ROSANNA PALMER

Rosanna Palmer was born Rosanna Leszczynski. Inspired by a grade three teacher who played guitar and ukulele, young Rosanna pestered her mother for a musical instrument. Her mum bought her a ukulele, but it was a toy one with no frets. Rosanna was determined to get a real guitar. She received her dream instrument for her seventh birthday. In grade five, Rosanna got her second guitar, a Maton with a cutaway body shaped like an electric guitar, but acoustic with six strings. The third guitar was a Yamaha twelve-string. One of Rosanna’s first public performances was at assembly in Victoria’s Drouin High School. She was in Form One. The song was The Beatles’ Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da.

Eventually, Rosanna joined a band as a singer with her brother Henry and three of his friends, one of whom was Dave Palmer. Her musical journey had begun with a band called Solid State. Rosanna remembered “We’d play Venus about fifty times a night.” The band won an award in the Hoadley’s Battle of the Sounds in Gippsland. It won first place and had the opportunity to compete in the Melbourne competition.

​Later she joined a showband called Staten Island and was welcomed as a vocalist. She had no difficult singing the Shirley Bassey songs required. Dave Palmer joined this band as bass player and the group played inner city pubs decked out in fancy state costumes. But the music wasn’t rock’n’roll and both Rosanna and Dave realised this scene was not for them. Back living at home, Rosanna, Henry and Dave formed Freeway. With Terry Blamey as an agent, this band played all over the east coast of Australia. Between 1975 and 1980, Rosanna sang and played guitar in pubs and clubs where the group was billed as Highway or Freeway and, at Hobart’s casino, as Vegas. Rosanna and Dave married in November 1977.

​Following some line-up changes, Highway became Nexus. In 1979, Nexus released a single on the Infinity label distributed in Australia by Festival Records. The songs were ''Loving Only You'' and ''Stop Dancing with Me''. A follow-up single, ''Moscow b/w Insomnia'' was overshadowed by the Genghis Khan version of Moscow. In 1981, Rosanna's Raiders was formed with Dave Palmer on bass, Johno Zafferese on drums and Rosanna on lead guitar and vocals. From the mid to late 1980s, the group played all over Australia in secondary schools, in prisons, in churches and at festivals. The band’s first self-financed eponymously titled album was released on cassette only in 1984. 'Run The Race' was produced by Phil Butson at Sing Sing Studios in Melbourne and released on cassette early in 1987. This album was released worldwide as 'Calling Down Fire' on Pure Metal Records in 1988. In 1989, the song ''Breakaway'' was nominated for a Dove Award by America’s Gospel Music Association. The album 'Clothed in Fire' was recorded at Grand Slam Studios in Newark, New Jersey in February 1989 and released globally by Refuge Records. Rosanna continued to record albums for the next 30 years.

​Recommended Listening

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SHIRLEY POWER

 

Shirley Power from Geelong is a musician and singer of traditional songs with the voice of an angel. She was a regular performer at The Geelong Folk Music Club & The Port Fairy Festival. She possesses a pure, clear singing voice as distinctive as her trademark autoharp. Shirley is as at home singing in the 1,400-seat Costa Hall backed by the Geelong Philharmonic Orchestra as she is accompanying herself at festivals, in folk clubs or acoustic venues. She has a phenomenal repertoire of traditional and vintage songs, she's as comfortable singing the words of Robert Burns or John Lennon, Henry Lawson or Edith Piaf, Bob Dylan or Eartha Kitt. Shirley has a few recordings under here belt. The albums 'All Australian' and 'Collected Favourites' were duets with Old Timers member Adrian Verrinder plus a solo album 'Who Knows Where the Time Goes' that was released in 1987

She regularly sings with the Geelong Authentic Old Time Music Hall, (as saucy Fifi La Bonk, left); with the Drop Of A Hatband or solo in concert. But she is much more frequently seen in partnership with Colin Mockett, presenting two-person shows that mix humour, information and great songs. Their subjects range from the story of Geelong - presented as a potted musical history backed by powerpoint images for conventions or community groups - to musical biographies of J F Archibald, Henry Lawson and Banjo Paterson, Robert Burns, Thomas Moore, Gracie Fields - or a whole bunch of Celtic comedians. But their most popular presentation is simply Shirley and Colin, Humour and Fine Music. Shirley plays guitar, Appalachian Dulcimer and keyboard as well as her autoharp. A former nurse, she is an experienced and accomplished musical therapist.

