Kevin Borich

Kevin Borich is a blues-rock guitarist, singer and songwriter, born in Huapai, north-west of Auckland in New Zealand, and based in Australia for most of his life. He is on Muzika-Balkan because, in his own words in a 2015 interview with Blues.gr, he was born to Croatian parents from Dalmatia. In that interview he speaks of his family's bush home in the hinterland of Queensland's Sunshine Coast; no source says more about where he lives today.

He grew up near Auckland, and at twelve he recorded a private single with the sisters who later became the duo The Chicks. In 1963 he formed The Mergers with school friends; with the singer Phil Key they became the La De Da's in 1964, with five New Zealand top 10 hits in 1966 and 1967. By 1968 the band was based in Sydney, and in 1971 his own song "Gonna See My Baby Tonight" reached the Australian top 10. He kept the La De Da's going until 1975.

In 1976 he founded the Kevin Borich Express, where he sang and played lead guitar. Their debut single "Goin' Somewhere" came out that year, and the album Celebration! (1977) reached the Australian top 30. They supported Jeff Beck, played the Rockarena tour with Fleetwood Mac, Santana and Little River Band, where Carlos Santana invited him on stage to jam, and toured the US with AC/DC in 1978. He won Best Guitarist at the Australian Rock Music Awards in 1977 and 1978.

In the 1980s he was also a founder of The Party Boys, who had an Australian number one with "He's Gonna Step on You Again" in 1987, and in 1990 he toured with Jimmy Barnes. He later played with his son Lucius on drums, released Heart Starter, Nomad and Totem, and in 2023 the album Duets, introduced by the single "Keep It to Myself" with Tim Rogers. His channel also has songs with Leo Sayer and Russell Morris.

He won the Heritage Award at the 1999 Australian Blues Music Festival and was inducted into the Australian Blues Foundation Hall of Fame in 2003. The playlist is his own channel: duets, live recordings and blues standards such as "Little Red Rooster".