Wendy Matthews
Encyclopedia
Wendy Joan Matthews is an Australian adult alternative pop singer originally from Canada who has been a member of Models
and Absent Friends
and is a solo artist. She released Top 20 hit singles in the 1990s including "Token Angels", "Let's Kiss (Like Angels Do)", "The Day You Went Away" and "Friday's Child" with Top 20 albums, You've Always Got the Blues (duet album with Kate Ceberano
), Émigré
, Lily
, The Witness Tree
and her compilation, Stepping Stones
. She has won six Australian Recording Industry Association
(ARIA) Awards
. According to rock music historian, Ian McFarlane she provides "extraordinary, crystal-clear vocals [...] a soulfulness that was the mark of a truly gifted singer".
Matthews appeared on three series of It Takes Two—an Australian TV celebrity singing competition—partnered with Richard Champion
(2006), Russell Gilbert
(2007) and John Mangos
(2008). On 27 October 2010, Models were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame
by Matthews.
, Canada, with Abenaki (First Nations
tribe), Spanish and Scottish ancestry. Peter and Joan Matthews already had a son, Gary born a year earlier and another son, Glenn followed a year after Matthews. She listened and sang along to Joni Mitchell, Linda Ronstadt and Barbara Striesand records. Her parents separated when she was 14, Peter became a Vancouver
advertising executive and Joan took up yoga instructing near Quebec
. At the age of 15 Matthews joined friends in the Little Benny Blues Band (named after Little Benny Park where they hung out). She left school at 16 and went busking
across North America including south to Mexico with friends. By 1978, she was in Los Angeles where she busked, made jewellery and worked as a session singer. In February 1981, Matthews sang lead vocal for "Willow Pattern" on Osamu Kitajima
's album Dragon King (1982). She met Japanese musician, Hiroshi Sato, and travelled to Japan to record lead vocals for his fourth album, Awakening, which was released in June on Alfa Records
.
Back in Los Angeles, Australian singer Glenn Shorrock
(ex-Little River Band
) asked her to provide backing vocals on his solo album Villain of the Peace (1982) and to join him on his subsequent six week tour of Australia in 1983. Matthews decided to stay in Sydney at the tour's completion and found herself in demand as a session vocalist and singing jingles. She sang on albums by Jimmy Barnes
, Richard Clapton
, Tim Finn
and Icehouse
. After singing backing vocals on Models'
1985 album Out of Mind, Out of Sight
, she became a regular vocalist for the band. Matthews and Models' guitarist and vocalist, Sean Kelly
, had an 11-year personal relationship. Other backing singers for Models included Kate Ceberano
and Zan Abeyratne
, both members of I'm Talking
– the two bands often toured together. In 1986, Matthews joined Peter Blakeley and The Resurrection
, with Blakeley (ex-Rockmelons
) on lead vocals, Chris Abrahams
on bass guitar and piano (ex-The Benders), Jim Benjamin on drums and Mark Punch on guitar (Renée Geyer Band
). Her second album with Models, Models' Media
appeared in December which reached the top 30.
In 1985, Matthews recorded vocals for the soundtrack of Australian Broadcasting Corporation
(ABC) TV series Dancing Daze (1986) with musical production by Martin Armiger
. Her tracks were, "Dancing Daze" (duet with Jenny Morris), "Dare to Be Bold", "Might Have Been" (trio with Morris and Mark Williams
) and "Lost in a Dancing Daze". First three of her tracks were released as singles but neither they nor the related album, Dancing Daze – Rock reached the top 50. ABC-TV and Armiger asked Matthews to sing with Ceberano on the soundtrack to the series Stringer in 1987. The soundtrack You've Always Got the Blues was released as a duet album by Ceberano and Matthews in April 1988 and reached No. 4 on the Australian Kent Music Report
Albums Chart.
Matthews was a member of Noel's Cowards, a short term project, including ex-Split Enz
members Noel Crombie
on drums, Nigel Griggs
on bass guitar and Phil Judd
on guitar. Noel's Cowards, with Matthews on lead vocals, provided six tracks for the Australian movie Rikky and Pete
(1988). She was lead vocalist on the single "Jump" released in October from Rockmelons' debut album Tales of the City
. Tales of the City peaked at No. 14 on the ARIA Albums Chart
. At the ARIA Music Awards of 1989
, Rockmelons won 'Breakthrough Artist – Album' and Stringer won 'Best Original Soundtrack / Cast / Show Recording'.
