Allison Durbin | |
---|---|
Birth name | Allison Ann Durbin |
Born | Auckland, New Zealand | 24 May 1950
Occupation | Singer |
Allison Ann Giles, who performed as Allison Durbin [1] (born 24 May 1950), is a former New Zealand Australian singer, known for her success in the late 1960s and 1970s as a teen idol. She is a relative of Canadian-born actress and lyric soprano Deanna Durbin. [2]
Allison Ann Durbin was born in 1950 in Auckland to Owen Durbin (born c. 1912/1913) and Agnes Durbin, the second eldest of seven children. [3] She attended school at Westlake High School, and performed for four years in a children's choir. She became interested in singing and was inspired by artists like Aretha Franklin, Nina Simone and Dionne Warwick, [2] and began performing in public in her early teens.
After winning a talent contest at an Auckland ballroom, she was signed to Eldred Stebbing's Zodiac Records at the age of 14 and issued a number of singles. Her third Zodiac single, a cover of Herman's Hermits "Can't You Hear My Heartbeat", out-sold the original in New Zealand and became her first charted hit. [4] She built up a following in New Zealand, recording and fronting the Mike Perjanik Group and travelled with them to Australia in 1966 for residencies in Sydney. After nine months in Sydney, she left the group to pursue a solo career, making numerous appearances on Australian TV pop and variety shows. [4]
Durbin's first single for New Zealand HMV, "I Have Loved Me a Man", (a cover version of the song by Morgana King) became a No. 1 hit in New Zealand and also a hit in Australia. The song won her a New Zealand music award, 1968 Loxene Golden Disc, and she was named New Zealand Entertainer of the Year in 1969. [4] For three years running (1969, 1970 and 1971), she won Australia's King of Pop Award for Best Female Artist, commonly called the "Queen of Pop". [5] In 1971, she recorded a duet album, Together , with Johnny Farnham, who had been voted Australia's "King of Pop" during the same years Durbin received her awards. [4]
In the late 1960s, Durbin began a relationship with expatriate New Zealand record producer Howard Gable, then a senior A&R manager and in-house producer for EMI Australia. They married in 1969 and started a family. [5] During the 1970s, as her career waned, Durbin began using heroin and her marriage to Gable ended. In 1985, she publicly acknowledged her battle with drugs and sought treatment at Odyssey House, a drug rehabilitation centre, but she was struck by a car two days after leaving the centre, which left her with serious injuries, including a broken jaw. [5] After she recovered, she worked as a country music singer in the late 1980s. [6] In 1986, she married for a second time to Ray Giles. [5]
On 1 June 2007, under her married name Allison Giles, she was sentenced to 12 months' jail for cannabis trafficking. One of her co-accused, Giuseppe "Joe" Barbaro, whom she allegedly supplied with marijuana was a previously convicted drug dealer. [7]
Year | Title | Performance | Type |
---|---|---|---|
1968 | The NZ Music Awards | Herself - Winner "Most Promising Female" | TV special, NZ |
1969-1970 | In Melbourne Tonight | Herself - Singer | TV series, 7 episodes |
1969 | The Tommy Leonetti Show | Herself - Guest | TV series, 1 episode |
1969-1971; 1977 | King Of Pop: 1969 TV Week Australian Popular Music Awards | Herself - Winner "Queen Of Pop" | TV special |
1969;1970 | The Mike Walsh Show | Herself - Guest / Singer | TV series, 2 episodes |
1970 | Bandstand | Herself - Singer | TV series, 1 episode |
1970 | 1970 TV Week Logie Awards | Herself sings "I Have Loved Me A Man" / "River Deep Mountain High" | TV Special |
1970 | Sounds Like Us | Herself - Guest | TV series, 1 episode |
1970 | The Weekend Starts Here | Herself | TV series |
1970 | King of Pop: 1970 TV Week Australian Popular Music Awards | Herself - Winner 'Queen Of Pop" | TV special |
1970 | Happening '70 | Herself - Singer | TV series |
1971 | King Of Pop: 1971 TV Week Australian Popular Music Awards | Herself - Winner 'Queen Of Pop' | TV special |
1971; 1971 | Happening '71 | Herself - Singer sings "Holy Man" | TV series |
1971 | Uptight | Herself - Singer | TV series, 1 episode |
1971 | Happening '71 | Herself - Singer sings "A Man And A Woman" | TV series, 1 episode |
1971 | Happening '71 | Herself - Singer sings "Baby Without You" with Johnny Farnham | TV series, 1 episode |
1971 | Young Talent Time | Herself - Guest Singer | TV series, 1 episode |
