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https://theconversation.com/vale-judith-durham-the-cuddly-aussie-girl-next-door-whose-soaring-voice-found-international-fame-188343>
"Judith Durham, one of Australia’s most recognisable voices, has passed away at
79.
An icon of the Australian music industry as lead singer for The Seekers and a
solo artist, hers was an enduring female voice in an industry still dominated
by men.
Georgy Girl,
A World of Our Own and
The Carnival Is Over are just
a few of the songs that will always ring best with her vocals.
Her artistry and approach was an alternative to the swinging 60s in popular
music. There were no gimmicks to her art – just a soaring voice delivered with
precision.
Born Judith Mavis Cock in the Melbourne suburb of Essendon in 1943, she studied
classical piano at the University of Melbourne Conservatorium. Through
connections at the university and in the local scene, she continued as a gifted
musician and developed a following in the jazz community.
Using her mother’s maiden name she released her first EP,
Judy Durham, with
Frank Traynor’s Jazz Preachers. The liner notes introduced her as “the most
promising and talented vocalist today”. She was 19.
Around this time Durham also began an office job where she met Athol Guy. After
a quick introduction, Durham was invited to play with Guy, Keith Potger and
Bruce Woodley at a local coffee shop.
From here, The Seekers were born.
For a short time Durham recorded with both Frank Traynor and The Seekers for
W&G Records, providing, as jazz historian Bruce Johnson described in
The
Oxford Companion to Australian Jazz, an important link between jazz, folk and
what would become pop mainstream."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
