Max Sharam
Encyclopedia
Leanne Maree "Max" Sharam (born 1967, Benalla
, Victoria) is an Australian musician, writer and artist. In the mid-1990s, Sharam had three top 40 hit singles, "Coma", "Be Firm" and "Lay Down" from her top 10 album, A Million Year Girl
(1995). She received eight nominations at the ARIA Music Awards of 1995
and won 'Best Cover Art' by Dominic O'Brien for the album.
, Australia in 1967. She grew up in Beaufort
about 160 km west of Melbourne and studied classical singing and the electronic organ. Following her graduation from Performing Arts College, with a major in Behavioural Science, she spent several years travelling around Europe, where she made a living from busking. Whilst performing in Florence
, Italy, RAI
news journalist and producer Carlo Picone invited her to audition for Forza Venite Gente, a popular Italian rock opera
, for which she landed a lead role. The musical toured across Europe for two years. Other Italian Theatre productions engaged her, including Kolbe directed by Polish film director – Krzysztof Zanussi
. She received the Star of the Year award at Genoa
's Cole Porter Festival, recorded and released a dance extended play, I'm Occupied. Her story was documented in an Italian television program, La Ragazza con la Chitarra (Girl with the Guitar), shown on RAI TV. Sharam then spent a year in Japan
studying Taiko
drums and fronting a Japanese band in Hiroshima
, before returning to Australia.
In 1992, Sharam performed her self-penned song "Coma" on the television talent show New Faces
, winning her heat and attracting the attention of a number of record companies: She sang with a number of small-time Sydney bands including Minx and Fleshworld, as well as performing regular solo acoustic gigs at Kinselas nightclub in Darlinghurst
during 1993 – under the banner of Max Sharam: The Sounds of Sirens.
Sharam subsequently secured a recording contract with Warner Music Australia in 1994, which issued her debut EP Coma in December – produced by Daniel Denholm and Nick Mainsbridge – with the song peaking at No. 14 on the ARIA Singles Chart
during February 1995. and was voted the eighth most popular song on radio station, Triple J's Hottest 100 of 1994
. Her debut album A Million Year Girl was released in 1995, which achieved platinum accreditation and reached No. 9 in the ARIA Albums Chart
. At the ARIA Music Awards of 1995
Sharam was nominated in eight categories – although she only won 'Best Cover Artwork' for the album by Dominic O'Brien. It provided two more Top 40 singles, "Be Firm" (No. 25 in June) and "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)
" (a cover of Melanie Safka
's song, which reached No. 36 in November). Her fourth single, "Is It OK if I Call You Mine?" was released in February 1996, but did not chart. After several subsequent sell-out national tours, Sharam disappeared from the Australian mainstream music scene.
Sharam appeared in Channel 9
's TV documentary Dream Factory, shot in Los Angeles
. In 2000 she wrote and staged her first one woman show, MadmoselleMax for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival
. In January 2005, she performed "Butterfly Suicide" at the Hong Kong
Fringe Festival
. The one-woman P'Opera (a 'Virtual Variety/Multi Media Musical') featured the misadventures of 'ill Soprano', a highly-strung opera diva who takes to the streets at night singing.
Sharam performed and produced the music for 2006 AFI award winning documentary Forbidden Lie$
'.
In February 2009 she returned to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival with her show, Songs and Stories from Her Suitcase.
Benalla, Victoria
Benalla is a city of just over 9,000 people located just off the Hume Freeway in north-eastern Victoria, Australia, about southwest of Wangaratta. Its Local Government Area is the Rural City of Benalla.- Overview :...
, Victoria) is an Australian musician, writer and artist. In the mid-1990s, Sharam had three top 40 hit singles, "Coma", "Be Firm" and "Lay Down" from her top 10 album, A Million Year Girl
A Million Year Girl
-Charts:-Personnel:* Tony Allayialis – vocals* Wendy Berge – viola* Aud Bill – double bass* Tim Brewer – piano* Amanda Brown – mandolin, violin* Lucie Miller – celli viola* Ian Cooper – violin...
(1995). She received eight nominations at the ARIA Music Awards of 1995
ARIA Music Awards of 1995
The Ninth Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards was held on 20 October 1995 at the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre. There had been a 19-month gap since the previous award ceremony which was moved to be "closer to the business end of the music industry's year"...
and won 'Best Cover Art' by Dominic O'Brien for the album.
Biography
Max Sharam was born Leanne Maree Sharam in BenallaBenalla, Victoria
Benalla is a city of just over 9,000 people located just off the Hume Freeway in north-eastern Victoria, Australia, about southwest of Wangaratta. Its Local Government Area is the Rural City of Benalla.- Overview :...
, Australia in 1967. She grew up in Beaufort
Beaufort, Victoria
Beaufort is a town in Victoria, Australia. It is located on the Western Highway midway between Ararat and Ballarat, in the Pyrenees Shire local government area. It is 387 metres above sea level. At the 2001 census, Beaufort had a population of 987...
about 160 km west of Melbourne and studied classical singing and the electronic organ. Following her graduation from Performing Arts College, with a major in Behavioural Science, she spent several years travelling around Europe, where she made a living from busking. Whilst performing in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
, Italy, RAI
RAI
RAI — Radiotelevisione italiana S.p.A. known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane, is the Italian state owned public service broadcaster controlled by the Ministry of Economic Development. Rai is the biggest television company in Italy...
news journalist and producer Carlo Picone invited her to audition for Forza Venite Gente, a popular Italian rock opera
Rock opera
A rock opera is a work of rock music that presents a storyline told over multiple parts, songs or sections in the manner of opera. A rock opera differs from a conventional rock album, which usually includes songs that are not unified by a common theme or narrative. More recent developments include...
