It is with total sadness that I have to tell you that Skyhooks legend Bob ‘Bongo’ Starkie has passed away at the age of 73.
Bob had announced he had been diagnosed with Leukemia in January 2025. Even at that point in his life was more concerned with inconveniencing his fans because he had a cancel some shows.
Skyhooks’ archivist Peter Green has supplied Noise11 with the official announcement about Bob’s passing for his daughter Indiana:
Bob Starkie 1952- 2025
It’s with sadness in our hearts that we have to send out this news that early this morning Bob “Bongo” Starkie has passed away. For the past year he has fought the brave fight against Leukemia hoping to get back on the road to perform more shows. Music was in his blood till the very end.
Bob was the guitarist in the iconic Skyhooks, the youngest in the band and he embraced the theatrics from striking facial make up to unique stage costumes. The music always came first and touring and playing onstage was his absolute joy.
The members of Skyhooks are exceptionally saddened by the loss of our band mate, and send their condolences to Bobs family.
“Our Dearest Grand-Daddy-Bop has peacefully departed listening to Chuck Berry. Snuggling with his fur baby Bonnie, surrounded by friends and family.
Daughters Indiana and Arabella, grandchildren Phoenix and Lucia, Partner Chrissy, great mate Ian and son in laws Simon and Chris will miss him dearly. Thank you for all your support, he has felt the love till the very end”. (Indiana Starkie)
Just three months ago things were looking good for Bob. Watch Bob’s Noise11 interview from three months ago:
Bob “Bongo” Starkie, the long-serving guitarist for Skyhooks and a defining figure of Australia’s 1970s rock explosion, leaves behind a legacy deeply woven into the country’s musical identity. His contribution was not only instrumental in shaping the band’s distinctive sound, but also in cementing Skyhooks’ status as one of the most culturally disruptive and commercially successful groups of their era. Starkie’s work helped redirect Australian rock towards its own stories and its own sense of place at a time when local acts were still searching for their collective voice.
Starkie joined Skyhooks in August 1973, replacing his older brother Peter. Peter passed away in 2020. His arrival, alongside guitarist Red Symons, finalised the group’s classic twin-guitar lineup. Together, Starkie and Symons created the driving, interlocking guitar architecture that became a hallmark of Skyhooks’ identity. Their contrasting styles-Symons’ theatrical presence and angular tone balanced against Starkie’s precision, swing and musical restraint-gave the band both muscle and sophistication. It was a partnership that powered their breakthrough recordings and electrified their live performances.
As Skyhooks transitioned from Melbourne cult act to national phenomenon, Starkie’s playing became a defining element of the band’s appeal. On Living In The 70’s (1974), the group’s landmark debut, Starkie helped anchor songs that would become generational touchstones, from the slinking groove of “Balwyn Calling” to the razor-sharp attack of “Horror Movie”. His guitar work furnished the songs with both pop immediacy and rock edge, capturing the energy of the urban, suburban and cultural contradictions the band chronicled so vividly.
Starkie was equally central to Skyhooks’ second major commercial triumph, Ego Is Not A Dirty Word (1975), which extended their dominance of the Australian charts. As Greg Macainsh’s songwriting pushed into sharper and more socially observant territory, Starkie’s playing expanded with it. He had an instinct for serving the song-never overplaying-and his tone became one of the band’s signatures: bright, melodic, and delivered with complete conviction.
Though Skyhooks’ membership evolved through the late 1970s and beyond, Starkie remained an anchor within multiple reunions and celebratory line-ups across the 1980s and 1990s. He returned for the 1983 Living In The 80’s Tour, the 1990 sessions that produced the chart-topping comeback single Jukebox In Siberia, and numerous one-off events that honoured the group’s history. Starkie’s loyalty to the Skyhooks legacy extended into the 2000s, performing at tribute shows, benefit concerts and anniversary appearances, always carrying the band’s repertoire with both pride and affection.
Outside Skyhooks, Starkie continued to contribute to Melbourne’s music community, performing with a range of local acts including Ol’ Skydaddys and Ram Band. He remained a visible and admired figure in Australian rock, respected not only for his musicianship but for his warmth, humour and commitment to the music that shaped generations.
Early this year Bob was to tour his 50th anniversary Skyhooks show when he fell ill.
Bob “Bongo” Starkie’s influence reaches far beyond his role in a seminal Australian band. His guitar lines, attitude and creative presence helped open the door for Australian musicians to speak with their own voice. His passing marks the end of an era, but the soundtrack he helped build continues to echo across Australian culture.
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