"I've never had any bass lessons. I was learning the guitar for about 9 months and I was just terrible," says Garry of those early days. It was then that Garry picked up his first bass and started playing. "I trundled off and bought the first bass I looked at. It was a Maya '57' Les Paul copy, which cost me $50", he recalls.
Garry Gary William Beers was born in Manly, a suburb of Sydney on June 22nd, 1957. He attended Forest High School, and at the same time worked at a local petrol station. Garry saw an advertisement for a bass player in the local paper one day, placed by Michael and Andrew soon after they met. Even though Garry attended the same high school as Kirk and Tim, they never knew each other. "Garry was this meathead football player that we never really talked to" laughs Kirk.
In 1983 Garry, along with Kirk and Andrew become involved in the release of the 12" single Flaming Hands/Cast My Love. The record has three songs with Garry playing bass. From here, Garry went on to helping another Australian artist, Jenny Morris, who performed as the backup singer for INXS during the mid-80's Listen Like Thieves tours. The release of her 1987 album Body & Soul saw Garry playing bass for her main hit single, You're Gonna Get Hurt. Garry has also contributed a few distinctive b-sides for INXS, most notably Sweet As Sin, from Listen Like Thieves and Middle Beast from X.
In 1989, when INXS took a well deserved break, Garry worked with a number of other Australian artists. The band Absent Friends, with Wendy Matthews, Sean Kelly and James Valentine was formed with an album Here's Looking Up Your Address and single called I Don't Want To Be With Nobody But You released. Then came some live shows, which Garry played in around local Sydney and Melbourne pubs. Rumors spread that Garry was enjoying the experience with Absent Friends so much, that he had quit INXS. These rumors were quickly quashed when he returned to the studio and began recording the X album with INXS. In 1991 Garry married his long time girlfriend Jody and they now have 2 children, Lucy Mae and Mathilda Bonny.
It would be three years till Garry once again ventured away from INXS and played for Wendy Matthews on her Lily album. Garry played bass on 80% of the tracks whilst Jon Farriss helped out with percussion. He has also played bass for Melissa Etheridge while she toured in Australia a few years ago. Garry also has the distinction of being the only bandmember to perform on tour in a Balinese skirt, which most people thought looked quite fetching on him combined with combat boots.
Garry and his family live in Somersby on the New South Wales central coast, in a Santa Fe, New Mexico inspired homestead that boasts an extensive collection of authentic Native American art (inspired from a side trip to Santa Fe while on tour) and Australian Aboriginal artifacts. He also has one of the largest collections of old guitars, stand-up basses and amps seen on the continent and has set up his own studio at home. With the release of Elegantly Wasted this year and the world tour, Garry is enjoying the return from a long break. "We're basically just a rock band, and that's all we want to be," he explains. Garry has another project in the wings called Mudhead.