Lindsay Bourke was born in 1945.[1] He was classically trained with early influences from Beethoven, Chopin and Mahler, while his later influence was Bob Dylan.[1] Bourke had his debut solo painting exhibition at a small gallery in North Sydney in 1966.[1] Soon after he provided Sydney's first sound and light mixed media show at the Cell Block Theatre.[1] In 1969 he was the support act for progressive rock group, Tully and jazz musician, John Sangster.[1] In July of the following year he performed a Beethoven-inspired concert, which F. R. Blanks of The Australian Jewish Times described, "the music was formally shapeless, in idiom a wild mixture, in technique visually striking and unpredictable."[2] Also in that year he visited Germany and stayed with experimental musician, Karlheinz Stockhausen.[1]
Bourke provided the soundtrack for a short silent film, The Beginning, by film-maker Chris Löfvén in 1971.[1] Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, felt the "heavy organ score gave the film a chilling ambience, which only enhanced the more bizarre aspects..."[1] Bourke's debut album, Wilderness Awakening (1971) was preceded by a concert at Sydney Town Hall, "Homage to Beethoven".[1] Adrian Rawlins of Revolution caught Bourke's second performance of "Homage to Beethoven" in September 1970, at Melbourne Town Hall as part of his Peace Offering concert.[3] Rawlins noticed the concert was, "not just sound and image but a fluid, fluent interrelated 'happening'..."[3] McFarlane described Wilderness Awakening as "basically a piano improvisation in five movements."[1] In August 1971 Bourke, and local rock band Pirana, supported Pink Floyd on the Australian leg of their Atom Heart Mother World Tour.[1][4]
The artist appeared at the Aquarius Festival of Alternative Lifestyles in May 1973 at Nimbin.[5] By 1975 Bourke, performing as Lindsay Blue, issued his second album, Love All Life.[1] For the album he provided carillon, timpani, wind instruments, organ, marimba, grand piano, drums, percussion, synthesiser and gong.[6] McFarlane declared it would be "classified as ambient or New Age relaxation music, with its emphasis on electronic instrumentation and natural sounds."[1] Furthermore, some tracks displayed, "a distinct religious leaning."[1] In the late 1990s Millenium Symphony was released by Lindsay Blue Bourke via his website.[7]