Scots-born musician Bob Findlay returned to the music industry in April 2007 after 7 years away from it due to a lengthy & life-threatening battle with alcohol abuse. At the time he was suffering from alcohol-induced seizures. Today, his latest single, "A Thought Away", has reached Number 1 on numerous radio stations worldwide.

Bob Findlay formerly played in Tasmanias’ top band until the mid-90s, but left basically due to cynicism towards the industry & also to focus on his Nursing career. During this period he was married & is the father of two children. He had a brief stint recording & playing acoustic gigs; quite a change from the band scene however his alcohol abuse led to divorce in 2002.

Findlay played only a handful of acoustic gigs at major festivals and events after this as alcohol got the better of him (he never drank when he performed). In addition to this was the re-emergence of media & all that goes with the music 'scene'. Bob seemed more of a talking point being a reclusive drunk than a sober performer.
   

In April 2007, He moved to Stanley on Tasmanias' far North-West Coast after one too many hospitalisations. He took to recording again with the sole purpose of alcohol distraction but it has escalated rapidly and he is now receiving extensive and consistent airplay in commercial and internet radio stations. Late in 2007 Findlay recorded 2 self-written & performed albums in as many months. The first, "Rough Edges" is entirely comprised of material written over a 20-year period. He did not officially release the album as he went straight on to record his second album, "Straight Lines', which contains 5 tracks written since sobriety.

Findlays' original music is, in varying degrees, akin to that of The Rolling Stones, The Faces, Warren Zevon, Tom Petty, Lou Reed and Bob Dylan. All of Findlays' released material can be found at www.reverbnation.com/bobfindlay where he is hovering around position number 150 and is outranking the like of "Queens Of The Stone Age", "Live" and "Metallica".

I recently spoke by phone to the normally media shy Findlay. I asked him how he felt abot his ranking at ReverbNation. "It's a bit bizarre,really. I'm barely known, I haven't sold billions of albums and don't even play in a band." Findlay went on to add "I couldn't think of anything worse, really, unless The Rolling Stones asked me to join them."

I also asked Findlay what he thought of the rapid rise of his most recent single, 'A Thought Away'. He told me, "It's not the normal sort of song that I do....I think it took a quite a few people by surprise." When asked about the songs' content he rather cryptically said, "I probably dreamt it.....about my best pal."

If Findlay continues with what started out, as he put it,as a "...stay sober exercise...", then I think we're going to be hearing a lot more from the gutsy Scots Rocker.