Matthews joined the Australian supergroup, Absent Friends
, in 1989 with Kelly and James Valentine
of Models, Garry Gary Beers of INXS
, Roger Mason
and Mick King. She sang lead vocals on "I Don't Wanna Be with Nobody but You" which reached No. 4 on the ARIA Singles Chart; the related album, Here's Looking Up Your Address
peaked at No.7. The band toured Australia and then supported INXS on a European tour. During this period, Matthews continued her session work, singing on the Cher
album Heart of Stone in 1989 and on Blakeley's solo album Harry's Cafe de Wheels in 1990. Absent Friends disbanded and Matthews pursued her solo career.
with the assistance of Absent Friends members, Beers, Kelly, King, Mason, Valentine and Andrew Duffield as well as Tim Finn and Blakeley. It was produced by Ricky Fataar
and released on the RooArt
label owned by INXS manager, Chris Murphy; Émigré became a hit, being certified platinum. She won the Australian Rolling Stone
magazine award for best female vocalist in 1990 for her debut album and her work with Absent Friends.
At the ARIA Music Awards of 1991
, "I Don't Wanna Be with Nobody but You" won 'Single of the Year' for Absent Friends; while Matthews won two ARIA Awards for 'Best Female Artist' and 'Breakthrough Artist – Single' for "Token Angels", which hit No. 18. Subsequent hits from the album were "Woman's Gotta Have It" (No. 34) and "Let's Kiss (Like Angels Do)" (No. 14). Her touring band included Paul Abrahams
on bass guitar, Amanda Brown
on oboe and violin (ex-The Go-Betweens
), Robbie James on guitar (GANGgajang
), King on guitar (Absent Friends), Lisa Maxwell on backing vocals, Mark Meyer on drums (Moving Pictures
), Mark O'Connor on keyboards and Valentine on saxophone. On 31 May, she performed at Dallas Brooks Hall, Melbourne which was released as the live album The Way It Has to Be in October. She also supported the Neville Brothers on their Australian tour.
In February–March 1992 Matthews recorded her second solo studio album Lily
in Los Angeles with T-Bone Burnett
producing, it was released on 28 September while she was on tour supporting Simply Red
. Her album peaked at No. 2 and achieved double-platinum in Australia selling over 140,000 copies. The lead single "The Day You Went Away" hit No. 2 while the album spawned two further hits in "Friday's Child" (No. 15) and "If Only I Could" (No. 41). At the ARIA Music Awards of 1992
, Matthews was nominated for 'Best Female Artist' for her single, "Let's Kiss (Like the Angels)" . The Canadian CD release of Lily included a French language version of "The Day You Went Away". Matthews toured internationally in 1993 including gigs in London, Montreal and New York. She won 'Best Female Artist' for Lily and both 'Best Single' and 'Highest Selling Single' for "The Day You Went Away" at the ARIA Music Awards of 1993
. Matthews had a film role as a nightclub singer in Flynn (1993) which starred Guy Pearce
as Australian-born actor Errol Flynn
.
Matthews released her next album The Witness Tree
on 14 November 1994, featuring the Top 40 hit "Standing Strong". The album went platinum selling 100,000 copies and she won her third ARIA award for 'Best Female Artist' in 1994
for "Friday's Child". In 1995, Matthews became an Australian citizen. "Standing Strong" won 'Most Performed Australian Work' at the APRA Awards
of 1995. She returned to Canada for a visit before the release of her next album Ghosts in 1997. The single "Beloved" from the album peaked at No. 49 on the Australian charts. In 1999, Matthews released Stepping Stones
, a greatest hits package which hit No. 4, earning her another platinum certification. According to rock music historian, Ian McFarlane in his Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop
, Matthews provides "extraordinary, crystal-clear vocals [...] a soulfulness that was the mark of a truly gifted singer".
alongside Angry Anderson
, Jimmy Barnes, Debra Byrne
, Marie Wilson, Fiona Horne
, Belinda Emmett
, Paul Mercurio
and Terence Trent D'Arby. In February, with rehearsals commencing, Matthews released her cover of "Day by Day
" but financial difficulties prevented the musical from being staged. She contributed "Pure Inspiration" to Olympic Record – an album for the Sydney Olympics by various Australian artists.
In 2001, Matthews relocated from Sydney to a property near Coffs Harbour on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales. Her solo album, Beautiful View
, was released on 17 July and made the Top 40. Produced by Michael Szumowski, it was her first with BMG
records, and included three singles, "Free", "Beautiful View" and "Like the Sun" which did not reach the top 50. A limited edition of Beautiful View included a bonus six-track disc.
