CHRISTINA GEORGE

Country music singer Christina George was born in Sydney in 1950. She learnt the guitar at an early age and appeared on GTV9's Sydney children’s television with Penny Spence and MD Geoff Harvey. When she was 15, country music manager Ted Quigg asked Christina to go on the road with Jimmy and Marge Little and Jonnie Russell. In 1982 she met Brian Howard in the inner suburbs of Sydney and began working on shows in the city area. In 1988 she recorded four songs with Ross McGregor producing at Axent Studios, Kogarah. These were released on the Enrec label.

Soon after she moved to Tamworth and recorded her first album 'My Turn For Living'. In 1989 ''What’s The Bottle Done To My Baby'', an old Loretta Lynn cover, brought Christina to the finals of the Golden Guitar Awards. She soon became a regular performer at local Tamworth clubs and pubs, working as the Christina George Band with Peter Summers, Patti Morgan and Darren Howard. In 1990 she teamed up with Russell Bellette, Karen Lee and Dally Croft, formed the Christina George Band and toured all over NSW and QLD for the next four years.

She signed on with Opal Records and recorded her first album 'Cottage in the Country' produced by Ross Murphy. In 1994 she recorded her second album 'Pages of My Life'. The title track was written by Jean Stafford. Darren Howard produced the album at the old LBS Studio in Kootingal. In 1996 she performed at the opening concert of the Tamworth CM Festival and was inducted into the Hands of Fame, Tamworth. She was also inducted into the Women’s Wall of Fame for her contribution to country music.

Christina left Tamworth and moved to the NSW Hunter Valley where met Slim Newton’s wife, Mary and formed another version of the Christina George Band with Wayne and Sharon Elliott. They worked locally doing dance nights at clubs, and toured Tasmania with Wild Bill Davy. Christina would return to Tamworth for the festival and do guest spots at various venues including the Oasis Hotel and the Balladeers’ Homestead each year in January. In the 2000's Christina worked with a dance band at the Maitland Services Club for the next five years. She lives in Maitland, NSW and does the occasional charity show, or guest spot when called upon.

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LYNETTE GUEST

 

Lynette May Guest was born in 1955 at Yarrawonga. When she was about four years old her parents Les and May noticed their young daughter showing an interest in singing as the family had musical evenings, mainly country, so they encouraged her. Her dad bought a guitar to learn to play it, but he didn’t, so May learnt it and taught Lynette, who was soon playing and singing. Aged seven, Lynette made her first TV appearance, live to air. While still making regular TV appearances, she competed in numerous talent quests around NSW and Victoria. In 1966 Lynette won a talent quest at GMV6 Shepparton and was invited to appear on Brian and The Juniors on HSV7 Melbourne, hosted by Brian Naylor.

In 1970 The Guest family travelled to Adelaide from Mulwala for Lynette to appear on Reg Lindsay’s Country and Western Hour on NWS9. Lynette sang two songs ''Yodelling Cowgirl'' and ''Peace In The Valley''. She then travelled around Australia with the Buddy Williams Show. During this tour while in Sydney she recorded harmony vocals on Buddy’s LP, 'Aussie On My Mind' and the Tex Morton, Buddy Williams, Sister Dorrie single, ''I Love Country Music''. She also made an appearance on the Tex Ritter UNICEF show that travelled around the world at the time.

She then appeared on John Williamson’s Travlin’ Out West TV show, which was recorded in Newcastle. When not on the road, Lynette did shows with the local Yackandandah CM Club and other clubs in the area and various artists such as Ray Kernaghan. In 1974 she was a finalist in the Australasian CM Awards for the Wilf Carter song, ''Yodelling Cowgirl'', from an album recorded live at a Parkes CMF concert. The following year she entered the CCMA Talent Quest and Jamboree, Tamworth, taking home the overall trophy. She was then signed by Opal Records in Tamworth. The first single released was ''For The First Time / Macleay Street Sydney''. In 1976 the album 'Be My Guest' was released and she promoted her new album, touring with Rex Dallas.

In the late 70s she worked with the harmony backing trio Skarlet (with Clelia Adams and Cate McCarthy), who were much in demand on the club and pub scene as well as back-up singers for the Australasian CM Awards, 2TM’s live radio show Country Muster and other events. In 1982 she appeared on Terry Gordon’s Must Be Country TV show, and also with Skarlet. In 1983 Lynette released her second album through Opal Records, 'Blue Days and Dark Nights'. In 1990 she was inducted into the Hands of Fame, Tamworth.

