Zisimou (The Beast) John
| Type of person | Individual |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | 1963 |
| Place of birth | Maitland, South Australia. |
| Date of death | 2017 |
| Place of death | Gawler, South Australia. |
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John ‘The Beast’ Zisimou was born in Maitland, South Australia on October 1st 1963. His family moved to Gawler, buying the former Good Samaritan Convent on Porter Street. John was educated at Gawler High School and later became a nurse, working at the Hutchison Hospital. John also worked as a bouncer in Adelaide.
John became famous as the guitarist for Gawler heavy metal band, Escape. John appeared on numerous television shows and in the media in his full stage costume.
John was seriously injured when the band's tour bus was involved in an accident in 1986, from which he never fully recovered.
John died on 17 November 2017. He is still remembered fondly as a pioneer in the Australian music scene and for his vibrant and energetic stage performances and anti-drug messages.
In 2019, Adelaide University Lecturer, Paul ‘Nazz’ Oldham dedicated his thesis paper; “Heavy metal kids: a historiographical exploration of Australian proto-heavy metal in the 1960s-1970s” which is “Dedicated to Ian McFarlane, Iain McIntyre, and John ‘The Beast’ Zisimou.”
<Click here> to read the thesis.
Please <click here> to view photos and flyers of the band.
Please <click here> to view photos of John 'The Beast' Zisimou.
Currently, a film by Michael Krazz, called “Escape: The Great Unsigned” is in production, much of it filmed in Gawler at the Zisimou’s house, the former Good Samaritan Convent. Watch a preview by <clicking here>.
[Researched and written by Allen Tiller]
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