Kerrie Agnes Biddell (8 February 1947 – 5 September 2014) was an Australian jazz and session singer, as well as a vocal teacher.
Kerrie Biddell | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Kerrie Agnes Biddell |
| Born | 8 February 1947 Kings Cross, New South Wales |
| Died | 5 September 2014 (aged 67) |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1967–2001 |
Life and career
editBorn in Kings Cross, New South Wales, the only child of Irish-Catholic parents Kathleen, a jazz pianist and Dan, a solicitors clerk who also played piano. Biddell was sent to St Vincent's Convent in Potts Point at the age of six, soon after her father left her mother.[1] In 1962, Biddell suffered a collapsed lung and rheumatoid arthritis, the latter of which affected her piano playing. She decided to become a singer, and, in 1967, sang for Dusty Springfield on backing vocals.[2] Impressed, Springfield suggested she become a lead singer.[1]
1960s
editBiddell joined the local band The Echoes, and in 1968, The Affair.[3][4] Affair guitarist Jim Kelly called Biddell "a world-class vocalist".[1] With her voice, the group could do various musical styles, such as Aretha Franklin-type soul, Sly Stone funk, and Jimmy Webb compositions.[1] In 1969, the national competition Hoadley's Battle of the Sounds added a vocal-group category to its main pop/rock category. Kelly stated that The Affair was not a vocal group, but Biddell "rehearsed us till we were".[1] The group won the category, with its prize being a trip to London, where the group relocated in mid-1970, only to disband months later. Before disbanding, they recorded Sly and the Family Stone's "Sing a Simple Song", which would become one of Biddell's signature songs.[1]
1970s-2001
editBiddell returned to Australia in 1970, where she toured with the Daly-Wilson Big Band, which performed swing music, in between her stint with Wilson, she also did tours with Dudley Moore, Cilla Black and Buddy Rich[1][2] In 1972, she married David Glyde, a former alto saxophonist for Sounds Incorporated, who opened for The Beatles on tour. Glyde had contacts in Canada, and he and Biddell moved there. Her career as a session singer began soon after. She and her husband toured in the United States, including clubs in Las Vegas. She was offered a three-year six-figure USD contract with the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, and, despite being desperate to be a star, she discovered she did not care for the business side of Vegas. "I started to see that the amount they wanted to take away from me was too much," she stated, and moved back to Australia in 1972, enrolling in the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.[1]
She and Glyde divorced in 1977. She sang on hundreds of jingles, television shows and film scores, including the theme from series Sons and Daughters[2]
Biddell formed the group Compared to What which featured young Australian jazz talent including pianist Mark Isaacs,[1] who was to write an obituary for her in 2014.[5]
In 1983, she joined the faculty of the Jazz Diploma course at the Conservatorium, where she periodically taught into her later years.[1][2] In 1992, she wrote a one-woman show, Legends, which later included June Bronhill, Lorrae Desmond, Toni Lamond, and Jeanne Little.[1] In 2001, due to poor health, she retired from performing, but continued her teaching career.
Death
editOn 4 September 2014, Biddell died from a stroke. She was 67.[1][2]
Discography
editStudio albums
edit| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| AUS [6] | ||
| The Exciting Daly-Wilson Big Band (Daly-Wilson Big Band featuring Kerrie Biddell) |
|
- |
| Kerrie Biddell |
|
11 |
| Only the Beginning |
|
66 |
| Compared to What (Compared to What featuring Kerrie Biddell) |
|
- |
| There Will Never Be Another You (with The Julian Lee Trio and Les Crosby) |
|
- |
| The Singer |
|
- |
Awards
editMo Awards
editThe 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. Kerrie Biddell won three awards in that time.[7]
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result (wins only) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Kerrie Biddell | Jazz Vocal Performer of the Year | Won |
| 1993 | Kerrie Biddell | Jazz Vocal Performer of the Year | Won |
| 1995 | Kerrie Biddell | Jazz Vocal Performer of the Year | Won |
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l O'Grady, Anthony (9 September 2014). "Kerrie Biddell, first lady of Australian jazz". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 9 September 2014.
- ^ a b c d e "Australian jazz star Kerrie Biddell dies". The Australian. 5 September 2014. Retrieved 9 September 2014.
- ^ McFarlane, Ian (1999). "Encyclopedia entry for 'The Affair'". Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop. St Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86508-072-1. Archived from the original on 3 August 2004. Retrieved 9 September 2014.
- ^ Kimball, Duncan (2002). "The Affair". Milesago: Australasian Music and Popular Culture 1964–1975. Ice Productions. Retrieved 9 September 2014.
- ^ "The unequalled Kerrie Biddell : Feature Article : Australian Music Centre". www.australianmusiccentre.com.au. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 34. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "MO Award Winners". Mo Awards. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
External links
edit- Kerrie Biddell at AllMusic
- Kerrie Biddell discography at Discogs
- Profile at the University of Sydney
- http://www.talking-shellac.com/subpages/kerrie-biddell.htm (Kerrie Biddell Tribute page)