During the 90s she was kept busy singing in shows throughout NSW with fellow entertainers including Wayne Horsburgh, Ian Betteridge and Patti Morgan and released a new album with LBS Music, 'Trail of Dreams', produced by Lindsay Butler. In 2008 she won Female Vocal (Murray River Blues) and Group or Duo with Tom Maxwell for ''A Bushman Can’t Survive'' at the Stan Coster MBBAs. The following year she won Female Vocalist of the Year at the South-East GMMAs. In 2024 she won an OAM for her contribution to country music and charity.

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JUDI CONNELLI

Judi Connelli AM (born 20 July 1947) is an Australian singer and actress in theatre, opera and television. Connelli is best known for her career in opera and stage musicals. As a singer she has starred in performances with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and also internationally in New York and the United Kingdom. In 1968 Connelli performed on stage during the Vietnam War to thousands of Australian and American servicemen. The concerts were held in Saigon, Vung Tau, Nui Dat and Phan Rang.

Connelli is also known for her television soap operas such roles most especially The Young Doctors, in which she played regular Annemarie Austin from 1977 to 1978 and Prisoner playing 'Cookie', in episodes originally aired in 1982. Connelli's work includes leading theatre roles with Opera Australia in The Rake's Progress (Mother Goose), The Mikado (Katisha), Fiddler on the Roof (Golda), The Merry Widow (Zozo), Sweeney Todd (Mrs. Lovett) and The Gondoliers (Duchess of Plaza-Toro).

Other productions include Into the Woods (The Witch), The Threepenny Opera (Mrs. Peachum), Chicago (Matron Mama Morton), The Pack of Women, Jerry's Girls and Cabaret (Fraulein Schneider). In concert she has appeared in Sunset Boulevard (Norma Desmond), Gypsy (Mamma Rose), Australia's Leading Ladies, Follies, Showstoppers, Candide and The 3 Divas. Connelli has recorded a number of albums on various labels. In 2004, she was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) by the Queen of Australia for services to theatre and charity.

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KIRRI ADAMS

Kirri Adams is a two-time winner of Australia’s most prestigious live performance accolade: the MO award. Her career as a professional singer and singing teacher has taken her all over the world as a performer on cruise ships and she appeared in London’s West End production of Zorba The Greek. She has appeared on major TV shows like The Ernie Sigley Show, The Don Lane Show, The Graeme Kenndy Show and The Mike Walsh Show. In 1983 she recorded an album 'A Woman In Love' on the Telmak label. She is involved with the Vocal Section of the Gold Coast Eisteddfod. She is a sought-after singing teacher on the Gold Coast.

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SEONA McDOWELL

 

Born in Mumbai India of Irish English parents, folk singer Seona McDowell lived in NZ before adventuring across the pond in the 70s to commence her professional singing career. She toured with Don McLean early on appealing to audiences of all ages accompanying herself with six and twelve string guitars, banjo and autoharp. In March 1976 she supported Roy Orbison at Festival Hall in Melbourne. Seona appeared on radio, TV, hotel floor shows and concerts throughout Australia. Seona was first heard on vinyl releasing an EP 'Tribute to Woody Guthrie' on the Crest label. More singles followed and she recorded her debut album 'Down Country Roads On Gossamer Wings' in 1978 to great reviews: ''Seona charms them with her banjo'' (Herald Melbourne), ''Versatile.. looks and sound great'' (Denis Gibbons Radio Australia), ''Has class and a bright personal appeal'' (Dave Pincombe 3UZ Country).  Seona would travel to the USA in the early 80s playing concerts and would eventually reside there.

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SHIRLEY McDONALD

 

Canadian singer born in Vancouver in 1927 who recorded in Canada before she moved to Sydney in 1959 after marrying an Australian. She appeared in Australian Playhouse (1966), I Like Music (1971) and The Bryan Davies Show (1962).She  starred in her own show The Shirley McDonald Show which premiered in 1968 on ABC TV. She recorded a number of albums with Eric Jupp. Shirley died in 2008 aged 81.

