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Kevin Nicholas Borich (born 27 October 1948) is a New Zealand-born Australian guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He was a key member of the La De Da's, the founder and frontman of the Kevin Borich Express, and a founding member of the Party Boys. Borich has also worked extensively as a session musician for numerous Australian artists.
Borich wrote "Gonna See My Baby Tonight" for the La De Da's, which became a top 10 hit in 1971 on the Australian singles chart. NOTE: Used for Australian Singles and Albums charting from 1970 until ARIA created their own ARIA Charts in mid-1988. He performed at some of Australia's biggest rock events including the 1972 Sunbury Pop Festival and the late 1970s Rockarena tours with 60,000 people, featuring Fleetwood Mac, Santana and The Little River Band. He played in two New Year's Eve celebrations at the Sydney Opera House with 70,000 people as well as support shows for international acts including Elton John, Status Quo, Jeff Beck and Buddy Guy.
Australian rock music historian Ian McFarlane has described Borich as "one of the most celebrated guitar players in the history of Australian rock. He also remains an underrated songwriter, and his live reputation has rarely been reflected in record sales".
His son Lucius Borich joined Kevin Borich Express as a drummer and was later a member of Sydney-based progressive rock band Cog.
Line-up changes occurred, with Borich and Key joined by Peter Roberts on bass guitar and Keith Barber on drums by 1971's Australian Kent Music Report top 10 hit single, "Gonna See My Baby Tonight". It had been written by Borich, who had established a reputation as "Australia's guitar hero supremo" and regularly performed "All Along the Watchtower" using Jimi Hendrix' interpretation of the Bob Dylan song to close the La De Da's' live set.
In late January 1972, they appeared at the inaugural Sunbury Pop Festival and featured on the subsequent double album, Sunbury, released in October by EMI/His Master's Voice.
The La De Da's recorded further albums and singles and, despite critical acclaim, had little chart success. Only Borich remained throughout until he disbanded the group in 1975. After the La De Da's, Borich toured with John Paul Young & the Allstars for some months before forming a new band.
In early 1977, Borich supported the tour by UK rock guitarist Jeff Beck. Mid-1977 saw the release of the band's follow-up album Lonely One. This was followed in October by supporting the Rockarena tour with Fleetwood Mac, Santana and Little River Band; Borich was invited on-stage to jam with Carlos Santana. In May 1978, the band toured the US in support of Australian heavy rockers AC/DC, with Annas, Paul Christie on bass guitar and keyboard player Tim Shafer (Gary Wright). This line-up recorded No Turning Back which was released in March 1979.
By mid-year, Partridge had returned with both Christie and Shafer departing, and together with Annas, Borich recorded Live!, using the 2JJ mobile studio equipment over performances in Melbourne and Wollongong. Live! contains one of the most incendiary and atmospheric versions of "Little Red Rooster" ever recorded, along with a number of Borich standards.
In July, Kevin Borich Express appeared on Renée Geyer's album Blues License. A European tour by Kevin Borich Express resulted in a compilation album being released in Germany. After the tour, John Watson (Heavy Division) replaced Annas on drums and the band recorded Angel's Hand in November 1979. Similar line-up changes continued into the early 1980s with Michael Deep replacing Partridge in April 1980. This line-up collaborated with solo artist Dutch Tilders to record Blues Had a Baby and They Called It Rock'n'Roll in 1981 on RCA Corporation. Kerry Jacobsen (Dragon) replaced Watson on drums for the Shy Boys Shy Girls Extended play in late 1981. By mid-1982, Annas returned on drums, with Steve Balbi on bass guitar, and Andy Cowan on keyboards.
Later that year, Borich on guitar joined The Party Boys which was formed by previous band member Paul Christie (now ex-Mondo Rock) on bass guitar, drums and backing vocals, Harvey James (Sherbet) on guitar and Graham Bidstrup (The Angels) on drums. Initially a side-project, The Party Boys, had top 10 success with singles "He's Gonna Step on You Again" (No. 1, 1987) and "Hold Your Head Up" (No. 7, 1987), and albums Live at Several 21sts (No. 9, 1983) and The Party Boys (No. 1, 1987). Consequently, Kevin Borich Express output and touring was reduced during the 1980s. In 1989, Borich left The Party Boys and appeared in Jimmy Barnes for the 1990 Two Fires tour.
Borich won 'Best Guitarist' at the 1977 and 1978 Australian Rock Music Awards.
At the Gimme Ted benefit concert on 10 March 2001 Borich performed three songs. Over the 15 years since, he has continued to perform the Australian tour circuit and festivals with various line-ups, and released albums Nomad and Borich X Borich, recorded live at Circular Quay's The Basement. His latest studio album is Totem.
Borich won the Heritage Award at the 1999 Australian Blues Music Festival and was inducted into the Australian Blues Foundation Hall of Fame in 2003.
In July 2023, Borich released the album Duets. It was preceded by the single "Keep It to Myself" with Tim Rogers.
He was diagnosed with Nasopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma in May 2005 and undertook radiation and chemotherapies. The treatments resulted in the loss of his salivary glands and some hearing.
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