NORMA STONEMAN

Norma Stoneman began her career on children’s television (Comedy Capers/Caper Cabaret) with Geoff Harvey, Desmond Tester and Penny Spence early 1963. She worked with Dave Guard (ex-The Kingston Trio) at the age of 18 joining his group for a ABC TV show called Dave’s Place in Australia for several months and studied with him various musical concepts. Norma appeared on Bandstand three times between 1965 - 1968. Norma co-founded a pop group called The Grape Escape with bass player Chris Bonett and guitarist Brian Godden (both ex Green Hill Singers) and renowned Australian jazz drummer from Adelaide, Laurie Kennedy in the 60s. The Grape Escape, signed to RCA Records and cut a couple of singles in 1967, ''The Easy Life/Night Plane'' and ''Is Your Soul Drip Dry/Happier The Day. They were based in Melbourne and achieved much recognition before sadly breaking up.

Norma then went  solo, performing in New Zealand and in Noumea where she sang in French and loved the French/Pacific Island ambiance. Later she performed in South Vietnam in 1969 to U.S. troops and then spent four years in London, auditioning for shows and performing in very varied gigs and recording sessions, doing a lot of back-up vocals and herself releasing a Reggae single ''Tell Me / If Only For A Night'' under the name of Casey Blake again for RCA (written by Kerr / Maitland).

Norma returned to Australia and back in Sydney she continued work across Australian TV and live venues. Norma sang backup vocals on huge worldwide hit ''Winter In America'' for good friend Doug Ashdown, whom she had met on Dave’s Place. Norma performed in many shows with Maestro Tommy Tycho, (and whom she has known and worked with since she was sixteen, as a guest on Studio A with Stuart Wagstaff, touring Australia in Tommy’s shows featuring the music of George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin and Jerome Kern.

For several years Norma appeared in many TV commercials - Oil of Ulan, Freedom Carpet Cleaner (1st ever ad), Surprise Peas (1st ever ad), including lead parts in 100 ‘Percenters’ like McDonalds, Colgate, Nescafe (also singing the theme) and too many others to mention. June Reilly casting agent.

Norma started singing with The David Martin Big Band on a show of Duke Ellington music,and it was with fine accomplished pianist husband David Martin on their 1980 honeymoon she met the legendary Hank Jones in a New York 42nd Street Cafe, where he was playing solo piano. David and Norma both being great fans, they were thrilled when Norma was invited to sing two songs ''Just In Time'' and ''The Very Thought Of You'' (very slowly) with Hank Jones that night in New York.

Husband David formed The David Martin Quintet in Sydney, featuring James Morrison and Dale Barlow, both then 16 years old, Darcy Wright and Alan Turnbull, and Norma singing standards and her jazzier original songs. This group was often augmented to The David Martin Big Band also, playing various venues but mainly The Paradise Jazz Cellar up in Sydney’s Kings Cross.

Twenty-two years later all the original members of David’s The David Martin Quintet and Norma were reunited for a special recording in a studio about to move premises, coincidentally called The Paradise Studios, owned by OZ legend, Billy Field. The title of the CD became 'The David Martin Quintet Reunion 2002 - Last Session In Paradis'e. In 2008 Norma released her album 'Mothers Day Music for Everyday' and in 2011 she released the album 'Norma Martin Big Bandit'. Recorded at James Morrison Studios in Sydney, with Norma, as Producer, she recorded the fabulous big band arrangements of 13 of her songs and one of James Morrison's with The David Martin Big Bandit Orchestra. Norma Stoneman died in 2019.

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KAYELLEN BEE

Kayellen Bee was a founding member of GANGgajang and co-wrote some early songs, including "Giver of Life". She appeared on the first two albums as a backing singer and toured with the band as a percussionist and a singer until 1987. She has also provided vocals/backing vocals on The Takeaways 'Sweet and Sour' album and Jimmy Little's album 'Down the Road'. She was also a member of The Stetsons an Australian country and western band formed by members of GANGgajang, Mental As Anything and Flying Emus.

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LIN BUCKFIELD

Linda Mary Buckfield is an Australian television producer, journalist and musician. Buckfield was lead singer, songwriter and guitarist for pop-rock group Electric Pandas from 1983 to 1987. Buckfield's television work commenced in 1990, and she has since won five Walkley Awards.

