None of the founding members of Little River Band are still in the band. The longest serving member still touring with the band is Wayne Nelson. He became the only American to be added as an actual band member, his tenure beginning in 1980.
Each of the founding members left for different reasons at different times. Glenn Shorrock left in 1982. He was hoping to take a year off from the band’s touring schedule in January of that year, but other founding members took advantage of that request and chose to ask him to leave, citing musical and personal differences. (Shorrock was replaced by John Farnham.) Birtles then chose to leave in 1983, again citing musical differences. (Birtles was replaced by David Hirschfelder on keyboards.) The next one to leave was Pellicci – in 1984. (Pellicci was replaced by Steve Prestwich, former drummer for Cold Chisel.) Goble was the last founding member to leave the lineup in 1989. (Goble was replaced on tour by Peter Beckett from Player.)
There are 4 other musicians to consider when speaking of actual band membership. They are Ric Formosa, Roger McLachlan, David Briggs, and George McArdle. Formosa and McLachlan were in the first touring and recording lineup of the band between 1975-1976. They were replaced by Briggs (guitar) and McArdle (bass) in 1977. McArdle left for personal reasons in 1979, and was eventually replaced by Wayne Nelson in 1980. Briggs was fired from the band in 1981, and was replaced by Stephen Housden. Farnham, Hirschfelder, and Prestwich all joined between 1982-1984, but all left by 1986 as the band’s contract with Capitol Records expired.
There are many other musicians who have toured with Little River Band, but there were only 13 members ever added to the business structure of the band…Shorrock, Goble, Birtles, Pellicci, Formosa, McLachlan, Briggs, McArdle, Nelson, Housden, Farnham, Hirschfelder and Prestwich. If and when someone departed the lineup, the band always looked for an able replacement to carry on Little River Band’s touring and recording legacy. The name of the band and its trademark always stayed in legal possession of those business members who remained.