Allison Durbin

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Allison Durbin
Birth nameAllison Ann Durbin
Born (1950-05-24) 24 May 1950 (age 74)
Auckland, New Zealand
OccupationSinger

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]

Contents

Biography

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]

Personal life

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]

Television

YearTitlePerformanceType
1968The NZ Music Awards Herself - Winner "Most Promising Female"TV special, NZ
1969-1970 In Melbourne Tonight Herself - SingerTV series, 7 episodes
1969 The Tommy Leonetti Show Herself - GuestTV 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 / SingerTV series, 2 episodes
1970 Bandstand Herself - SingerTV series, 1 episode
19701970 TV Week Logie AwardsHerself sings "I Have Loved Me A Man" / "River Deep Mountain High"TV Special
1970 Sounds Like Us Herself - GuestTV series, 1 episode
1970The Weekend Starts HereHerselfTV series
1970 King of Pop: 1970 TV Week Australian Popular Music Awards Herself - Winner 'Queen Of Pop"TV special
1970 Happening '70 Herself - SingerTV 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 - SingerTV 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 FarnhamTV series, 1 episode
1971 Young Talent Time Herself - Guest SingerTV 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
1973Australian Popular Song Festival 1973Guest PerformerTV special
1974-1975 The Ernie Sigley Show Herself - Guest / SingerTV series, 9 episodes
1975O'Keefe at the CathedralHerselfTV special
1977Telethon '77Guest PerformerTV special
1977 King Of Pop: 1977 TV Week Australian Popular Music Awards Guest - HerselfTV special
1979 The Barry Crocker Show HerselfTV special
19791979 TelethonGuest - 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 PerformerTV series, 1 episode
1982 The Don Lane Show Herself singsTV series, 1 episode
1982 Australian Music Stars of the 60s Herself - Archive clipTV special
1983 The Mike Walsh Show Guest SingerTV series, 1 episode
1984Tonight With Bert NewtonHerself sings "I Love A Rainy Night"TV series, 1 episode
1987,1990 Hey Hey It's Saturday HerselfTV series, 1 episode "60s show"
1989In Melbourne TodayGuest - HerselfTV 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
1994Good Morning AustraliaHerself - Guest / Singer sings "Bright Eyes"TV series, 1 episode
1994;1995Good Morning AustraliaHerself - Singer sings "Crazy"TV series, 1 episode
1995Good Morning AustraliaHerself - Singer sings "River Deep, Mountain High"TV series, 1 episode
1996 When Rock Was Young: The 70s Herself - Archive clipTV special
1998DeniseHerself - GuestTV series, 1 episode
2003Give It A WhirlHerselfTV series NZ, 1 episode 2: "The Swinging Sixties"
2003Love Is In The AirHerselfABC TV series, 1 episode 2: "She's Leaving Home"
2007Ten NewsHerselfTV series, 1 episode
2007Ten Late NewsHerselfTV series, 1 episode

Discography

Studio albums

List of albums, with Australian chart positions
TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart
positions
AUS
[8]
I Have Loved Me a Man
  • Released: 1968
  • Format: LP
  • Label: HMV
-
Soft and Soulful
  • Released: 1969
  • Format: LP
  • Label: HMV
-
Together
(with Johnny Farnham)
  • Released: August 1971
  • Format: LP
  • Label: HMV (OCSD 7682)
22
Amerikan Music
  • Released: 1972
  • Format: LP
  • Label: HMV
-
Born a Woman
  • Released: November 1976
  • Format: LP
  • Label: Hammard (HAM011)
75
Are You Lonesome Tonight
  • Released: June 1977
  • Format: LP
  • Label: Hammard (HAM017)
52
Three Times a Lady
  • Released: 1978
  • Format: LP
  • Label: Hammard
-
Bright Eyes
  • Released: 1979
  • Format: LP
  • Label: Hammard (HAM043)
34
Shining Star
  • Released: 1980
  • Format: LP
  • Label: Hammard (HAM055)
43
My Kind of Country
  • Released: November 1981
  • Format: LP
  • Label: Hammard (HAM063)
97
Nothing But the Very Best
(with Diana Trask)
  • Released: August 1982
  • Format: LP
  • Label: Hammard (HAMD075)
88
Country Love Songs
  • Released: September 1983
  • Format: LP
  • Label: Hammard (HAM089)
79
Reckless Girl
  • Released: 1992
  • Format: CD
  • Label:
-

Charting singles

List of singles, with Australian chart positions
YearTitlePeak 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

Awards and nominations

Go-Set Pop Poll

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]

YearNominee / workAwardResult
1969herselfFemale Vocal1st
1970herselfBest Girl1st
1971herselfBest Girl Vocal1st
1972herselfBest Female Vocal2nd

King of Pop Awards

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]

YearNominee / workAwardResult
1969herselfBest Female ArtistWon
1970herselfBest Female ArtistWon
1971herselfBest Female ArtistWon
Best Dressed Female PerformerWon

Mo Awards

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]

YearNominee / workAwardResult (wins only)
1979Allison DurbinCountry Female Entertainer of the YearWon
1980Allison DurbinCountry Female of the YearWon

New Zealand Music Awards

The New Zealand Music Awards are an annual awards night celebrating excellence in New Zealand music and have been presented annually since 1965.

YearNominee / workAwardResultRef.
1968"I Have Loved Me a Man"Most Promising FemaleWon [12]

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References

  1. Hodgson, Shelley (1 June 2007). "Allison Durbin jailed for drugs". PerthNow News Corp Australia . Archived from the original on 25 May 2018. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  2. 1 2 Herkt, David (1 July 2013). "Allison Durbin Profile". Audio Culture. Archived from the original on 16 February 2020. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  3. Elder, John (4 June 2007). "Friends, family rally behind Durbin". Brisbane Times . Archived from the original on 8 July 2018. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Sergent, Bruce. "Allison Durbin". New Zealand Music of the 60's, 70's and a bit of 80's. Archived from the original on 11 August 2020. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Tippet, Gary (5 February 2006). "Fall of a pop royal - In Depth". The Age . Archived from the original on 8 July 2018. Retrieved 18 October 2020. Note: archived version only shows first part of three; rest of article is not archived. Archived version includes photos, live version does not.
  6. Milovanovic, Selma (13 March 2004). "Former Queen of Pop on drug traffic charges". The Age.
  7. "ABC News Australia Pop queen Durbin jailed for cannabis trafficking". Australian Broadcasting Corporation . Archived from the original on 3 June 2007. Retrieved 1 June 2007.
  8. 1 2 Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 97. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  9. 1 2 "Australian Music Awards". Ron Jeff. Archived from the original on 30 June 2012. Retrieved 16 December 2010.
  10. "Love is in the Air Episode 2: "She's Leaving Home"". Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). 19 October 2003. Archived from the original on 3 June 2008. Retrieved 6 December 2008.
  11. "MO Award Winners". Mo Awards. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
  12. "Aotearoa Music Awards". aotearoamusicawards.nz. Retrieved 18 August 2021.

Works cited