Buckfield was the lead singer and guitarist for Electric Pandas through the mid-1980s. Their biggest hit ''Big Girls'' reached the top 20 on the national charts. Their album 'Point Blank' charted at #22. While a member of that band, she also released a duet with James Reyne in 1985 called "R.O.C.K.", which peaked at #44 on the charts. After the Electric Pandas disbanded, she formed another band called F.O.O.D. with Craig Karl Wacholz (guitar), Ray Spole (bass), Mike Spira (vocal rap) and Glen Patterson (drums). The group released a single called "Happy House" in 1990. Neil McKenzie (saxophone) and Dieter Pruggo (saxophone) were later added to the line-up, with the band's name being changed to Happy House. The newly named band then released a single, "What U Wanna Do That For?", two EPs called 'Shelter Down' and 'Passion' (1995), and an album, 'Happy House' in 1993.

Buckfield has also played with MisChalin and is currently a member of Sydney band The Bully Girls. Buckfield started her television career in 1990 as a researcher, working on programs such as Street Stories and special projects. In 1994, Buckfield joined Channel 7 as a reporter for the satirical news program The Times. When the program folded, she worked on the Peter Manning-led Witness program, fronted by Jana Wendt. In 2000, she became a reporter/producer for Four Corners going on to win five Walkley Awards with the program, including a Gold Walkley in 2006. Since 2008, Buckfield has been the series producer for the ABC-TV series, Q&A.

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JULIE MOSTYN

Julie Mostyn is a powerful emotive vocalist who started out with The Kamikaze Kids before joining The Flaming Hands. The Flaming Hands were one of the greatest bands to come out of Sydney in the early to mid 80's. They released one album in 1984 which didn't give them the breakthrough they deserved, they broke up not long after that. She married former Radio Birdman bass player Warwick Gilbert and lives in Coffs Harbour.

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JULIE CONWAY

Julie Conway was a vocalist in Sydney ska/pop band The Allniters (1983–1985, 1985–1987, 1999–2000). She is now an events and entertainment consultant

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CATHY McQUADE

Cathy McQuade is a vocalist and bass player. In the late 70s she joined Melbourne art-punk outfit, The Ears with Sam Sejavka becoming their enigmatic and theatrical front man. Alongside bands like The Boys Next Door, Models, Whirlywirld and The Fabulous Marquises, The Ears became one of the most popular bands on the Melbourne inner-city /Crystal Ballroom scene. The Ears broke up at the end of 1981 with Sejavka, Til and Manuel forming Beargarden who were signed to Virgin Records Australia and had a minor hit with their single 'The Finer Things' and the album 'All That Fall'.

McQuade went on to join Deckchairs Overboard. The band had minor hit singles "That's The Way" (1983) "Shout", (1983) with McQuade on vocals, "Walking In The Dark" (1984) and "Fight For Love" (1985). McQuade was also involved in ABC's TV series Sweet and Sour (1984) supplying the singing voice for one of the lead actors, McQuade also provided bass guitar; Deckchairs Overboard also performed "That's the Way" for the soundtrack. The group's self-titled first album had an alternative front cover for its Canadian release showing McQuade and Clifforth. The film, I Can't Get Started (1985), starring John Waters had two tracks "Mixed Low" and "Legion" on its soundtrack. 

Cathy has released two solo albums 'Perfect Storm' and 'Kiss Him Goodbye'. She performed as bass player, backing vocalist with Dr Hernandez from 2019-2021. Their electro cumbia grooves were a regular hit around Melbourne live venues with a guarantee to have to whole room dancing.

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AMANDA VINCENT

Amanda Vincent was born in 1958) in Perth, Western Australia. She attended Methodist Ladies' College, in the Perth suburb of Claremont. In the early 1970s, at the age of 14, she started playing music professionally. Between 1974 and 1976, she was the piano and accordion player, and a backing vocalist, in a jug band, Duck Soup. In an interview with Afropop Worldwide published in 2016, she said that Duck Soup had been a Chicago blues band in Perth.

In 1980 Vincent and another Perth musician, Bernie Lynch, formed a band. They named it Living Single. Vincent was to be the keyboardist; Lynch would be the songwriter and guitarist and would also perform vocals. The two musicians advertised for other band members. They recruited Crispin Akerman as a second guitarist, Don Meharry as bass player and Guy Slingerland to play drums. The following year, Lynch's then girlfriend, Grace Knight, became the lead vocalist, John Bennetts replaced Slingerland as drummer, and the band's name was changed to Eurogliders. Vincent later described Eurogliders to Afropop Worldwide as "my own band".