In 2003, Matthews sang a duet with Rod Stewart
on the track "My Heart Stood Still
" on the Australian release of his album As Time Goes By: The Great American Songbook, Volume II. She released her own covers album, Café Naturale
in May 2004. Matthews explained why she recorded it acoustically, "To keep creative you have to break down your own personal barriers. With this record that meant moving away from pop and crafting something instrument-driven, something that feels like me playing live". The album includes acoustic versions of U2
's "One" from the Achtung Baby
and Massive Attack's
"Protection
" from the album of the same name. The first single "All I Need" is a version of the Air song from the Moon Safari
album. Matthews' album debuted in the top 50 of the ARIA charts.
Matthews embarked on the national Fallen Angels Tour during May–June 2008 and then co-headlined with Ian Moss
in October–November. On 8 November, Matthews released the album She on her own independent record label, Barking Bear. The album is a personal collection of favourite songs by women who have inspired her, Bonnie Raitt
, Aretha Franklin
, Emmylou Harris
, Chrissie Hynde
, Joni Mitchell
, Buffy Sainte-Marie
, Lucinda Williams
and Jane Siberry. In June 2010, she combined with country musician, Adam Harvey
for the Both Sides Tour. In October 2010, Matthews performed at the Opening Ceremony of the Alice Springs Masters Games. On 27 October, her former band, Models were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame
by Matthews. The line-up of Duffield, Ferrie, Kelly, Mason, Price and Valentine performed "I Hear Motion" and "Evolution". Matthews recalled meeting the group for the first time at a recording session – she was due to provide backing vocals but they were busy playing indoor cricket in the studio.
's celebrity singing competition It Takes Two. The first series premiered on 28 May 2006, she was partnered by former Australian Rules football
er, Richard Champion
, they were voted off in week six. On 1 May 2007, ahead of the second series, Matthews, David Hobson and Troy Cassar-Daley
sang "Got to Get You into My Life
" on celebrity dancing competition Dancing with the Stars
grand final, which was won by Ceberano and her professional dance partner John Paul Collins. It Takes Two second series premiered on 8 May, where Matthews was paired with comedian Russell Gilbert
, they were voted off in week four of the competition. The third series commenced on 12 February 2008 with John Mangos
, news reader for Sky News Australia
, and Matthews being voted off in week two. Matthews appeared on the TV show RocKwiz
on 1 November 2008, she performed Toto's "Hold the Line
" as a duet with Johnny Galvatron from The Galvatrons
.
are presented annually from 1982 by the Australasian Performing Right Association
(APRA).
|-
| 1995 || "Standing Strong" – (Wendy Matthews, Glenn Skinner) || Most Performed Australian Work ||
|-
are presented annually from 1987 by the Australian Recording Industry Association
(ARIA). Matthews has won six awards from thirteen nominations as a solo artist.
|-
|rowspan="2"| 1991
|| Wendy Matthews || Best Female Artist ||
|-
|| "Token Angels" || Breakthrough Artist - Single ||
|-
| 1992
|| "Let's Kiss (Like the Angels)" || Best Female Artist ||
|-
|rowspan="4"| 1993
||rowspan="2"| Lily
|| Album of the Year ||
|-
|| Best Female ||
|-
|rowspan="2"| "The Day You Went Away" || Single of the Year ||
|-
|| Highest Selling Single ||
|-
|| 1994
|| "Friday's Child" || Best Female Artist ||
|-
|| 1995
|| The Witness Tree
|| Best Adult Contemporary Album ||
|-
|| 1997
|| "Then I Walked Away" || Best Female Artist ||
|-
|rowspan="2"| 1998
|| Ghosts || Best Adult Contemporary Album ||
|-
| Ghost except "Halcyon Days" – Tony Espie || Engineer of the Year ||
|-
|| 2001
|| Beautiful View
|| Best Adult Contemporary Album ||
Matthews has also won awards as a member of groups (Absent Friends
, Rockmelons
) and projects (Stringers soundtrack album, You've Always Got the Blues – Songs from the ABC TV Series "Stringer").