, for which she landed a lead role. The musical toured across Europe for two years. Other Italian Theatre productions engaged her, including Kolbe directed by Polish film director – Krzysztof Zanussi
Krzysztof Zanussi
Krzysztof Zanussi, is a Polish producer and film director.He is a professor of European film at the European Graduate School in Saas-Fee, Switzerland where he conducts a summer workshop...
. She received the Star of the Year award at Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
's Cole Porter Festival, recorded and released a dance extended play, I'm Occupied. Her story was documented in an Italian television program, La Ragazza con la Chitarra (Girl with the Guitar), shown on RAI TV. Sharam then spent a year in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
studying Taiko
Taiko
means "drum" in Japanese . Outside Japan, the word is often used to refer to any of the various Japanese drums and to the relatively recent art-form of ensemble taiko drumming...
drums and fronting a Japanese band in Hiroshima
Hiroshima
is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshu, the largest island of Japan. It became best known as the first city in history to be destroyed by a nuclear weapon when the United States Army Air Forces dropped an atomic bomb on it at 8:15 A.M...
, before returning to Australia.
In 1992, Sharam performed her self-penned song "Coma" on the television talent show New Faces
New Faces (Australian)
New Faces was an Australian talent show that preceded the British show of the same name, produced at GTV-9 Melbourne. The program began in 1963 under the name Kevin Dennis Auditions, sponsored by Kevin Dennis Motors, running on Saturday mornings...
, winning her heat and attracting the attention of a number of record companies: She sang with a number of small-time Sydney bands including Minx and Fleshworld, as well as performing regular solo acoustic gigs at Kinselas nightclub in Darlinghurst
Darlinghurst, New South Wales
Darlinghurst is an inner-city, eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Darlinghurst is located immediately east of the Sydney central business district and Hyde Park, within the local government area of the City of Sydney...
during 1993 – under the banner of Max Sharam: The Sounds of Sirens.
Sharam subsequently secured a recording contract with Warner Music Australia in 1994, which issued her debut EP Coma in December – produced by Daniel Denholm and Nick Mainsbridge – with the song peaking at No. 14 on the ARIA Singles Chart
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
during February 1995. and was voted the eighth most popular song on radio station, Triple J's Hottest 100 of 1994
Triple J Hottest 100, 1994
The 1994 Triple J Hottest 100, counted down in January 1995, was a countdown of the most popular songs of the year, according to listeners of the Australian radio station Triple J. A CD featuring 32 of the songs was released...
. Her debut album A Million Year Girl was released in 1995, which achieved platinum accreditation and reached No. 9 in the ARIA Albums Chart
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
. At the ARIA Music Awards of 1995
ARIA Music Awards of 1995
The Ninth Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards was held on 20 October 1995 at the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre. There had been a 19-month gap since the previous award ceremony which was moved to be "closer to the business end of the music industry's year"...
Sharam was nominated in eight categories – although she only won 'Best Cover Artwork' for the album by Dominic O'Brien. It provided two more Top 40 singles, "Be Firm" (No. 25 in June) and "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)
Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)
"Lay Down " was the second single from Melanie's 1970 album Candles in the Rain. The song proved to be her breakthrough hit in the United States, climbing to #6 on the U.S. Billboard charts and #3 on the U.S...
" (a cover of Melanie Safka
Melanie Safka
Melanie Anne Safka-Schekeryk is an American singer-songwriter. Known professionally as simply Melanie, she is best known for her hits "Brand New Key", "Ruby Tuesday" and "Lay Down ".-Early career:...
's song, which reached No. 36 in November). Her fourth single, "Is It OK if I Call You Mine?" was released in February 1996, but did not chart. After several subsequent sell-out national tours, Sharam disappeared from the Australian mainstream music scene.
Sharam appeared in Channel 9
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
's TV documentary Dream Factory, shot in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. In 2000 she wrote and staged her first one woman show, MadmoselleMax for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival
Melbourne International Comedy Festival
The Melbourne International Comedy Festival is the third-largest international comedy festival in the world and the largest cultural event in Australia. Established in 1987, it takes place annually in Melbourne over four weeks in April typically opening on or around April Fool's Day...
. In January 2005, she performed "Butterfly Suicide" at the Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
Fringe Festival
Fringe theatre
Fringe theatre is theatre that is not of the mainstream. The term comes from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, which name comes from Robert Kemp, who described the unofficial companies performing at the same time as the second Edinburgh International Festival as a ‘fringe’, writing: ‘Round the fringe...
. The one-woman P'Opera (a 'Virtual Variety/Multi Media Musical') featured the misadventures of 'ill Soprano', a highly-strung opera diva who takes to the streets at night singing.
Sharam performed and produced the music for 2006 AFI award winning documentary Forbidden Lie$
Forbidden Lie$
Forbidden Lie$ is an Australian documentary released in September 2007. It was directed by Anna Broinowski.-Synopsis:Forbidden Lie$ tells the story of Norma Khouri, author of the book Forbidden Love, purportedly the true story of "Dalia", a young Muslim woman in Jordan murdered by her family in an...
'.
In February 2009 she returned to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival with her show, Songs and Stories from Her Suitcase.
Studio albums
- I'm Occupied - CAM (1985)
- A Million Year GirlA Million Year Girl-Charts:-Personnel:* Tony Allayialis – vocals* Wendy Berge – viola* Aud Bill – double bass* Tim Brewer – piano* Amanda Brown – mandolin, violin* Lucie Miller – celli viola* Ian Cooper – violin...
- Warner (1995) AUSARIA ChartsThe ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
No. 9 (Platinum)