1972 | The Graham Kennedy Show | Herself - Singer sings "Amerikan Music" | TV series, 1 episode |
1972 | Happening '72 | Herself - Singer sings "Amerikan Music" | TV series, 1 episode |
1973 | Australian Popular Song Festival 1973 | Guest Performer | TV special |
1974-1975 | The Ernie Sigley Show | Herself - Guest / Singer | TV series, 9 episodes |
1975 | O'Keefe at the Cathedral | Herself | TV special |
1977 | Telethon '77 | Guest Performer | TV special |
1977 | King Of Pop: 1977 TV Week Australian Popular Music Awards | Guest - Herself | TV special |
1979 | The Barry Crocker Show | Herself | TV special |
1979 | 1979 Telethon | Guest - Herself sings "Love You A Little Bit More" | TV special |
1980;1982 | The Don Lane Show | Herself - Singer sings "Some Girls" | TV series, 1 episode |
1980; 1983 | The Mike Walsh Show | Guest Performer | TV series, 1 episode |
1982 | The Don Lane Show | Herself sings | TV series, 1 episode |
1982 | Australian Music Stars of the 60s | Herself - Archive clip | TV special |
1983 | The Mike Walsh Show | Guest Singer | TV series, 1 episode |
1984 | Tonight With Bert Newton | Herself sings "I Love A Rainy Night" | TV series, 1 episode |
1987,1990 | Hey Hey It's Saturday | Herself | TV series, 1 episode "60s show" |
1989 | In Melbourne Today | Guest - Herself | TV series, 1 episode |
1992 | Hey Hey It's Saturday | Herself sings "Put Your Hand In The Hand" | TV series, 1 episode "70's show" |
1992 | Hey Hey It's Saturday | Herself - Singer sings "Can't Get Over You" | TV series, 1 episode |
1994 | Good Morning Australia | Herself - Guest / Singer sings "Bright Eyes" | TV series, 1 episode |
1994;1995 | Good Morning Australia | Herself - Singer sings "Crazy" | TV series, 1 episode |
1995 | Good Morning Australia | Herself - Singer sings "River Deep, Mountain High" | TV series, 1 episode |
1996 | When Rock Was Young: The 70s | Herself - Archive clip | TV special |
1998 | Denise | Herself - Guest | TV series, 1 episode |
2003 | Give It A Whirl | Herself | TV series NZ, 1 episode 2: "The Swinging Sixties" |
2003 | Love Is In The Air | Herself | ABC TV series, 1 episode 2: "She's Leaving Home" |
2007 | Ten News | Herself | TV series, 1 episode |
2007 | Ten Late News | Herself | TV series, 1 episode |
Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
---|---|---|
AUS [8] | ||
I Have Loved Me a Man |
| - |
Soft and Soulful |
| - |
Together (with Johnny Farnham) |
| 22 |
Amerikan Music |
| - |
Born a Woman |
| 75 |
Are You Lonesome Tonight |
| 52 |
Three Times a Lady |
| - |
Bright Eyes |
| 34 |
Shining Star |
| 43 |
My Kind of Country |
| 97 |
Nothing But the Very Best (with Diana Trask) |
| 88 |
Country Love Songs |
| 79 |
Reckless Girl |
| - |
Year | Title | Peak chart positions |
---|---|---|
AUS [8] | ||
1968 | "Don't Come Any Closer" | 47 |
"I Have Loved Me a Man" | 27 | |
1969 | "Games People Play" | 29 |
"He's Bad Bad Bad" | 98 | |
1970 | "Golden Days" | 98 |
1971 | "Put Your Hand in the Hand" | 24 |
"Baby, Without You" (with Johnny Farnham) | 27 | |
1972 | "Amerikan Music" | 33 |
The Go-Set Pop Poll was coordinated by teen-oriented pop music newspaper, Go-Set and was established in February 1966 and conducted an annual poll during 1966 to 1972 of its readers to determine the most popular personalities. [9]
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1969 | herself | Female Vocal | 1st |
1970 | herself | Best Girl | 1st |
1971 | herself | Best Girl Vocal | 1st |
1972 | herself | Best Female Vocal | 2nd |
The King of Pop Awards were voted by the readers of TV Week. The King of Pop award started in 1967 and ran through to 1978. [9]
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1969 | herself | Best Female Artist | Won |
1970 | herself | Best Female Artist | Won |
1971 | herself | Best Female Artist | Won |
Best Dressed Female Performer | Won |
The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards (commonly known informally as the Mo Awards), were annual Australian entertainment industry awards. They recognise achievements in live entertainment in Australia from 1975 to 2016. Allison Durbin won two awards in that time. [11]
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result (wins only) |
---|---|---|---|
1979 | Allison Durbin | Country Female Entertainer of the Year | Won |
1980 | Allison Durbin | Country Female of the Year | Won |
The New Zealand Music Awards are an annual awards night celebrating excellence in New Zealand music and have been presented annually since 1965.
