Barbara Amesbury
Encyclopedia
Barbra Amesbury is a Canadian
philanthropist
, singer-songwriter
, composer
and filmmaker, who had several Top 40 hits in Canada in the 1970s as Bill Amesbury before coming out as a transsexual and pursuing sex reassignment surgery
. Her first name is also sometimes incorrectly cited as Barbara.
Amesbury's biggest hit was "Virginia (Touch Me Like You Do)", which was also the first single (1974) ever released on the Casablanca Records
label. "Can You Feel It" was also a minor hit in 1976. Amesbury's "Nothin' But a Fool" has been covered by Natalie Cole
, and "A Thrill's a Thrill" has been covered by Long John Baldry
and by Mitch Ryder
with Marianne Faithfull
and John Cougar.
In 1976/77, Amesbury produced "No Charge" by J.J. Barry, which became a number one hit in England.
In 1994, Amesbury and her partner Joan Chalmers organized an art exhibition called Surivivors, In Search of a Voice: The Art of Courage, using the stories of breast cancer survivors to inspire 24 women artists to create works of art aimed at raising awareness of breast cancer. The exhibition toured throughout North America from 1995 to 1998, accompanied by a companion book. Amesbury also shot a documentary film of the tour.
In 1999, "Virginia" was given an award by SOCAN to mark 100,000 spins on Canadian radio stations.
In 2002, James Collins
and Dave Pickell released the single "Do You Mind If We Talk About Bill?", which was written about Amesbury. The video of the song can be seen on youtube.com (as a James Collins release)
In 2006 and 2007, her documentary film The G8 is Coming...The G8 is Coming was an official selection of the Rome International Film Festival, the Ashville Film Festival, the Atlanta Film Festival, the Southern Winds Film Festival, and the Dixie Film Festival.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
philanthropist
Philanthropy
Philanthropy etymologically means "the love of humanity"—love in the sense of caring for, nourishing, developing, or enhancing; humanity in the sense of "what it is to be human," or "human potential." In modern practical terms, it is "private initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of...
, singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and filmmaker, who had several Top 40 hits in Canada in the 1970s as Bill Amesbury before coming out as a transsexual and pursuing sex reassignment surgery
Sex reassignment surgery
Sex reassignment surgery is a term for the surgical procedures by which a person's physical appearance and function of their existing sexual characteristics are altered to resemble...
. Her first name is also sometimes incorrectly cited as Barbara.
Amesbury's biggest hit was "Virginia (Touch Me Like You Do)", which was also the first single (1974) ever released on the Casablanca Records
Casablanca Records
Casablanca Records was an American record label started by Neil Bogart, who partnered with Cecil Holmes, Larry Harris, and Buck Reingold in 1973, and based in Los Angeles. The label was formed after all of them had left Buddah Records and secured financing by Warner Bros. Records to start the venture...
label. "Can You Feel It" was also a minor hit in 1976. Amesbury's "Nothin' But a Fool" has been covered by Natalie Cole
Natalie Cole
Natalie Maria Cole , is an American singer, songwriter and performer. The daughter of jazz legend Nat King Cole, Cole rode to musical success in the mid-1970s as an R&B artist with the hits "This Will Be ", "Inseparable" and "Our Love"...
, and "A Thrill's a Thrill" has been covered by Long John Baldry
Long John Baldry
John William "Long John" Baldry was an English and Canadian blues singer and a voice actor. He sang with many British musicians, with Rod Stewart and Elton John appearing in bands led by Baldry in the 1960s. He enjoyed pop success in the UK where Let the Heartaches Begin reached No...
and by Mitch Ryder
Mitch Ryder
William S. Levise, Jr , better known by his stage name Mitch Ryder, is an American musician who has recorded over two dozen albums in more than four decades.-Career:...
with Marianne Faithfull
Marianne Faithfull
Marianne Evelyn Faithfull is an award-winning English singer, songwriter and actress whose career has spanned five decades....
and John Cougar.
In 1976/77, Amesbury produced "No Charge" by J.J. Barry, which became a number one hit in England.
In 1994, Amesbury and her partner Joan Chalmers organized an art exhibition called Surivivors, In Search of a Voice: The Art of Courage, using the stories of breast cancer survivors to inspire 24 women artists to create works of art aimed at raising awareness of breast cancer. The exhibition toured throughout North America from 1995 to 1998, accompanied by a companion book. Amesbury also shot a documentary film of the tour.
In 1999, "Virginia" was given an award by SOCAN to mark 100,000 spins on Canadian radio stations.
In 2002, James Collins
James Collins (songwriter)
James Collins is a Canadian songwriter, actor and singer.- Life and career :As a songwriter, James has co-written, with Vancouver-based songwriter Dave Pickell over 20 Top 40 hits in Canada....
and Dave Pickell released the single "Do You Mind If We Talk About Bill?", which was written about Amesbury. The video of the song can be seen on youtube.com (as a James Collins release)
In 2006 and 2007, her documentary film The G8 is Coming...The G8 is Coming was an official selection of the Rome International Film Festival, the Ashville Film Festival, the Atlanta Film Festival, the Southern Winds Film Festival, and the Dixie Film Festival.