|-
|rowspan="2"| 1989
|| Tales of the City
|| Breakthrough Artist – Album ||
|-
| Stringer – various artists (Kate Ceberano
, Matthews, Martin Armiger
, Joy Smithers
) || Best Original Soundtrack / Cast / Show Recording ||
|-
| 1991
|| "(I Don't Want to Be With) Nobody but You" – Absent Friends
|| Single of the Year ||
Models (band)
Models were an alternative rock group formed in Melbourne, Australia, in August 1978 and went into hiatus in 1988. They are often incorrectly referred to as The Models. They re-formed in 2000, 2006 and 2008 to perform reunion concerts. "Out of Mind, Out of Sight", their only No. 1 hit,...
and Absent Friends
Absent Friends (band)
Absent Friends were an ARIA Award winning band from Sydney, Australia. The band was relatively short lived, forming in 1989 and disbanding in 1990...
and is a solo artist. She released Top 20 hit singles in the 1990s including "Token Angels", "Let's Kiss (Like Angels Do)", "The Day You Went Away" and "Friday's Child" with Top 20 albums, You've Always Got the Blues (duet album with Kate Ceberano
Kate Ceberano
Kate Ceberano is an Australian singer. She achieved success in the soul, jazz and pop genres as well as in her brief forays into musicals with Jesus Christ Superstar and film...
), Émigré
Émigré (album)
Émigré is the debut solo studio album by Australian singer-songwriter Wendy Matthews released by rooArt in Australia in November 1990. It was produced by Ricky Fataar and reached No. 11 on the Australian Albums Chart. It yielded three singles: "Token Angels", "Woman's Gotta Have It" and "Let's...
, Lily
Lily (album)
Lily is the second solo studio album by Australian singer-songwriter Wendy Matthews released by rooArt in Australia on 28 September 1992 . Matthews travelled to Canada with her mother for the album to discover their heritage, which influences the album. Matthews states the album "overall, has...
, The Witness Tree
The Witness Tree
The Witness Tree is the third solo studio album by Australian singer Wendy Matthews released in Australia by rooArt on 14 November 1994. It is a non-traditional gospel album, Matthews stating "the spirit of gospel is so uplifting, I have a lot of faith, but for me it's more nature and the...
and her compilation, Stepping Stones
Stepping Stones (album)
Stepping Stones is a Greatest Hits package released by Australian artist Wendy Matthews in 1999. The album features all of Matthews singles since 1989...
. She has won six Australian Recording Industry Association
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
(ARIA) Awards
ARIA Music Awards
The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Australian Recording Industry Association...
. According to rock music historian, Ian McFarlane she provides "extraordinary, crystal-clear vocals [...] a soulfulness that was the mark of a truly gifted singer".
Matthews appeared on three series of It Takes Two—an Australian TV celebrity singing competition—partnered with Richard Champion
Richard Champion
Richard Champion was a former Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League....
(2006), Russell Gilbert
Russell Gilbert
Russell Gilbert , is an Australian comedian and actor from Footscray, Victoria.-Television:He has appeared in several Australian TV comedies, first attracting notice as 'Russ the Postie' on The Comedy Company , which led to a nine year stint on Hey Hey It's Saturday...
(2007) and John Mangos
John Mangos
John is an Australian news presenter.He is also a host on talk back radio station 2UE and a regular on Sunrise on the Seven Network. He has also made cameo appearances on the Australian comedy programs Pizza and Swift and Shift Couriers....
(2008). On 27 October 2010, Models were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame
ARIA Hall of Fame
Since 1988 the Australian Recording Industry Association has inducted artists into its ARIA Hall of Fame. While most have been recognised at the annual ARIA Music Awards, in 2005 ARIA sought to create a separate standalone "ARIA Icons: Hall of Fame" event as only one or two acts could be inducted...
by Matthews.
Early years
Wendy Joan Matthews was born in 1960 in MontrealMontreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Canada, with Abenaki (First Nations
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
tribe), Spanish and Scottish ancestry. Peter and Joan Matthews already had a son, Gary born a year earlier and another son, Glenn followed a year after Matthews. She listened and sang along to Joni Mitchell, Linda Ronstadt and Barbara Striesand records. Her parents separated when she was 14, Peter became a Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
advertising executive and Joan took up yoga instructing near Quebec
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
. At the age of 15 Matthews joined friends in the Little Benny Blues Band (named after Little Benny Park where they hung out). She left school at 16 and went busking
Busking
Street performance or busking is the practice of performing in public places, for gratuities, which are generally in the form of money and edibles...
across North America including south to Mexico with friends. By 1978, she was in Los Angeles where she busked, made jewellery and worked as a session singer. In February 1981, Matthews sang lead vocal for "Willow Pattern" on Osamu Kitajima
Justin Heathcliff
Dr. Osamu Kitajima, also known by the pseudonym Justin Heathcliff, is a Japanese musician, producer, composer and multi‑instrumentalist.-History:...
