Vince Lovegrove - 1980s: Divinyls, Suzi, Troy and AIDS

1980s: Divinyls, Suzi, Troy and AIDS

In 1981, Lovegrove moved to Sydney and became manager for rock band Divinyls, he organised their transfer from WEA to Chrysalis and their first tours of the United States. Lovegrove had a minor role in the film, Monkey Grip (1982), with Divinyls' members Christina Amphlett and Mark McEntee supplying the soundtrack. As manager of Divinyls, he split his time between Sydney and New York to promote them and during one of his many trips, Lovegrove met his future second wife, American-born actress Suzi Sidewinder.

After living together for four years, Lovegrove married Sidewinder, but not long after the birth of their son Troy Lovegrove in 1985, the family learnt that both mother and child were HIV-positive. Suzi had unknowingly contracted HIV several years earlier and had transmitted the virus to unborn Troy. In response to experiencing prejudice and ignorance due to AIDS, Lovegrove and Suzi chose to speak out and developed Suzi's Story. The documentary won the 'Television Documentary Award' at the 1987 Human Rights Medal and Awards. and assisted to dispel public's fears, ignorance and belief that HIV was a "gay disease". Because of numerous personal pressures involving the HIV status of his wife and son, Lovegrove withdrew from managing the Divinyls, and concentrated on his wife and son. Suzi died on 14 June 1987, weeks before Suzi's Story was screened on Network Ten across Australia, it featured interviews of Suzi Lovegrove and Holly Lovegrove (his daughter from his first marriage) and footage of Troy.