THE Australian Music Vault has welcomed its 500,000th visitor. Since opening last December, music fans from all over Australia — and the world — have checked out the free exhibition at the Arts Centre.

Music icon Ross Wilson was at the Vault last week for the launch of a new biography on his band Daddy Cool, Daddy Who, by author and musician Craig Horne.

“It’s Craig’s view of Daddy Who when he saw us playing at the Town Hall by accident and thought we were great and it inspired him to become a musician himself,” Wilson says. “There’s a lot of insight there. A lot of the focus in Daddy Cool was on me, so this gives a very good detailed history of the other members as well and how we all ended up together, what transpired and how it all fell apart! It’s great for fans, but we couldn’t tell the whole story for defamation laws! We don’t get any royalties from the book, we just like Craig and wanted the story to be told with sympathy.”

There are some items from late Daddy Cool bassist Wayne Duncan in the Vault.

“Wayne as the ultimate hoarder. He was the archivist for the group in his own way. HIs bass is in there, it’s actually a priceless artefact, everything he ever did is etched on that guitar. It looks like a complete wreck but it was such a beautiful instrument. It’s nice to be remembered in there. There are some brilliant items in there, so many great costumes and memories.”

The musician’s first wife, Pat Wilson, is also interviewed for the Daddy Cool book. Ross wrote her 80s hit Bop Girl (Nicole Kidman was in the video) and with Pat touring again he’s uploaded the song’s b-side, Tacky, to Spotify.

“I quite like Tacky, it’s that 80s electro pop thing.”

Wilson, who plays the Yarraville Club on Saturday, is also enjoying having step daughter Olympia Valance back home.

“She’s been working on Playing For Keeps and then she’ll head back to LA.”