Cotton Keays & Morris
| Company type | Rock band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2000 |
| Headquarters | Australia |
| Products | Music albums, live performances |
Cotton Keays & Morris (CKM) was an Australian rock ensemble established in 2000, composed of singer-songwriters Darryl Cotton, Jim Keays, and Russell Morris, each boasting numerous chart-topping tracks dating back to the 1960s. The group frequently toured across Australia, delivering performances that showcased hits from their solo careers as well as their former bands.
2000-2012: Background
Cotton Keays & Morris came together in 2000 following a tour by Cotton and Morris with 1960s pop icon Ronnie Burns under the name Burns Cotton & Morris. Upon Burns' departure, The Masters Apprentices frontman Jim Keays joined the lineup, enriching the band’s setlist with his extensive collection of songs. The trio continued touring throughout the 2000s until the deaths of Cotton in 2012 and Keays in 2014.
Their discography includes two studio albums compiling their greatest hits, an acoustic album released in 2003, and a live recording from a 2004 performance at The Basement in Sydney.
Darryl Cotton
Darryl Cotton (4 September 1949 – 27 July 2012) was a founding member of the rock band Zoot, which also featured Beeb Birtles (Mississippi and Little River Band). After Zoot dissolved, Cotton spent time working internationally before returning to Australia to pursue a solo career. He also appeared in the Australian staging of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, acted on television including The Young Doctors, and hosted the show The Early Bird Show.
Cotton’s contributions to CKM’s performances included Zoot classics such as "1x2x3x4" and a hard rock adaptation of "Eleanor Rigby", Mississippi's "Will I?" (co-written with Birtles), along with his solo tracks "Don't Let It Get to You" and the acclaimed "Same Old Girl".
He passed away on 27 July 2012 due to liver cancer.
Jim Keays
Jim Keays (9 September 1946 – 13 June 2014) served as lead vocalist for Australian rock band The Masters Apprentices from 1965 until 1971. The band occasionally reunited for nostalgia events and charity concerts. Keays also enjoyed a successful solo career. Both he and The Masters Apprentices were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 1998. Diagnosed with myeloma in 2007, which led to kidney failure, Keays later experienced remission before his death.
His notable contributions include The Masters Apprentices’ hits like "Living in a Child's Dream", "Elevator Driver", "5:10 Man", "Think About Tomorrow Today", "Because I Love You", and "Turn Up Your Radio"—the latter commemorated on a 1998 Australian postage stamp. His solo single "The Boy from the Stars" is also well regarded.
Keays died on 13 June 2014 from pneumonia related to multiple myeloma.
Russell Morris
Russell Morris (born 31 July 1948) first rose to prominence in 1966 with his band Somebody's Image, scoring a hit cover of "Hush". As a solo performer, he quickly gained fame with the iconic track "The Real Thing". Between 1969 and 1972, Morris released seven singles that charted, five of which reached the Top 10. "The Real Thing" was also featured on an Australian postage stamp in 1998. He was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2008.
His prominent songs include "Hush", "Rachel", "Mr America", "Wings of an Eagle", "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue", "Sweet, Sweet Love", and "The Real Thing".
Concert evaluations
- February 2001, Capers: "Amid an evening brimming with vivid recollections, selecting the standout moments proves challenging."
- September 2003, Canterbury-Hurlstone Park RSL: "This was among the most delightful performances I've experienced in quite some time."
- September 2004, The Entrance Leagues Club: "The performance on this particular night eclipses all previous shows."
- March 2005, Melbourne Town Hall: "I recall being 18 and thinking that reaching 25 would bring contentment—now, years later, here we stand."
Albums
| Title | Album information |
|---|---|
| Maximum Hits |
|
| Maximum Hits (Volume 2) |
|
| Live & Acoustic |
|
| Live at The Basement |
|
| One With The Lot |
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