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SHAYLEE WILDE

 

Born in Dublin, Shaylee Wilde has been in Australia since 1976, following six years in Boston, Chicago and Washington DC. Over the years she has supported all the leading Irish entertainers to tour Australia including Brendan Grace, Paddy Reilly, Hal Roach, The Fureys, Mary Black, Barleycorn and Daniel O’Donnell.In 1978, Shaylee formed her first duo with former Irish Drover Jimmy Carroll. Performing at Sydney's first Irish drinking hole, The Elizabethan Inn at Potts Point, Shaylee went on to play all the major clubs & pubs along the east coast of NSW and Queensland.

In 1985 Leon Berger wrote, recorded, played all the instruments on and produced both sides of a single, "Jump Jump (All The Way)", backed with "Rock Kills Pain", he released under the name China Doll, for which he called in Shaylee. Released on RCA in March, Shaylee pulled together a band – guitarist Terry Murray, keyboards player Ross Lombardo, bass player Peter Gietitis and drummer Jerry Slot – and started gigging, filling out the set with covers as well as a song she’d co-written with her husband and manager Colin Greene, "Blue Atmosphere", which was released in September. Before its release however, the first China Doll had broken up and Shaylee put together a second lineup in order to promote the release of "Blue Atmosphere", recruiting guitarist Leigh Perry, keyboards player Harding Richards and Neil Smith on bass, with drummer Garry Lyons coming in towards the end of the year. Neither single charted and when the band, now also featuring a second singer and harmonica player Shayne Barry, came off the road in 1986 to put together a more contemporary repertoire and develop their songwriting, Shaylee opted to return to her more lucrative solo work and the band became Cruise Control, with Andrew Dorrell joining on keyboards.

With the Proliferation of Irish venues opening up around Australia in the late 80's, Shaylee returned to her Irish heritage, and with the Shaylee Wilde Band, quickly became one of Australia's most successful Irish Bands. With 10 national tours of Australia and New Zealand, Shaylee cemented her headliner status at every major Irish week celebration and festival around the country. Since 1986, Shaylee has been the resident entertainer at Australia’s #1 Irish pub, The Mercantile Hotel at The Rocks, Sydney, playing every Friday and Sunday night. In 2016, Shaylee returned to touring with Shaylee Wilde & the Celtic Gypsies to the Tamworth Country Music Festival. Backing it up with two consecutive National Tours of Australia in 2019 and 2020.

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PAULA HENDERSON

 

Sax player Paula Henderson started her career with Melbourne band White Cross in 1986. She played on most of their recordings. She was then recruited in 1989 for the second incarnation of proto-grunge and punk rock group Fungus Brains and played on the album 'I'm So Glad'. When the band finished up she relocated to New York and became a sought after musician. She has played with The Roots, James Chance and the Contortions, Gogol Bordello, C.W. Stoneking, HAIM, Shamir, Smokey Robinson, Irma Thomas, David Johansen, King Kahn, Vernon Reid, and TV On The Radio, with whom she appeared on the David Letterman show. As a session musician she has appeared on Late Show with David Letterman, Saturday Night Live, The Colbert Report, and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

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MAREE CUNNINGTON

Maree Cunnington has been called 'one of Australia's most distinctive voices in contemporary pop music.' As a singer, performer, video artist and photographer, she brought her extensive experience across disciplines into the broadcasting arena as 'the dadamama', DJ and co-founder of Curved Radio on 2SER 107.3. At the Sydney Festival in 1981 Marre featured alongside The Ovarian Sisters and Mary Jane Carpenter under the title The Festival Of Folklife: Beat Your Breasts. Maree recorded a single ''Heart Says Go / Proud'' in 1981 on the Cunningfox label. She holds a PhD from the Faculty of Creative Industries, Queensland University of Technology, and lectures in visual culture, while continuing to explore its intersection with music and performance.

SHE SHELLS

Perth band formed in the mid 70s. The lineup was Pauline Briggs (vocals), Jean David (guitar, vocals), Ann Champion (guitar, vocals), Marcia Rock (bass, vocals) and Ali Anderson on drums. They played on the Swan Hotel circuit and at the Zanzibar Nightclub. They also played in the regional centres of WA. Marcia Rock was replaced by Mandy Backtrack on bass. Jean David and Mandy Backtrack later turned up in another all female band in Crumpet who were popular in the music scene. 