In 1984, Eurogliders released an Australian top ten album, 'This Island', which spawned their #2 hit single, "Heaven (Must Be There)". "Heaven" also peaked at #21 on the United States Billboard Mainstream Rock charts and appeared on the Hot 100. Another Australian top ten album, 'Absolutely', followed in 1985, which provided two further local top ten singles, "We Will Together" and "Can't Wait to See You".

In early 1987 Vincent, Bennetts and Francois all left the band. At the time, Lynch and Knight claimed, and it was reported in the media, that the departures had been voluntary. However, in an interview published in Countdown Memories in 2011, Knight said that, "I do know…. Bernie wasn't happy with how it was going and thought he could do a better job with a different three." When asked by the interviewer whether she thought Vincent was a good keyboardist, Knight replied, "I don’t doubt that for a second."

Even while still a member of Eurogliders, Vincent began working with other musicians, and particularly with solo artists. Her first such collaboration was with Tim Finn: she played synthesizer on his 1983 debut solo album, 'Escapade'. That album peaked at #1 in New Zealand and at #8 in Australia. Subsequently, Vincent played keyboards on QED's 'Animal Magic' (1984), Renée Geyer's 'Sing to Me' (1985) and Mondo Rock's self-titled album (1986). She also toured Australia and New Zealand with Tim Finn in 1986.

Shortly after leaving Eurogliders in 1987 Vincent relocated to the UK. Her first gig there was with the Thompson Twins, with whom she toured the UK, Ireland, the US and Canada that year. After only a few weeks in the UK, she also made a record with Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood. Then, she was recruited by Boy George, for whom she worked for about five years, playing keyboards and writing songs. Between 1987 and 1993, she toured the UK, Europe and Australia with Boy George; her recordings with him include his second and third studio albums 'Tense Nervous Headache' (1988) and 'Boyfriend' (1989), as well as 'High Hat' (1989), a compilation of tracks from those two albums.

Vincent also continued working with antipodean musicians. She played keyboards, and co-wrote one of the songs, on the soundtrack album 'Les Patterson Saves the World' (1987), and composed music for several television shows. She also played keyboards and organ on 'Body and Soul' (1987), the debut solo studio album by Jenny Morris (ex-lead singer of QED), and worked on its follow-up, 'Shiver' (1989). In 1990, she toured the UK, Europe and Australia with Morris, supporting Prince. Further touring followed, with Gang of Four in the UK, USA and Canada in 1991, with Billy Bragg in Australia, New Zealand and Japan in 1992, with Black in the UK and Turkey in 1993, and with Yazz in the UK in 1994. Vincent also played keyboards on Billy Bragg's album 'Don't Try This at Home' (1991).

In 1995 (now known as Amanda Villepastour) she made her first trip to Africa. Her intended destination had been Nigeria, but due to the execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa, she was diverted to Ghana. Under the inspiration of that trip, and a chance encounter soon afterwards with Robert Farris Thompson's book Face of the Gods (1993), she decided to study ethnomusicology at a postgraduate level. She began by enrolling for a Certificate in Music Teaching to Adults from Goldsmiths, University of London, which she completed in 1997. The following year, she obtained a master's degree in music in ethnomusicology from SOAS, University of London. In 2006, she was awarded a PhD in ethnomusicology, also from SOAS. Meanwhile, between 2001 and 2008 she was Course Director of Certificate in Music Teaching to Adults at Goldsmiths.

After completing her PhD and spending a short time as a Research Fellow at SOAS, Villepastour relocated to the USA. There, she worked as an Ethnomusicology Instructor and as Director of Afro-Caribbean Ensemble at Bowling Green State University, Ohio, in 2007–2008, and as a Research Fellow at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC in 2008.

Villepastour was then recruited as founding Curator for Africa and Latin America at the Musical Instrument Museum (MIM), in Phoenix, Arizona. When the museum officially opened in April 2010, the Phoenix New Times reported that Villepastour and the museum's other four main curators had gone into the field to acquire instruments for the museum's collection. While visiting Africa on field trips, Villepastour had endured hardships including twice losing luggage at an airport and embarking on a 350-mile road trip in a four-wheel-drive vehicle that would not shift into fifth gear. But some of the instruments collected for display in the Africa and the Middle East galleries had never previously been seen publicly. According to Villepastour: "Africa is not all about drums. The continent has every instrument imaginable, and many African cultures don't drum. For example, South Africa has only three indigenous drumming cultures. "You drive for 30 minutes in Africa and it's a totally different world. It's not like driving from Phoenix to Tempe. The clothes, houses, instruments, and the people in Africa are all different." Soon after the museum's opening Villepastour returned to the UK, and took up a position as a lecturer/researcher at the School of Music, Cardiff University. As of 2022, she was a Reader at that School.

