Kerrie Biddell


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Australian jazz, pop and session singer., as well as a pianist and vocal teacher.
Born 8 February 1947.
Died 5 September 2014.

Born 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. 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. Impressed, Springfield suggested she become a lead singer..

Biddell joined the local band The Echoes, and in 1968, The Affair. Affair guitarist Jim Kelly called Biddell a world-class vocalist. With her voice, the group could do various musical styles, such as Aretha Franklin-type soul, Sly Stone funk, and Jimmy Webb compositions 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. 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.

Biddell 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. 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.

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,

Biddell formed the group Compared to What which featured young Australian jazz talent, including pianist Mark Isaacs, who was to write an obituary for her in 2014.

In 1983, she joined the faculty of the Jazz Diploma course at the Conservatorium, where she periodically taught into her later years. 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.

On 4 September 2014, Biddell died from a stroke. She was 67.

ALBA


KOMPILACE +


Mario Millo
Human Games
2011
John Sangster
Paradise Volume One
2009
Graham Jesse
Reflections
1996, CD, Album, La Brava Music, ,
Jazz-Rock/Fusion
Simon Gallaher
All In Good Time
1991
Allan Zavod
Death Of A Soldier (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
1985, LP, Album, Avan-Guard, ,
Soundtrack
Trisha Watts
A Touch Of Mystery
1981, LP, Album, Willow Music (4)
Simon Gallaher
Opening Night
1981, LP, Album, Festival Records,
Philippe Gabbay With Julian Lee Orchestra, Tommy Emmanuel
Philippe Gabbay With The Julian Lee Orchestra / Tommy Emmanuel
1981, LP, Album, ABC Transcription Service, Australian Broadcasting Commission
Různí
The Best Of Friends (Original Soundtrack Recording)
1981, LP, Album, Infinity, ,
Soundtrack
Simon Gallaher
Opening Night
1981, Cass, Album, Festival Records
Bartholomew John
Harbour
1981
Mike And Zeph Fischer
Mike And Zeph
1980, LP, Album, Summit Records Australia, Summit Records Australia,
Mark Isaacs
Isaacs -Originals
1980, LP, Album, Batjazz
Peter J. Martin*
The Anteater
1980, LP, Album, Avenue Records (3), ,
Contemporary Jazz
Geoffrey M. Laing
In Thru The Back Door
1980, LP, Kanangra
John Farnham
Uncovered
1980, Vinyl,
Ted Egan
Rodeo Australia
1980
The Tony Ansell Orchestra
Just Arranging
1979, LP, Battyman Records, Batjazz,
Terry Gorka
Locked Out Of Paradise
1979, LP, Album, WEA
The Alfred Street Orchestra And Chorale
The Flying Dutchmen
1979, 7", EP, Gat, Festival Records, ,
Education/Monolog/Big Band
Rose-Marie Longe
Let Me See Clearly
1979, LP, Album, Rhema Records, ,
Gospel
Renee Geyer
Blues License
1979
Johnny Nicol
Traces
1979, ,
Smooth Jazz/Jazz-Funk
The Daly-Wilson Big Band*
The Best Of The Daly-Wilson Big Band
1979
Esther King*
Save The People
1979, ,
Gospel/Soul/Funk/Disco
Nev Nicholls
Blazing Diesels
1978, Vinyl, ,
Country/Folk
Nev Nicholls
You've Gotta Have A Beer Mate
1977, Vinyl, ,
Country
Mickey Rooney
The Stupendous Success Story Of The Seventh Street Superstars
1975, 2xLP, Album, Pan Pacific Recording Service
Ross Ryan
After The Applause
1975,
Billy Thorpe
Million Dollar Bill
1975, Vinyl, ,
Rock & Roll/Rhythm & Blues/Funk
Sister Janet Mead
With You I Am
1974, ,
Psychedelic Rock/Garage Rock/Gospel/Disco
Doubloon
Go Anywhere
1972, ,
Soundtrack
Sven Libaek
Nickel Queen (Original Soundtrack Recording Of)
1971, LP, Album, Philips
Ted Egan
Rodeo Australia
CD, Not On Label
Bernard King
A Man Of Style
Vinyl,
Různí
Back On The Street Again (Australian Funk, Soul And Psych (Mostly) From The Festival Vaults)
2016
Marc Hype & Dejoe
Versions
2011, CD, Mixed, Promo, HHV.DE, ,
Afrobeat/Funk
Masanori Suzuki
Premium Cuts #00 Classic Blend
2005, 2xCD, Mixed, Chicken Skin Music Production,
Různí
Box Of Love
2003, 10xCD, Comp + Box, Rajon Music Group, ,
Soft Rock/Pop Rock/Ballad/Glam/Folk/Soul/Contemporary R&B/Classic Rock/Hi NRG/Reggae-Pop/Easy Listening/Europop/Doo Wop/Disco
Různí
Tunesmith (The Songs Of Jimmy Webb)
2003, 2x CD,
Různí
Respect Overdue Vol. 2 (Australian & New Zealand '70s Jazz, Funk, Soul & Soundtrack Music)
2000, CD, Comp, Creative Vibes
Různí
Respect Overdue (Australian '70s Jazz, Funk, Soul & Soundtrack Music)
1999, CD, Comp, Creative Vibes, ,
Funk/Soul/Soundtrack
Různí
Two
1989,
Různí
Australian TV's Greatest Hits
1986
Různí
Australian Jazz - Program Five
1985, Reel, 2tr Mono, 7" Reel, Mixtape, Rad, Australian Information Service
Různí
The TV Hits Album
1985
Různí
Marijuana - Possession And The Law
1974, LP, Album, Warner Bros. Records
Různí
Summertime
CD, Comp, North Supply
Různí
Dusty Fingers The Complete Collection
2008, DVD, Comp, Promo, Unofficial, MP3 + DVD, Comp, Pro, Strictly Breaks Records,
Různí
Dusty Fingers Volume Eight
2000, ,
Soul-Jazz/Abstract/Theme/Jazz-Funk/Breaks/Psychedelic/Latin Jazz