BRIDGET O'DONOGHUE

 

Bridget O'Donoghue emigrated to Australia at age three, with parents who were principal singers with the D'Oyly Carte Opera company. By the age of fifteen, she was extensively involved in the Sydney studio scene and soon became one of Sydney and Melbourne’s top session singers, being the voice behind numerous Coke, Toyota and Levis commercials and various station I.D.’s. Bridget was entrenched in the Sydney live music scene thoughout the 70’s & 80’s fronting various R&B bands around the legendary venues of Kings Cross. She was the voice of popular Sydney outfit Fat Time and toured nationally with Joe Cocker and Carlos Santana. Her performances spanned across to theatre singing in the original production of Jesus Christ Superstar, The Wiz and The Aunty Jack Show with her brother Rory. She also provided backing vocals for many bands, including The Angels, Daryl Braithwaite and The Lime Spiders. She moved to Brisbane in 1989, continuing to work in the studio scene for commercials and promotions. Bridget died in 2025.

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TIKKI TAYLOR

 

Joyce 'Tikki' Taylor was a regular in stage musicals in the 1950s. She met John Newman in South Pacific, John played Radio Operator Bob McCaffrey and Joyce played Ensign Janet MacGregor. They fell in love and married in 1954. Joyce adopted the stage name of Tikki Taylor soon after. They were touring the UK as a comedy duo in a show with The Great Levant and fulfilled their dream of performing at the Palladium Theatre in London. One night they saw a production of a new show called The Pajama Game and Tikki wanted to play the role of Gladys who performs in the Steam Heat song. Tikki flew to New Zealand to audition and won the role for the Australian tour.

By 1960 Tikki Taylor bought a two-storey house in fashionable South Yarra: ''You know, this is the one thing that television has given me that I have never had before – a settled home''. John and Tikki established a late-night coffee house in Exhibition Street in 1962. It was close to Her Majesty’s Theatre and the Comedy Theatre with the idea that theatregoers could drop in for a coffee and chat after seeing a stage show. As the years went by it developed into a very popular successful Theatre Restaurant with Cabaret and Music Hall. The featured artists included Maurie Fields and Val Jellay, Vikki Hammond, Frank Wilson, Margo Lee, Gus Mercurio, Jackie Clancy and many others. Tikki Taylor was also an actress, known for Homicide (1964), The World of Operetta (1965) and The Saturday Show (1978). In the 1990s, John and Tikki spent time on the Gold Coast, where they set up a cabaret restaurant named Newman's, Tikki was recognised with the OAM in the Australia Day awards of 1993 for services to the entertainment industry and to charitable organisations. Tikki Taylor died in 2011 aged 83.

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GABRIELLE HARTLEY

 

Gabrielle Hartley started out as a fashion model before briefly trying her hand at folk singing in the mid-Sixties, appearing on Bandstand and Boomeride with Olivia Newton-John and Tony Cole. An album of the same name was released in 1965 on the Pakktel label. Gabrielle sang six songs on the album: ''Poor Fred'', ''Turn The Other Cheek'', ''Jump Up On The Wool Press'', ''Seeds Of Grass'', ''All Of Me For All Of You'', ''Magdalena'' and ''Bag O' Prawns''. She was a talented singer with the potential for a big career, but acting ultimately became her true calling. In 1970, she toured Vietnam with the ABC Showband alongside Linda George to entertain the troops. Her first major dramatic role, and perhaps her most memorable, was playing Maggie Emerson, the wife of local landowner Col. Jim Emerson (Carl Bleazby) in ABC-TV’s Bellbird. She later reprised the role in the film version, Country Town (1971). Her other TV appearances included Hunter (1968), Delta (1969), Ryan (1973), Division 4, Matlock Police, Bobby Dazzler, and several episodes of Prisoner. She also appeared in the 1979 film Dawn!.

ELAINE MOORE

 

Elaine Moore started singing at just eight years old, performing with her mother before joining a local group that often appeared at charity events. Her talent and confidence soon took her to television, where she became one of the first performers on Adelaide’s debut pop program, Woodies Teentime, in 1960. From there, she became a well-known and much-loved face on early Adelaide TV, appearing on shows like Adelaide Tonight and others during the formative years of Australian pop broadcasting. At a time when live local music on television was still a novelty, Elaine helped shape the sound and style of entertainment in South Australia.  