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ANGELA AYERS

Angela Ayers was the golden girl of NZ TV through her appearances with Peter Sinclair and Craig Scott in the musical TV shows Happen Inn and Sing in the 70’s. This led to her being voted NZ’s Queen of Television and Most Popular Female Artist. In NZ she recorded on the Kontact label. Shortly after moving to Australia, she won the plum role of Maggie in A Chorus Line subsequently winning the only scholarship the New York Shakespearian Festival Trust had ever awarded to study Jazz/Ballet in Los Angeles.

A steady stream of significant roles in Musical Theatre kept her in Oz throughout the 80’s including West Side Story, The Rocky Horror Show, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Cabaret, Chicago, Guys and Dolls with Anthony Warlow, Nancye Hayes and the late Ricky May and Jerry’s Girls for Gordon Frost alongside Marcia Hines, Judi Connelli and the late Jeannie Little. She was signed by Festival and released ''Key To My Heart (Rose's Song)'' (1980) and ''Head Over Heels'' (1981). She appeared regularly on all National Variety TV Shows in Australia in the 90’s such as The Don Lane Show, Mike Walsh Show, Hey Hey it’s Saturday and The Two Ronnie’s Specials as well as many TV shows and commercials.

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MEERA ATKINSON

 

Meera Atkinson is a Sydney-based poet and writer. She writes across all forms and genres, and her work has appeared in many publications. In 1987 she recorded an album 'This Is The Planet' on the Citadel label. The session lineup was a who's who including Steve Harris (bass/keyboards), Nick Fisher (drums), Penny Ikinger (guitar), Charlie Owen (guitar/sitar), Louis Tillett (piano/harmonica) and Dianne Spence on sax. Produced by Rob Younger it was her only release.

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JUDEE FORD

 

Judee Ford was born in QLD and attended Cleveland High School. Judee was in a band called Tramway before joining Railroad Gin when Carol Lloyd departed in 1975. The group then undertook a tour of eastern capital cities and Adelaide. Judee was the lead vocalist on the band's second album, 'Journey's End', which appeared in October 1976, which musicologist Ian McFarlane felt, "followed the formula set by the debut, but with a lighter, more polished Adult Oriented Rock (AOR) sound (somewhere between Chicago, Styx and Fleetwood Mac." When the group disbanded, she took a job with radio station 4IP hosting the Saturday night show and one of the midnight to dawn sessions as well as working as the station receptionist. This was followed by presenting the morning radio show on Star FM 106.9. 

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THE HICKEY SISTERS

Country and Western duo The Hickey sisters (Margaret and Kaye) grew up on a dairy farm, 28km from Shepparton, Victoria. Kaye was just 11, the youngest of three girls, when their mother died, meaning the girls had to become housekeepers while still at school. In 1956 when Kaye was about 15, she and Margaret began singing. After they had done a few concerts and dances around the Shepparton area, they entered a talent quest run by the local radio station, 3SR. Neville Pellitt was so impressed with the sisters, he began a CM program and a series of live shows, Harmony Trail, built around them. During this time, they were both Post Office telephonists.

The sisters travelled to Sydney and appeared on some Reg Lindsay shows with artists like Judy Stone and Athol McCoy. Their first recording was an EP 'Western Hits Vol 2' on the Viking label in 1958. In 1961 The Hickey Sisters recorded a self-titled EP under the auspices of Harmony Trail on W&G. The songs were: ''When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again'', ''It’s You, Only You That I Love'', ''Christmas Roses'' and the Col James-penned ''Angel Star'', one of their most popular hits. ''Angel Star'' was also released as a single. Another EP 'The Hickey Sisters Again' appeared in 1964. In 1965 the sisters cut their first album, 'Treasury of Country Music', in Shepparton for NZ label Viking, under the direction of Neville Pellitt.

When the sisters married and began their families, they phased out their music. Kaye and her husband had a dairy farm at Rochester, and Margaret lived in Wangaratta with her husband and family. In the late 70s Kaye did quite a bit of professional work with Basil Ray, an ex-member of Harmony Trail, but Basil died, curtailing her comeback. Kaye passed on her singing genes to her two eldest girls. In 1988 they were inducted into the Hands of Fame, Tamworth.

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DELORES FOXTONFINN

 

Vocalist and guitarist Delores Foxtonfinn was a member of Me Me Me a Newcastle band who described their music as "surfin' golgothabilly pop". in the 90s. The band released a couple of albums and EPs on the Phantom label and supported Link Wray on his tour of Australia. Before Me Me Me Delores wrote and sang with bands Run Rabbit Run, Dust and Chantry Barn. She also performed in 'A Coupla Hundred Hertz' and 'Golden Section'. She now lives in the Hunter Valley occasionally performing and painting.