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
1968 | "I Have Loved Me a Man" | Most Promising Female | Won | [12] |
Catherine Yvette Ceberano is an Australian singer and actress who performs in the soul, jazz, and pop genres, as well as in film and musicals such as Jesus Christ Superstar. Her single "Bedroom Eyes" received a platinum sales certification in 1989. As of 2023, Ceberano has 11 platinum and 8 gold albums Ceberano was the artistic director of the Adelaide Cabaret Festival in 2012, 2013, and 2014.
Marcia Elaine Hines AM is an American-born Australian singer and TV personality. Hines made her debut, at the age of 16, in the Australian production of the stage musical Hair and followed with the role of Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar.
Wendy Joan Matthews is a Canadian-born Australian singer-songwriter who has been a member of Models and Absent Friends and is a solo artist. She released Top 20 hit singles in the 1990s including "Token Angels", "Let's Kiss ", "The Day You Went Away" and "Friday's Child" with Top 20 albums, You've Always Got The Blues, Émigré, Lily, The Witness Tree and her compilation, Stepping Stones. She has won six Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Awards. According to rock music historian, Ian McFarlane she provides "extraordinary, crystal-clear vocals [...] a soulfulness that was the mark of a truly gifted singer".
Russell Norman Morris is an Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist who had five Australian Top 10 singles during the late 1960s and early 1970s. On 1 July 2008, the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) recognised Morris' status when he was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame.
Schapelle Leigh Corby is an Australian woman who was convicted of smuggling cannabis into Indonesia. She spent nine years imprisoned on the Indonesian island of Bali in Kerobokan Prison. Since her arrest Corby has publicly maintained that the drugs were planted in her bodyboard bag and that she did not know about them. Her trial and conviction were a major focus of attention for the Australian media.
Debra Anne Byrne, formerly billed as Debbie Byrne, is an Australian pop singer, variety entertainer, theatre and TV actress and writer, director and choreographer of cabaret. From April 1971 to March 1975 she was a founding cast member of Young Talent Time. She started her solo singing career with a cover version of "He's a Rebel", which peaked at No. 25 on the Go-Set Australian Singles chart. At the Logie Awards of 1974 she won Best Teenage Personality and followed with the Queen of Pop Award in October – both ceremonies were sponsored by TV Week. She repeated both wins in the following year.
Anne Crummer is a New Zealand pop singer and songwriter of Cook Islands descent who has seen success in both a solo career and as part of various musical groups.
Judith Anne Stone AM is an Australian retired pop and country music singer and musician. For much of the 1960s she was a regular performer on television music variety program Bandstand and appeared on Six O'Clock Rock.
Agnes Monica Muljoto, known professionally as Agnez Mo, is an Indonesian singer and actress. Born and raised in Jakarta, she is known as a bilingual singer who records in both Indonesian and English.
