Stephen Donald Cummings (born 13 September 1954 in Melbourne) began his career with early groups including Ewe and the Merinos before joining the Pelaco Brothers in 1974 alongside Joe Camilleri and Peter Lillie. After their breakup, he and guitarist Ed Bates formed new-wave band The Sports in 1976, achieving Australian top-20 success with singles such as “Don’t Throw Stones”, “Strangers on a Train” and “How Come”, and albums including Don’t Throw Stones, Suddenly and Sondra. Following the band’s dissolution in 1981, Cummings launched a solo career with “We All Make Mistakes” (1982) and the album Senso (1984), produced by former bandmate Martin Armiger and featuring the dance-pop tracks “Gymnasium” and “Another Kick in the Head”. He went on to release a steady run of albums across the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, including This Wonderful Life, Lovetown, A New Kind of Blue—which won the 1990 ARIA Award for Best Adult Contemporary Album—Good Humour, Falling Swinger, Spiritual Bum, Firecracker, Happiest Man Alive, Reverse Psychology, Nothing to Be Frightened Of, Prisoner of Love and 100 Years from Now. Live recordings such as Live 2002 and Live in the Big Room showcased his on-stage presence. Beyond music, Cummings published the novels Wonderboy and Stay Away from Lightning Girl, as well as the memoir Will It Be Funny Tomorrow, Billy. His career was further highlighted by the 2014 documentary Don’t Throw Stones, inspired by his memoir, and the inclusion of Lovetownin the book 100 Best Australian Albums. Despite modest commercial returns, he has remained a respected figure in Australian rock, collaborating widely and sustaining a long-running recording and touring career.