's album Dragon King (1982). She met Japanese musician, Hiroshi Sato, and travelled to Japan to record lead vocals for his fourth album, Awakening, which was released in June on Alfa Records
Alfa Records
, originally Alfa Music, was established in 1969 by composer and record producer Kunihiko Murai. It was formed into an independent record label known as Alfa Records in 1977.- History :The company faced much hardship in the 1990s...
.
Back in Los Angeles, Australian singer Glenn Shorrock
Glenn Shorrock
Glenn Barrie Shorrock is an English-born Australian singer-songwriter. He was a founding member of pop groups The Twilights, Axiom and Little River Band as well as being a solo performer....
(ex-Little River Band
Little River Band
Little River Band is an Australian rock band, formed in Melbourne in early 1975.The group chose the name after passing a road sign leading to the Victorian township of Little River, near Geelong, on the way to a performance. Little River Band enjoyed sustained commercial success in not only...
) asked her to provide backing vocals on his solo album Villain of the Peace (1982) and to join him on his subsequent six week tour of Australia in 1983. Matthews decided to stay in Sydney at the tour's completion and found herself in demand as a session vocalist and singing jingles. She sang on albums by Jimmy Barnes
Jimmy Barnes
James Dixon Swan , better known as Jimmy Barnes, is a Scottish-born Australian rock singer-songwriter. His father Jim Swan was a prizefighter and his older brother John Swan is also a rock singer. It was actually John who had encouraged and taught Jim how to sing as he wasn't really interested at...
, Richard Clapton
Richard Clapton
Richard Clapton is an Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist from Sydney, New South Wales. His solo top 20 hits on the Kent Music Report Singles Chart are "Girls on the Avenue" and "I Am an Island"...
, Tim Finn
Tim Finn
Brian Timothy "Tim" Finn, OBE is a New Zealand singer and musician. Finn is most known for his music with New Zealand 1970s and 1980s rock group Split Enz, and later for his solo work, a temporary membership in his brother Neil's band Crowded House and his joint efforts with Neil Finn as the Finn...
and Icehouse
Icehouse (band)
Icehouse is an Australian rock band, formed as Flowers in 1977 in Sydney. Initially known in Australia for their pub rock style, they later achieved mainstream success playing new wave and synthpop style music and attained Top Ten singles chart success in both Europe and the U.S...
. After singing backing vocals on Models'
Models (band)
Models were an alternative rock group formed in Melbourne, Australia, in August 1978 and went into hiatus in 1988. They are often incorrectly referred to as The Models. They re-formed in 2000, 2006 and 2008 to perform reunion concerts. "Out of Mind, Out of Sight", their only No. 1 hit,...
1985 album Out of Mind, Out of Sight
Out of Mind, Out of Sight (album)
Out of Mind, Out of Sight is the fourth studio album by Australian New Wave rock band Models, it was their most successful album and peaked at #3 on the Australian albums chart...
, she became a regular vocalist for the band. Matthews and Models' guitarist and vocalist, Sean Kelly
Sean Kelly (Australian musician)
Sean Patrick Kelly Born 9 November 1958, is an Australian singer, guitarist and song writer best known as a founding member of the bands Models, Absent Friends and The Dukes.-Biography:...
, had an 11-year personal relationship. Other backing singers for Models included Kate Ceberano
Kate Ceberano
Kate Ceberano is an Australian singer. She achieved success in the soul, jazz and pop genres as well as in her brief forays into musicals with Jesus Christ Superstar and film...
and Zan Abeyratne
Zan Abeyratne
Suzanne "Zan" Abeyratne or simply Zan is an Australian-raised singer born in London. Known for her beautifully soulful voice, Zan came to prominence as one of the female lead vocalists of the 1980s Australian band, I'm Talking, which included the equally powerful vocal skills of Kate Ceberano.Along...
, both members of I'm Talking
I'm Talking
I'm Talking was a 1980s Australian funk-pop rock band, which featured vocalists Kate Ceberano and Zan Abeyratne. They formed in 1983 in Melbourne and provided top ten hit singles "Trust Me", "Do You Wanna Be?" and "Holy Word" and a top fifteen album, Bear Witness, before disbanding in...