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ANNE INFANTE

As a singer/songwriter, Anne has been performing traditional, contemporary and original music for many years. Based in Brisbane, she was born in Sydney and raised in Papua New Guinea. In the early seventies she ran her own folk club, The Barley Mow, in the late Cecil Hotel in George Street, Brisbane. Anne has performed at national folk festivals in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, New Zealand and Woodford. She has sung on national radio and television, enjoying a regular guest spot on the three series of ABC TV's top-rating 1970s show Around Folk.

Anne has recorded three albums of her new age songs - 'Think Of It This Way', 'The Four Dragons' and 'Flight' - as well as an album of positive singing affirmations for adults 'Sing Your Way To Health', 'Wealth & Happiness', and two albums of self-esteem and other positive affirmations for children - 'Special As I Can Be' (with accompanying songbook) and 'Love Is A Circle' (CD only). She has also released 'Season' and 'Women Do', two albums of her original folk songs. Anne has had five popular crime novels published by Collins Crime Club. Ulverscroft released three of these in large print and two were serialised in Australian Woman’s Day in 1991 and 1993.

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GENEVIEVE McGUCKIN

Genevieve McGuckin was born in Brisbane. She has been a long-time collaborator (both musically and romantically speaking, at various points) of rock musician, Rowland S. Howard. During 1980, in London, the pair co-wrote two tracks, "Capers" and "Ho-Ho", for his band, the Birthday Party's debut LP 'Prayers on Fire' (April 1981). In 1982 McGuckin provided piano and organ on Howard and Lydia Lunch's cover version of Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra's "Some Velvet Morning" (1967), which later appeared on Lunch's album, 'Honeymoon in Red' (1987). She also wrote the track, "Three Kings", for the album.

In 1984 both McGuckin, on keyboards, piano and organ, and Howard on guitar were founding members of the post-punk group, These Immortal Souls. Other founders were Rowland's brother, Harry on bass guitar and Epic Soundtracks (AKA Kevin Godfrey) on drums. They issued two albums, 'Get Lost (Don't Lie)' in October 1987 and 'I'm Never Gonna Die Again' in October 1992, before relocating to Melbourne in 1994. While in the group she also wrote music and lyrics on both their albums and a single.

She also played organ on, and wrote the music for, the song "Silver Chain" on Howard's solo album 'Teenage Snuff Film'. She lived in London and Berlin from 1980 to 1994 and now lives in Melbourne, working in film graphics, web design, and animation. She was the graphic designer on the 2000 film Chopper. She has also played on an LP by The Devastations.

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VONNY JAY

 

Vonny Jay (born Yvonne George) was born in South Australia and was known as that's states version of Brenda Lee. When she left school, she took a clerical job and settled down in it for five years. Vonny didn't think she had a good voice until a friend heard her singing and suggested she have an audition. Vonny took her friends advice and to her amazement she was accepted to sing at a weekly dance. She did this for several months and she auditioned at ADS-7 amateur show Stairway To The Stars. The audition was a success. She then went onto sing at every major dance circuit and appeared on all three Adelaide TV stations most notably Channel Seven's Seventeeners. Vonny at times fronted The Penny Rockets. She also appeared on Johnny O'Keefe's Sing Sing Sing and Bandstand.

BERNADETTE HOLLOWAY

 

In the 80's Bernadette Holloway was in original bands Loose Change, Alice and the Alligators and Frenetics, fronting, singing, writing and performing. Loose Change's ''Hit Me With Another Double'' was performed on Countdown in 1980.  She has written several musicals including The Essence of Passion which was staged in 2014.

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LOUISE LINCOLN

Louise Lincoln is a singer from Tasmania. In the late 60s she joined local band 1812 who won the Hoadleys Battle of the Sounds in Hobart in 1969. Louise went to Melbourne and joined Brian Cadd’s Bootleg Family in 1973, recording several singles of which some of them charted, and a film soundtrack Alvin Rides Again. Her career is unknown after this point until Cadd re-assembled the Bootleg Family Band in 2015 and recorded the studio album, 'Bulletproof' (November 2016). A brief tour supported its release.