Over her career, she worked alongside some of Australia’s early pop and rock legends, including Johnny O’Keefe, Barry Stanton, and Johnny Devlin, placing her at the heart of the country’s growing music scene during its most influential era.  She regularly sang at Ivan Dayman dances at the Norwood Ballroom. Offstage, Elaine was passionate about preserving South Australia’s music history, volunteering for years with Barrie and Jan McAskill, David Day, and many others to ensure the stories, images, and memories of local music were kept alive.  

Elaine Moore – Kurda was not only a trailblazing performer but also a dedicated guardian of the region’s musical heritage. Her impact on South Australia’s music and television history is enduring, and she will be remembered with deep respect and affection. Elaine died in 2026.

CARMEN FRENCH

 

Carmen French is an Indigenous country/pop singer who rose to fame in the early 1980s, taking home titles like the North Queensland Vocal Talent Quest (1980), the Aboriginal Female Vocal Championship in Melbourne (1980), and national honors in Tamworth (1981). In 1983, she released her EP 'Carmen Goes Back' on Crown Records, produced by Barry Thornton at Sunshine Studios in Brisbane, featuring country-style tracks such as ''Sad Movies''.

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PATTI WILLIAMS

 

Patti Williams was a country singer from the Albion Park/Wollongong area in the 1970s, known for her early performances on the club circuit and her debut single, ''What Are You Going to Do with a Dog Like That'', released in 1976 on the Bunyip label. She followed it up in 1977 with the album 'Save A Little for the Morning'. Later, she moved to Tamworth, a major country music hub, to further her career, performing with bands like Country Gold and forming a duo with Lynette Guest.

JULIE PARIS

 

Julie Paris, the stage name of contralto vocalist Lorraine Murden, was a Brisbane-based singer who rose to popularity in the mid-1960s as the frontwoman for local band The Dogs, performing 50s and 60s pop and tribute songs. She appeared at venues like TC's Entertainment Centre and the Cloudland Ballroom, as well as on TV shows such as Teen Scene, and won the Brisbane heats for New Faces. She performed in major cities including Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane, and later teamed up with her husband David Moyes to create nostalgic shows celebrating artists like Helen Shapiro and Connie Francis. She is still out there today belting out a tune.

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IVY SOMERFIELD

 

Country singer Ivy Somerfield earned the title “The Lady of Country Music” through countless performances at hotels, clubs, and on television. Born in Murwillumbah into a musical family, with grandparents who were talented pianists, it was no surprise that Ivy began playing piano. Her true passion, however, was singing. Encouraged by her father, who often sang himself, she would perform for their small community. By age 12, she had learned all of Tex Morton’s songs and decided to pursue a singing career. When her mother gifted her a Pacific Guitar, Ivy quickly mastered her first three chords, and with them, won a silver cup at the Kingaroy Talent Quest at just 13 years old.

She was deeply influenced by the singing of Shirley Thoms and began performing at country shows around town, covering songs by Shirley Thoms and Tex Morton. In 1964, she moved her family to Sydney, where she found work as a machinist while her husband took on long-distance truck driving. She still managed to sing at local clubs and parties. After her husband’s sudden death, she faced the challenge of raising two teenage boys on a single income. In 1979, her life shifted again—her singing career received a big boost, and the following year she remarried, tying the knot with her second husband, Wally Gibson, who encouraged her to keep pursuing her music.

In August 1980, she put out a custom EP of original songs that her fans snapped up quickly. The success of that first EP led to a recording deal with Selection Records, resulting in her debut LP, 'Livin' On Lovin',' which featured nine of her own tracks and three written by her son, Chris. In the 1980s, she formed a backing band called Blue Misty to tour with her and went on to release three more albums. She also contributed songs to compilation records by Selection Records alongside artists like Johnny Heap, Reg Poole, and Gordon Parsons. Ivy died on January 1, 1991.

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SHIRLENE CLANCY

 

Shirlene Clancy (born in 1936) began her career on radio with 3DB’s “Happy Gang” and was the featured vocalist with the Max Causland Big Band before moving into television. One of her early TV appearances was on Variety View, a half-hour live variety show that aired on Melbourne’s ABV-2 from 1958 to 1959. She went on to become a familiar face on Melbourne’s Channel 7, appearing in popular programs like Sunnyside Up and The Penthouse Club. Famous for singing “That’s Amore” and known for her dedication, she once performed on all three commercial stations in a single night. Shirlene died in 2021, remembered as an important figure in Australian entertainment, with tributes from fellow artists including Denis Walter and Kevin Trask.

