ||
| 1967 | "If I Were a Rich Man" | 24 | ||
| 1970 | "It's a Small World" | 51 | ||
| 1975 | "Santa Never Made It into Darwin" | 2 |
| |
| "Union Silver" | 98 | |||
| "Put Another Log on the Fire" | 23 | 5 | ||
| 1976 | "Questions" | "84" | "" | "" |
Australian Record Awards
|- | 1975 |"Santa Never Made It into Darwin" |"Song of the Year" |
Country Music Awards of Australia
The Country Music Awards of Australia (CMAA), commonly referred to as the Golden Guitar Awards, is a yearly celebration held during the Tamworth Country Music Festival. Since its inception in 1973, it has honored outstanding achievements in Australian country music.
|- | 1976 | "Santa Never Made It into Darwin" | APRA Song of the Year |
Mo Awards
From 1975 through 2016, the Australian Entertainment Mo Awards acknowledged exceptional accomplishments in live performance. Bill and Boyd earned nine accolades throughout this period, notably securing several Vocal Duo of the Year titles.
(wins only)
|- | 1975 | Bill and Boyd | Vocal Duo of the Year | |- | 1976 | Bill and Boyd | Vocal Duo of the Year | |- | 1977 | Bill and Boyd | Vocal Duo of the Year | |- | 1980 | Bill and Boyd | Vocal Duo of the Year | |- | 1981 | Bill and Boyd | Vocal Duo of the Year | |- | 1982 | Bill and Boyd | Vocal Duo of the Year | |- | 1983 | Bill and Boyd | Vocal Duo of the Year | |- | 1984 | Bill and Boyd | Vocal Duo of the Year | |- | 1991 | Bill and Boyd | 1&2 Man Band of the Year |