Australian pop music awards are a series of inter-related national awards that gave recognition to popular musical artists and have included the Go-Set pop poll (1966–1972); TV Week King of Pop Awards (1967–1978); TV Week and Countdown Music Awards (1979–1980); the Countdown Awards (1981–1982) and Countdown Music and Video Awards (1983–1987). Early awards were based on popular voting from readers of teenage pop music newspaper Go-Set and television program guide TV Week. They were followed by responses from viewers of Countdown, a TV pop music series (1974–1987) on national broadcaster Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). Some of the later award ceremonies incorporated listed nominees and peer-voted awards. From 1987 the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) instituted its own peer-voted ARIA Music Awards.
Mike Perjanik is a New Zealand-born musician, record producer, composer, arranger and bandleader who became well known in Australia from the late 1960s for his work on pop and rock recordings, and as a composer, arranger, bandleader and producer of music for film, television and advertising.
Megan Alexanda Washington is an Australian musician, songwriter and voice actor who has worked mononymously as Washington. Originally performing jazz music, her style shifted to indie pop and alternative rock. She has released four studio albums, I Believe You Liar, There There, Batflowers, and Hot Fuss (2022). Both I Believe You Liar and There There reached the top 5 on the ARIA Albums Chart and Batflowers peaked in the top 25. Outside of music, she has become a screenwriter and film producer. She also voices primary school teacher Calypso in the animated series Bluey.
Together is a studio album of duets by Australian pop singers John Farnham and Allison Durbin, which was released on HMV for EMI Records in September 1971. It peaked at No. 20 on the Australian Go-Set's Albums Chart.
Kimbra Lee Johnson, known mononymously as Kimbra, is a New Zealand singer and songwriter. Known for mixing pop with R&B, jazz and rock musical elements, her accolades include four ARIA Music Awards, two Grammy Awards and seven New Zealand Music Awards.
Diane Marie Jacobs, known as Dinah Lee, is a New Zealand singer who performed 1960s pop and adult contemporary music. Her debut single from early 1964, "Don't You Know Yockomo?", achieved No. 1 chart success in New Zealand and in the Australian cities of Brisbane and Melbourne. It was followed in September by her cover version of Jackie Wilson's, "Reet Petite", which also reached No. 1 in New Zealand and peaked at No. 6 in Melbourne. The Australian release was a double A-sided single with "Do the Blue Beat". On her early singles she was backed by fellow New Zealanders, Max Merritt & His Meteors. Lee appeared regularly on both New Zealand and Australian TV variety programs, including Johnny O'Keefe's Sing, Sing, Sing and Bandstand. She toured supporting Johnny O'Keefe, as well as Ray Columbus & the Invaders and P.J. Proby. According to Australian rock music journalist, Ed Nimmervoll, in the 1960s, "Lee was the most successful female singer in both her New Zealand homeland and Australia ... on stage and on record Dinah had all the adventure and exuberance for the time the boys had".
Karen Marie Aagaard Ørsted Andersen, known professionally as MØ, is a Danish singer and songwriter. In 2012, she signed a recording contract with Sony Music Entertainment and later released her debut extended play, Bikini Daze (2013), and her debut studio album, No Mythologies to Follow (2014).
Tina Marie Cross is a New Zealand singer. She sang the winning entry in the 1979 Pacific Song Contest, and was the lead vocalist of synthpop band, Koo De Tah, whose single "Too Young for Promises" was a top ten hit in Australia in 1985.
Nash Chase is a former pop singer from New Zealand who recorded for the Ode and HMV labels. He released a string of singles in the early 1970s. He is remembered for "What Greater Love", "Today I Killed a Man I Didn't Know" and "Anderson and Wise".
Chlöe Charlotte Swarbrick is a New Zealand politician. Following a high-profile but unsuccessful run for the 2016 Auckland mayoral election, she became a parliamentary candidate for the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand, standing in the 2017 New Zealand general election and was elected as a member of the New Zealand Parliament at the age of 23. In the 2020 election, Swarbrick was elected as the Member of Parliament for Auckland Central, becoming the second Green Party MP ever to win an electorate seat, and the first without a tacit endorsement from a major party leader. She retained Auckland Central in the 2023 election. In March 2024, she was elected co-leader of the Green Party.
Works cited