|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Still in her teens, though excelling on piano, little Judy Cock dreamed of fame singing opera or musical comedy and in 1961, aged 18, she was ready to begin classical vocal training. One night, just for fun, she 'sat in' with a trad jazz band at a local dance called "Memphis", and found instant success performing blues, gospels and jazz standards of the 1920s and 1930s, also developing as a serious ragtime pianist. Using her mother's maiden name, at 19 she recorded her first EP "Judy Durham with Frank Traynor's Jazz Preachers" (W&G Records).
|
 |
 |
|
 |
|
|
On the advice of Australian entertainer Horrie Dargie, the group sent the album and TV footage ahead to The Grade Organisation theatrical agents, and on their arrival in 'swinging London', agent Eddie Jarrett booked them extensively in clubs, TV and 'variety theatre'. He asked Tom Springfield (Dusty's brother) to write and produce a single, resulting in the surprise chart-topper "I'll Never Find Another You" which unexpectedly cemented Judith in the group as a full-time Seeker, made The Seekers the first Australian group ever to hit No.1 internationally, and made Judith Australia's very first international pop princess and pin-up girl.
The next few years brought worldwide adulation, with tours, more albums, and a succession of huge and lasting hits, including "A World Of Our Own", "The Carnival Is Over" and "Morningtown Ride", which rivalled all the top groups like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones for the No.1 spot. The Seekers' biggest international seller was "Georgy Girl", originally written and recorded as the title song for the movie starring Lynn Redgrave. The song was nominated for an Academy Award and it made history when the group became the first Australians ever to reach the No.1 spot in the USA.
In 1967, The Seekers set an official all-time record when more than 200,000 people (nearly one tenth of the city's entire population at that time!) flocked to their performance at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne. Their TV special 'The Seekers Down Under' scored the biggest TV audience ever (with a 67 rating), and early in 1968 they were jointly awarded the nation's top honour, "Australian Of The Year 1967".
But Judith wanted to spread her wings, and without any notion of the lasting grief to be suffered by millions of shocked Seekers fans worldwide, she plucked up courage to give 'the boys' six months' notice. She was to leave the group in July 1968 to return to Australia … possibly to resume a solo career and, she hoped, to find 'Mr Right'.
|
 |
 |
|
 |
|
|
Through the 80s Judith Durham and Ron Edgeworth based themselves on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia, and for the first time Judith concentrated totally on writing and performing her own compositions, even completing a full scale musical "Gotta Be Rainbows" with book written by eminent playwright Ian Austin. Having had her very first songwriting success in 1967 with co-writer David Reilly on the Seekers classic "Colours Of My Life", by the 80s Judith had developed through the decades as a remarkably talented and prolific composer of both lyrics and music, writing more than 250 works to date.
But there was continuing pressure through the years from fans and media alike, for Judith to reunite with The Seekers 'just one more time'. During the previous quarter of a century, although maturing musically and personally, and receiving countless standing ovations as an international solo concert artist, she had always been 'swimming against the tide'. Finally in response to so many heartfelt pleas, Judith rejoined Athol, Keith and Bruce for some new recordings late in 1992, and in 1993, expertly guided by manager John Kovac, "The Silver Jubilee Tour" began. Now truly icons in the music industry, The Seekers made big news internationally, touring and recording intermittently through the 90s with continuing demand from not only life-long Seekers fans…but three new generations of fans.
Meanwhile, the Edgeworths celebrated 25 years of marriage just prior to Ron's sad and untimely death in 1994 from MND (Motor Neurone Disease) and their life together is documented by journalist and music historian Graham Simpson in the authorised biography "The Judith Durham Story - Colours Of My Life" (Virgin Books) with its title inspired by the classic Seekers song which Judith co-wrote in 1967 with David Reilly.
|
 |
 |
|
 |
|
|
2003 was one of Judith`s busiest and most artistically satisfying years to date. In March she toured Australia with the boys on The Seekers` `Never Say Never Again! Tour` which was received joyfully by fans all over the country. A surprise inclusion in the tour was the Bee Gees` hit song, Massachusetts. Maurice Gibb had died so tragically in January, and as a tribute to him The Seekers decided to sing `Massachusetts` in their concerts. There was a good reason for this: the song had originally been written by the Bee Gees with The Seekers in mind, but had failed to reach them. It wasn`t until Judith met Maurice Gibb at a party that he told her the story - and so the song came full circle after Maurice`s death. The Seekers have now recorded their own beautiful version of `Massachusetts` on their new CD, `The Ultimate Collection`.
After `Never Say Never Again!` Judith had barely a month to get ready to fly to the UK for her own massive solo tour. `The Diamond Tour` - which ran to 35 dates - was a fantastic triumph, playing to ecstatic houses and huge standing ovations at every venue. After an absence of seven years, UK fans just couldn`t get enough of Judith and long queues formed to meet her after every concert. On July 3rd - her 60th birthday, Judith performed at London`s Royal Festival Hall. It was a magical night. At the end, the audience surged forward, reaching up to the stage to touch Judith, and to present her with flowers, cards and gifts, including an enormous, soft, cuddly teddy bear. The stage filled up with tributes and still the audience cheered, clapped and called for more. After an emotional encore, Judith finally left the stage with the applause still thundering through the huge auditorium. After the show, she celebrated her birthday with close friends on a Midnight Cruise up the Thames. A band, made up of musicians from Judith and Ron`s jazz days, played on the boat, and Judith `sat in` with them for a few numbers - like a recreation of The Hottest Band In Town.
Following the tour Judith caught up with some of her 60s contemporaries: Sandie Shaw, Helen Shapiro, Julie Felix and Cindy Kent (from The Settlers) and very much enjoyed hearing how their careers had developed before flying home to Melbourne at the end of July.
Through the decades, along with Judith's immense popularity and success as one of the all-time great lead singers of one of the world's most popular groups, she has always enjoyed the musical freedom of solo work culminating in the release of her recent ninth solo album 'Hold On To Your Dream'. This is a powerful and varied milestone collection showcasing her exceptional talent as a composer and lyricist of inspirational and philosophical songs and features her glorious anthem for the nation "Australia Land of Today"; her popular 50s doo-wop song "Coulda Woulda Shoulda" (the surprise bonus track on the official 'ROVE [LIVE]' CD); 'It's Hard To Leave' which brings solace in palliative care and comfort to bereaved families and was internationally recognised in a paper at the 10th World Congress of Music Therapy in Oxford UK in July 2002; and the album's title track 'Hold On To Your Dream' which has been invoked by fans in achieving previously unattainable goals.
There is increasing global awareness of the unique healing quality of Judith's singing and the uplifting power of many of her compositions, and fans travel halfway round the world especially to hear that legendary 'one in a million golden voice' live in concert. "Judith Durham : The Diamond Tour 2003" was an affirmation of her brilliant achievements as a solo artist and requests for more tours and more recordings are pouring in from America, Australia, the UK and other parts of the world, too.