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MAGGIE STEWART

 

Maggie Stewart, born in Launceston, Tasmania, began singing at the age of nine in church choirs and on local radio programs before moving to the mainland. She later married country music artist Leon Lowes, and together they released several albums from the mid-1970s through the 1980s.

Recommended Listening  

JAN KELLY

Jan Kelly, born in 1948 in Heyfield, Victoria, grew up singing in school choirs, concerts, and anywhere she could. At 13, she performed at the official opening of the Thornton Hotel, earning a glass of cold lemonade for her efforts. In 1962, while living in Eildon, she gained valuable experience singing with The Wanderers during their holiday visits. Soon after, she moved to Melbourne, performing at a concert party club for the elderly and spending a year with the group The Falcons. 

After a four-year break, she moved to Sydney, entered and won several talent quests, and was signed by an agent, keeping her busy on the club circuit. In the 70s, she worked with Nev Nicholls & The Country Playboys at the Texas Tavern, where she met Terry Smith. They also played with Kevin King and the Country Sounds until Terry left for Vietnam. Upon his return, they settled in Wauchope and formed Mainline, later renamed The Kelly Express. 

In the 80s, Jan released the EP 'Baby Tina' and the album 'I’m A Woman (I Need a Lover and a Friend)' on Country Records, followed by the album 'Sorry'. With Nev Nicholls, she released the single ''Country Music Turns Me On / Good Old Love'' on Powderworks, and with Terry Smith and The Kelly Express, she released the album 'Without Reason' and two singles. In 1985, she released ''Bulldog Mack'' on Sundown and was inducted into the Hands of Fame in Tamworth. Jan retired from professional entertaining in 2021.

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MARGIE MILLS

 

Margie Mills was a popular singer from the late 1950s to the early 60s, originally from Melbourne but born in Scotland. She began her career singing on radio before appearing on the TV show Swallows Juniors on Channel 7, as well as other live variety shows in Sydney and Melbourne. She occasionally fronted The Fabulous Autocrats (who were one of about six rock’n’roll bands to form in Melbourne in 1957). Her first recording was as part of an ensemble with Lennie Holmes, Ray Treloar, Maurie Service, The Joy Boys and Joy Belles, and The Night Owls on the album 'Enjoy Yourself At The Party'. She later moved between England and Los Angeles before settling in New York, where she performed and toured with her own band. While in the US, she recorded with the Pick Hit, Vee Jay, Groove, and RCA labels. Margie died in 2004 from a brain hemorrhage.

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SANDY EDMONDS

 

Sandy Edmonds, born Rosalie L. Edmondson on 8 November 1948 in Liverpool, was a British-born pop singer and model who rose to fame in New Zealand during the 1960s. At the peak of her career, she was the country’s most recognizable teen idol, releasing several singles and making appearances on TV and in magazines. In 1966, she spent a few weeks in Sydney also appearing on the Go!! Show, returning in 1968 for about six months of performances. Keith Potger of The Seekers asked Sandy if she would like to audition for the departing Judith Durham, which Sandy declined. She briefly fronted the Sydney band Climax before unexpectedly stepping away from the spotlight. Later, she lived in Melbourne and pursued a career as a fashion retailer after leaving music. Sandy passed away in 2022.

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SALLY SLOANE

 

Sally Sloane, born on October 3, 1894, as Eunice Evelyn Frost, was arguably one of the most significant Australian source musicians, preserving Australian Irish traditional music and songs. Many of her tunes and songs were passed down from her Irish grandmother, who migrated to Australia in 1838, via her mother. Living in Lithgow, New South Wales, Sally was in her 60s when discovered by Australian folklorist John Meredith in 1954. She was a talented singer and skilled at playing the button accordion, fiddle, and mouth organ. Between 1954 and 1960, Meredith recorded over 150 pieces from her, now housed at the National Library of Australia, with nearly 40 transcriptions featured in his influential 1967 book, Folk Songs of Australia; And the Men and Women Who Sang Them, co-authored with Hugh Anderson. She recorded on the Wattle label and can be heard on the album 'Australian Traditional Singers and Musicians (Archive Series No 1)' singing eight songs. Other collectors also recorded her, and an LP of her singing, 'A Garland For Sally,' was released by Warren Fahey's Larrikin Records. Sally passed away in 1982.

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