Julie Anthony
Birth nameJulie Moncrieff Lush
Born (1949-08-24) 24 August 1949[1]
Lameroo, South Australia, Australia[2]
GenresJazz, pop
Occupation(s)Singer, entertainer
Years active1967–2007

Julie Moncrieff Anthony AM OBE (née Lush, born 24 August 1949[2]) is an Australian former professional singer and entertainer.[3]

Anthony is well known for her brief stint as lead singer of the Seekers

A soprano, she has recorded both jazz and pop and is well-known for her live singing performances, variety appearances and roles in cabaret and theatre. Anthony has performed with numerous artists including Simon Gallagher and Anthony Warlow at the Sydney Opera House[4]

Through Anthony's extensive repertoire, she demonstrates great conviction, whether it be her rendition of "Amazing Grace" or material ranging from Stephen Sondheim to the Beatles.[3]

She recorded an album with jazz performer Don Burrows called Together at Last.[2]

She sang the Australian national anthem at the Opening Ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Olympics with Human Nature.

Biography

Early life and career

Anthony was born to Betty and Les Lush, a sheep and wheat farmer and had an older brother. Steven. She is from a family of aunts, uncles, and grandparents who all worked in the farming sector.[2] Les Lush played professional Australian rules football for Glenelg in the South Australian National Football League, playing 34 games and kicking 126 goals.[5]

Anthony worked on the family farm before deciding on a singing career, citing her musical influences as Ella Fitzgerald and Burt Bacharach. She was billed originally in her career under her birth name of Julie Lush. She started performing in a local band and won a talent contest and began performing on The Country and Western Hour hosted by Reg Lindsay. She also appeared in her native Adelaide on The Ernie Sigley Show before performing regularly on The Graham Kennedy Show.

Anthony married Eddie Natt in 1976 and has two daughters, Talitha and Tamara.

With the Seekers

She sang with the Seekers, first taking the place of Judith Durham as the lead vocalist in the song "The Carnival Is Over" for the Closing Ceremony of Expo '88. Later, Anthony became a member of the group with Bruce Woodley, Athol Guy and Keith Potger. They released an album, Live On, in March 1989, which peaked at number 26.

Animation recordings

In 1991, she recorded the song "Ordinary Miracles" for the 1991 Australian animated fantasy movie The Magic Riddle. In 1992, she also recorded another song, "Sleep Bush Baby Sleep", for the Yoram Gross movie Blinky Bill The Mischievous Koala.

Theatre

Anthony starred in both the Australian and West End productions of the musical Irene in the mid-1970s. She won the Commercial Broadcasting Federation Award in Australia for Best Easy Listening Album 1975. Her first performance in the musical, at the Adelphi Theatre, London, was 15 June 1976.

Her numerous theatre performances include The Sound of Music, I Do! I Do! and The Mikado.[4]

At midnight between 31 December 1987 and 1 January 1988, in celebration of the start of Australia's Bicentennial year, Anthony sang the Australian national anthem, "Advance Australia Fair", on the national broadcaster, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, which continued to show the recording of her performance at the close of broadcasting for many years afterwards, until the broadcaster introduced 24-hour broadcasting.

Commercials for St George Bank

Anthony was well-known. for her appearances for the St George Bank, in which she featured from 1974 to 1999. In 1993 she released a version of "Puff the Magic Dragon" in conjunction with the bank as part of an advertising campaign.