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SHARYN CAMBRIDGE

Sharyn Cambridge was the lead vocalist of Dove, a Melbourne quartet that formed in 1970 and released several singles and three albums 1973-76. After Dove, Cambridge sang on a 1978 EMI single by Cambridge And Thomas, ''You Take My Breath Away''. She later formed her own band which seems to have evolved into The Colin Who Band with her songwriting partner and guitarist Colin Stephen. In 1981 the band released an EP. She also delved into acting appearing on Cop Shop.

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VERITY TRUMAN

Verity Truman (flute, saxophone, tin whistle, vocals) formed Redgum in Adelaide in 1975 with singer-songwriter John Schumann and Michael Atkinson on guitars/vocals. They were soon joined by Chris Timms on violin. Redgum was an Australian folk and political music group.  All four had been students at Flinders University and together developed an intensely passionate and outspoken outlook. They are best known for their protest song exploring the impact of war in 1983's "I Was Only Nineteen (A Walk in the Light Green)", which peaked at #1 on the National singles charts. The song is in the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) list of Top 30 of All Time Best Australian Songs created in 2001. She was with Redgum for 15 years and played on many album releases. After leaving the band, Truman joined the cabaret/cover band Crossroads.

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WENDY DE WAAL

In 1980 Bob Downe and Wendy de Waal co-founded a cabaret comedy group, Gloria and the Go Go's, later to reform as The Globos. In 1982 The Globos became a professional group, releasing a national Top 20s single, ''Tintarella di Luna'', and appearing in Sydney to huge acclaim at the newly opened Kinselas cabaret. The group toured Australia with Cliff Richard in 1983, released another hit single, ''The Beat Goes On'', and appeared with Simon Burke at Kinselas in Tonight! Tonight! with original music by Geoffrey O'Connell, directed by Robyn Nevin. Not only was she a member of The Globos she was a hairdresser and makeup artist to the stars working on everything from Moulin Rouge to Wolverine to Star Wars to Strictly Ballroom and a thousand productions in between. Wendy De Waal died in January 2022 after a six-month battle with cancer.

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KAREN ANSEL

Karen Ansel is a film and TV computer graphics specialist in the United States. Previously a musician, she was an influential member of the Australian band The Reels. In 2001, the title track "Quasimodo's Dream" from their album 'Quasimodo's Dream' was voted one of the Top 10 Australian Songs of all time by APRA. In 1983 she released a single ''No Commotion / Casa'' on the Mushroom label. Both sides were produced by Neil Finn. Ansel worked in visual effects at Industrial Light and Magic in the United States. She supervised the Academy Award-winning effects in Vincent Ward’s film What Dreams May Come, as well as Nutty Professor II: The Klumps, Flubber, and artist 'Matthew Barney's Cremaster Cycle. Her film credits range from The Mask (1993) to Angels & Demons (2009) in addition to other major Hollywood film titles. Karen is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Visual Effects Branch)

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ANNE HARKIN

Anne Harkin has developed a strong reputation in Australia as a Middle Eastern-style percussion performer and teacher. She appears in the recent SBS-screened documentaries Red Light In Full Flight and Beating The Drum and has made her own darabouka teaching video. Anne co-founded the HABIBIS and TA’ESH FA’ESH.

Anne currently performs in a number of combinations, bands and duos. These bands play at a variety of venues - local municipal festivals, folk and world music festivals, Middle Eastern weddings and celebrations, techno raves, children's school shows, restaurants and private functions. In 1977-78 she co-founded, played guitar and sang with new-wave/pop all women group Flying Tackle.

In 1979 she co-founded, played guitar and sang with new-wave/pop group The Kevins. They had some chart success until disbanding in 1983. Since the early 80s she has been heavily involved in middle eastern music. In the mid 90s she performed with her Middle Eastern band TA’ESH FA’ESH at the National Folk Festival in Canberra, and at primary, secondary and tertiary institutions. 

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