LUCY DESOTO

Lucy Desoto was raised in Sydney’s Western suburbs in the 1960s and ’70s and graduated with the Higher School Certificate in 1977 from Sydney’s Fort Street High School. After suspending studies for a Bachelor of Arts in 1979, she went on to become went on to become the editor of the Sydney University Union Recorder while writing songs and playing piano in inner city pubs in The Living Daylights, her first band. Inspired by the song, Lucy took a walk on the wild side, playing the blues and rock music in bands with various line-ups around the country throughout the 1980s and throughout her life so far. In the 80s she released two albums, 'Three Girls And A Sailor' (1985) and 'Help Me Rhonda My Boyfriends Back' (1986).

Lucy returned to Sydney University in 1997 and graduated with a first-class honours degree in Media Arts in 2000. During this time, she recorded her third album 'Take This Veil' in 1995. In 2002, she was awarded a Commonwealth stipend to undertake a Doctor of Creative Arts at the University of Technology, Sydney. Her doctoral thesis focused on the modes and influence of unofficial cultural practice in Australian history. In 2007 the production component of her doctoral work, a documentary film titled, Rock ’n’ Roll Outlaw, was invited to screen at The Melbourne International Film Festival to wide acclaim. The film was dedicated to her partner of 22 years, an Australian rock musician of renown, the late Pete Wells who died in 2006.

Lucy with her band, The Handsome Devils continued to play in inner city bars and pubs in Sydney until her decision to re-locate to Alice Springs in 2013, where she wrote the book Australia Rocks, her first commercially published work.  Lucy Desoto played every week at Lassiters Crowne Casino in Alice Springs. These days she continues to tour around the country with her band The Handsome Devils.

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