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ANNE CONWAY

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Anne Conway (born Melbourne in 1952) is a Wergaia woman who started her musical career when she was still in her teens. She had a long-running showcase at the Tamworth Country Music Festival, was inducted into the city's Hands of Fame in 1997 and won a number of awards. She performed all throughout eastern Australia. Anne recorded many albums on different labels. After surgery in June 2013, she was left with a speech impediment, and it ended her singing career. Conway was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for her contributions to the Bendigo community.

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CORAL KELLY

Coral Drouyn emigrated to Australia in the 1960s, and worked as a singer, whilst writing material for theatre restaurants. Her stage name was Coral Kelly and she was the resident female singer on The Bryan Davies Show which aired from 1962 to 1963 on ABC. Retiring from singing and acting, Drouyn began writing for television, working as a scriptwriter for Grundy Productions series such as The Restless Years, Prisoner and Neighbours. During her time on Prisoner, Drouyn worked her way up from freelance writer to in-house story editor, creating characters and stories before leaving the series prior to its 600th episode.

Drouyn subsequently was involved in the creation of serial Pacific Drive before performing story editor duties on Blue Heelers and Home and Away.Her book 'Big Screen, Small Screen', detailing the craft skills involved in screen-writing, was published in 1994. Drouyn now works as a theatre critic.

JUDY BANKS

Born in Melbourne in 1935 Judy Banks was educated at Melbourne Church of England Grammar School where she was a member of the School Dramatic Society. Whilst holidaying in North America and England she took a course as a model and finally became a model and an accounting machine operator. During her London stay she saw a musical called Salad Days and immediately bought the Galaxy record of the original cast little thinking that she would one day play the lead role in it. On return to Melbourne, she got the role and came to prominence playing the juvenile lead. In 1958 she recorded some songs from Salad Days for an EP released on the Planet label.

She quickly moved on to television with appearances in In Melbourne Tonight, Saturday Party, Personally Yours, Be My Guest, Musical Cashbox and hosting her own ABC series Four For The Show for four years. On the madcap ATV-0 daily morning show Fredd Bear’s Breakfast-a-Go-Go she teamed with Ted Dunn, from 1969 – 1971, featuring Michael McCarthy and Colin McEwan. Hosting studio segments, cartoons and competitions, the show built a fanbase of children who were all encouraged to take out show membership and win prizes. Wardrobe master Dunn has made the costume so large; he was the only person who could fit in it. 

In 1970 she recorded and album 'A Paw Full Of Songs' and a single ''Freddie / Live For Tomorrow'' on the Tempo label. She also acted in roles on Homicide, The Flying Doctors, City Homicide, Dalkeith and Dreams for Life. Banks later ran TV World, the Australian Museum of Modern Media, on the Mornington Peninsula with husband, producer Bob Phillips. Judy Banks died in 2022 aged 86.

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CANDY DEVINE

Candy Devine, MBE (born ca. 1939) is the stage name of Faye Ann McLeod a broadcaster, singer, and actress. Devine was educated at St Augustine's School, East Innisfail, a boarding school from 1948 – she provided "incidental music and accompaniments" at their 1952 break-up ceremony. For secondary education she attended Brisbane's Lourdes Hill College from the early 1950s. She furthered her interest in music while at college. Later she studied piano and cello at Queensland Conservatorium before taking to the stage in Sydney.

Devine's appearances on Australian television included music show Be Our Guest, the series Skippy the Bush Kangaroo (1968) and fronting the ABC's, In Key. Devine travelled to Ireland in 1969 on what was intended to be a short visit. She was hired for a cabaret slot at the Talk of the Town club in Belfast. She married her promoter and booking agent, Donald McLeod, in Dublin in 1970. They lived in the Republic for five years and moved to Belfast in Northern Ireland in 1975. She recorded an album 'Candy Devine Sings with The Jim Doherty Sound' in 1970.

Devine began a long career with Downtown Radio in March 1976. They had four children, including Brisbane-based celebrity chef, Alastair McLeod. Candy Devine was awarded an MBE on The Queen's 2014 honours list. Her award was for "Services to Broadcasting and to the Community in Northern Ireland".She moved back to Australia in 2013 following the death of her husband, Donald McLeod, the previous year. As of September 2016 she lives in Brisbane, sharing a five-acre property with her son, Alastair and his family.

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