Influences
Thorpe returned to Australia in 1996 and continued as a performer and producer, additionally he wrote two autobiographies, "Sex and Thugs and Rock 'n' Roll" (1996) and "Most People I Know (Think That I'm Crazy)" (1998). According to Australian rock music historian Ian McFarlane, "Thorpie evolved from child star, beat pop sensation and cuddly pop crooner to finally emerge as the country's wildest and heaviest blues rocker [...] Thorpie was the unassailable monarch of Australian rock music". Thorpe was inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Hall of Fame in 1991. He died of a heart attack in February 2007 and was posthumously appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in June for his contribution to music as a musician, songwriter and producer.