Discography

Studio albums

List of albums, with selected chart positions
Title Album details Peak chart
positions
Certification
AUS
[6]
Hello in There
  • Released: 1975
  • Format: LP
  • Label: EMI (EMA-319)
-
A Part of Me
  • Released: 1977
  • Format: LP, cassette
  • Label: EMI (EMC.2582)
-
Something Special
  • Released: July 1978
  • Format: LP, cassette
  • Label: EMI (EMC.2673)
92
China Blue
  • Released: 1981
  • Format: LP, cassette
  • Label: Axis (AX.1179)
-
Here I Am
  • Released: July 1982
  • Format: LP, cassette
  • Label: J&B Records (JB110)
13
What a Feeling
  • Released: December 1983
  • Format: LP, cassette
  • Label: J&B Records (JB150)
40
This Is It
  • Released: May 1985
  • Format: LP, cassette
  • Label: J&B Records (JB210)
15
20 Years of No. 1 Hits
  • Released: September 1986
  • Format: LP, cassette
  • Label: J&B Records (JB267)
37
I Dreamed a Dream
  • Released: 1991
  • Format: CD, cassette
  • Label: J&B Records (JB467)
-
Together at Last
with Don Burrows)
  • Released: 1994
  • Format: CD
  • Label: Castle Communications (CTVCD 1001)
-
Never Stop Believing
  • Released: 1999
  • Format: CD
  • Label: Festival Records (D24151)
-

Live albums

List of live albums, with selected chart positions
Title Album details
Live at the Tilbury
(with Michael Harvey)
  • Released: 1996
  • Format: CD
  • Label: Cue Recordings (OR021)

Compilation albums

List of compilations albums, with selected chart positions
Title Album details
I Dreamed a Dream
  • Released: 1988
  • Format: CD, cassette
  • Label: GNP Crescendo Records (GNPS 2195)
Memories - The Ultimate Collection
  • Released: 2000
  • Format: CD
  • Label: Fanfare Records (Fanfare216)

Singles

List of singles, with selected chart positions
Year Title Peak chart
positions
Album
AUS
[6][8]
1973 "Wonderful Dream" - Non-album singles
1975 "If Only He Knew" -
1977 "You're the Only Man" -
1980 "I've Only Said "I Love You" in My Mind" 77 China Blue
1981 "China Blue" 34
1983 "More Than Friends" / "Walking on Thin Air" - What a Feeling
1991 "Ordinary Miracles" 141 The Magic Riddle

Honours and awards

Anthony is among the most awarded of Australian entertainers. She was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) (1980)[9] and a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) (1989)[10]

Australian Record Awards

Year Nominee / work Award Result
1975[11] Julie Anthony Album Easy Listening Female Vocal Won

Mo Awards

The 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. Julie Anthony won thirteen awards in that time.[12]

Year Nominee / work Award Result (wins only)
1976 Julie Anthony Best Female Vocal of the Year Won
1977 Julie Anthony Best Female Vocal of the Year Won
Julie Anthony Entertainer of the Year Won
1978 Julie Anthony Best Female Vocal of the Year Won
Julie Anthony Entertainer of the Year Won
1980 Julie Anthony Female Vocal of the Year Won
1982 Julie Anthony Female Vocal of the Year Won
Julie Anthony Entertainer of the Year Won
1986 Julie Anthony Female Vocal of the Year Won
1988 Julie Anthony Female Vocal Entertainer of the Year Won
Julie Anthony Daily Telegraph Readers Award - Female Won
1993 Julie Anthony Female Vocal Variety Entertainer of the Year Won
1995 Julie Anthony Female Vocal Variety Entertainer of the Year Won

References

  1. "Julie Anthony". Oxford Reference. Retrieved 31 December 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Julie Anthony interviewed by Bill Stephens (sound recording)".
  3. 1 2 "Julie Anthony, Biography by All Music".
  4. 1 2 "Julie Andrews". AusStage.
  5. Coward, M. "Julie's No. 1 at Glenelg", The Advertiser, 1 September 1979, p. 26.
  6. 1 2 Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 18. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  7. "Kent Music Report No 453 – 28 February 1983 > Platinum Albums 1982 (Continued)". Retrieved 26 December 2022 via Imgur.com.
  8. "Bubbling Down Under Week Commencing 23 September 1991". Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  9. "Julie Anthony OBE". Australian Honours Database. Retrieved 21 May 2007.
  10. "Julie Anthony AM". Australian Honours Database. Retrieved 21 May 2007.
  11. "Cashbox Magazine" (PDF). Billboard. 29 November 1975. p. 54. Retrieved 12 November 2021 via World Radio History.
  12. "MO Award Winners". Mo Awards. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
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