Soon after Billy Munro’s birth in Brisbane his family moved to Newcastle in New South Wales where his father was a stockman and racehorse trainer. Growing up in and around stables, Billy became an expert horseman and as a youngster created his own circus act, standing on the back of his pony and leaping on and off, wild Indian style.
From childhood, he was plagued by asthma and a chronic allergy. He discovered his life’s passion after a near-death experience when undergoing surgery at the age of eight. His father brought him home an old HMV Victor phonograph and a corn sack full of 78 rpm records. From that day Billy realised he was ‘born with the beat’.
When he became a professional jockey his teens he spent his earnings on records, rock ‘n’ roll and radio school tuition, which eventually led him to where he always knew he belonged —behind the microphone.
His voice changed prematurely and he spent a decade in radio and had his own rock ‘n’ roll band, Billy and the Go-Go’s, named after his radio ‘call’ name.
Returning to Sydney Billy became a promotions manager for MGM Pictures and Westfield. He took to the stage as a male stripper, toured with his own solo comedy act and played the role of Brad in the Rocky Horror Show. He then became a popular DJ on the club circuit.
After retiring Billy studied art anatomy and completed three books of ‘rad’ artwork and an autobiography.
He lives in the Sydney beachside suburb of Bondi where he revels in the surfing life and cruises around in his ultra-cool 1965 Meyers Manx beach buggy.