 |
Karen Knowles | |
|---|---|
| Born | 4 March 1964 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Genres | Adult contemporary |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, entertainer |
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Years active | 1975–present |
| Labels | Fable Records (1980–84) |
Karen Knowles (born 4 March 1964) is an Australian singer-songwriter and record producer, and former television personality.
| This section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources .(August 2023) |
Knowles was educated in Melbourne at the Methodist Ladies' College. She became nationally famous on the popular television program Young Talent Time , and was a member of the Young Talent Team from 1975 to 1980. Knowles first appeared as a contestant on Young Talent Time in 1974 whilst attending Donvale Primary School east of Melbourne.
In 1980, she signed with Fable Records and became the first Australian schoolgirl to receive a Gold record with her Top Ten single "Why Won't You Explain" in 1981. Her first album You Are The Reason was certified platinum in 1982.
Her second album, Loves Us All, was also released in 1982. In 1983, her third album The Third Time was released and she had a Top 30 single "You Don't Know Love" in 1984. In 1984 Knowles left the Fable label and moved to London.
Knowles returned to Australia in 1988 and featured in the stage musical Big River during its eighteen-month national tour. For her performance as southern belle, Mary Jane Wilks, Knowles received a nomination for a Green Room Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical.
In 1990 Knowles joined The Seekers. In 1991, Knowles, along with the group's main songwriter Bruce Woodley and the National Boys Choir, recorded the song I Am Australian.
In 1991 Knowles recorded and produced her fourth album A Night of Carols, featuring the Australian Girls Choir. In 1992, Knowles traveled to the United States to record Moonglow, her fifth album.
During 1997 Knowles wrote and performed a new musical composition at the Aboriginal Reconciliation Convention. In 1998, Knowles was appointed as one of the Inaugural Ambassadors for Reconciliation by the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation. Also in 1998, she was nominated for an Australian Humanitarian Award for her Services to the Arts.[ citation needed ]
In 1999 Knowles recorded and released her sixth album By Request, a compilation of some her most requested songs.
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certification |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUS [1] | |||
| You Are the Reason | 20 |
| |
| Love Us All |
| 42 | |
| The Third Time |
| 99 | |
| Especially for You |
| - | |
| Moonglow |
| - | |
| By Request |
| - |
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| AUS [1] | ||
| Wish I Was Loving You |
| 19 |
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Certification |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUS [1] | |||
| 1980 | "Why Won't You Explain" | 12 |
|
| 1981 | "You Are the Reason" / "One Step from Your Arms" | 46 | |
| "I Never Said I Love You" | - | ||
| 1982 | "Just for That" | - | |
| "Love Us All" | - | ||
| 1983 | "You Don't Know Love" | - |
Countdown was an Australian pop music TV series on national broadcaster ABC-TV from 1974–1987, it presented music awards from 1979–1987, initially in conjunction with magazine TV Week . The TV Week / Countdown Awards were a combination of popular-voted and peer-voted awards. [4]
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Herself | Best New Talent | Nominated |
Young Talent Time is an Australian television variety program produced by Lewis-Young Productions and screened on Network Ten. The original series ran from 1971 until 1988 and was hosted by singer-songwriter and record producer Johnny Young for its entire run. The show was briefly revived by Network Ten in 2012 and was hosted by singer and actor Rob Mills.
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.
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Goanna is an Australian rock band which formed in 1977 in Geelong as The Goanna Band with mainstay Shane Howard as singer-songwriter and guitarist. The group integrated social protest with popular music and reached the Top 20 on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart with "Solid Rock" (1982) and "Let the Franklin Flow". Their debut album, Spirit of Place, peaked at No. 2 on the related albums chart. They disbanded in 1987 and briefly reformed in 1998.
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Icehouse are an Australian rock band, formed in Sydney in 1977 as Flowers. Initially known in their homeland for their pub rock style, the band later achieved mainstream success playing new wave and synth-pop music and attained Top 10 singles chart success locally and in both Europe and the U.S. The mainstay of both Flowers and Icehouse has been Iva Davies supplying additional musicians as required. The name "Icehouse", adopted in 1981, comes from an old, cold flat Davies lived in and the strange building across the road populated by itinerant people.
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