Billy Hyde

When it comes to music stores in Australia, you’d struggle to find a more trusted or well known name than Billy Hyde’s. Billy Hyde himself, the man who started it all, was a true Aussie music legend, and opened the first Billy Hyde’s Music store way back in 1962. Since then, the who’s who of Australian music have passed through our doors at one time or other. Just as importantly, countless dreamers, beginners, enthusiasts, buskers, bands and music legends in the making have relied on us to get the advice and equipment they need, at a fair price, to make the music they love. It’s what we were about back then, and it’s what we’re about today. Because Billy wasn’t a businessman, he was a muso through and through. And he knew what it was like to do it tough.

When Billy first started drumming back in the 1930s he didn’t let a little thing like The Great Depression get in the way. He’d cart his drums to and from gigs on the tram or train, and went on to become one of Australia’s premier drummers, working on a variety of tv and radio shows right through to playing with symphony orchestras and numerous international artists. A true music lover and innovator, he created the world’s first tube steel practice kit, and designed and manufactured the Billy Hyde moulded practice pad that is still played worldwide today, before going on to open that first music store in . As significant as these innovations were though, by far his greatest contribution to music was helping Australian music lovers get what they want at great value prices. And it’s a tradition we’re proud to continue today. Because while the brands and equipment may have evolved over the years, just like Billy himself, our love of all things music remains at the heart of everything we do.