– the two bands often toured together. In 1986, Matthews joined Peter Blakeley and The Resurrection
Peter Blakeley
Peter Blakeley is an Australian White Soul/Adult Contemporary singer and songwriter.Blakeley was a lead singer for The Rockmelons in the mid-1980s. He launched a solo career in 1987 and had a massive hit single in Australia in 1990 with "Crying in the Chapel", which was not a remake of the 1950s...
, with Blakeley (ex-Rockmelons
Rockmelons
Rockmelons, often referred to as the Rockies, are an Australian Pop/Dance/R&B group formed in 1983 in Sydney. They are based around Bryon Jones, his brother Jonathon Jones and Raymond Medhurst. They had two Top Five hit singles in the early 1990s with "Ain't No Sunshine" and "That Word ", both sung...
) on lead vocals, Chris Abrahams
Chris Abrahams
Chris Abrahams is a Sydney-based pianist, best known for his jazz work.Abrahams has been a member of the Benders, the Laughing Clowns, The Sparklers and The Necks. He has recorded several solo albums, as well as collaborations with Melanie Oxley from the Sparklers...
on bass guitar and piano (ex-The Benders), Jim Benjamin on drums and Mark Punch on guitar (Renée Geyer Band
Renée Geyer
Renée Rebecca Geyer is an Australian singer who has long been regarded as one of the finest exponents of jazz, soul and R&B idioms. She had commercial success as a solo artist in Australia, with "It's a Man's Man's World", "Heading in the Right Direction" and "Stares and Whispers" in the 1970s and...
). Her second album with Models, Models' Media
Models' Media
Models' Media is the fifth and final studio album by Australian rock band Models.-Track listing:All songs written by J. Freud except where noted, according to Australasian Performing Rights Association .# "Evolution" - 4:02...
appeared in December which reached the top 30.
In 1985, Matthews recorded vocals for the soundtrack of Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
(ABC) TV series Dancing Daze (1986) with musical production by Martin Armiger
Martin Armiger
John Martin Armiger is an Australian musician, record producer and film/TV composer. He was singer-songwriter and guitarist with Melbourne-based rock band, The Sports during 1978–1981, which had Top 30 hits on the Kent Music Report Singles Chart with, "Don't Throw Stones" , "Strangers on a...
. Her tracks were, "Dancing Daze" (duet with Jenny Morris), "Dare to Be Bold", "Might Have Been" (trio with Morris and Mark Williams
Mark Williams (singer)
Mark Williams is a New Zealand-born pop/soul singer with Recording Industry Association of New Zealand number one hit singles, "Yesterday Was Just the Beginning of My Life" and a cover of Buddy Holly's "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" before he relocated to Australia later that year. His single,...
) and "Lost in a Dancing Daze". First three of her tracks were released as singles but neither they nor the related album, Dancing Daze – Rock reached the top 50. ABC-TV and Armiger asked Matthews to sing with Ceberano on the soundtrack to the series Stringer in 1987. The soundtrack You've Always Got the Blues was released as a duet album by Ceberano and Matthews in April 1988 and reached No. 4 on the Australian Kent Music Report
Kent Music Report
The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent from May 1974 through to 1998...
Albums Chart.
Matthews was a member of Noel's Cowards, a short term project, including ex-Split Enz
Split Enz
Split Enz were a New Zealand band of the 1970s and early 1980s featuring Phil Judd and brothers Tim Finn and Neil Finn. They achieved chart success in New Zealand, Australia, and Canada during the early 1980s ‒ most notably with the single "I Got You", and built a cult following elsewhere...
members Noel Crombie
Noel Crombie
Noel Crombie is a New Zealand singer and former member of the band Split Enz. He fulfilled multiple roles including costume and hair designer, percussionist, album cover designer, and music video director...
on drums, Nigel Griggs
Nigel Griggs
Nigel Griggs is a musician who played bass guitar in Split Enz. He is the brother of Paul Griggs from the 1970s vocal group Guys 'n' Dolls...
on bass guitar and Phil Judd
Phil Judd
Philip Judd is a New Zealand singer-songwriter known for being one of the founders of the bands Split Enz and The Swingers.-Split Enz:...
on guitar. Noel's Cowards, with Matthews on lead vocals, provided six tracks for the Australian movie Rikky and Pete
Rikky and Pete
Rikky and Pete is a 1988 Australian film directed by Nadia Tass and written by David Parker starring Stephen Kearney and Nina Landis.Rikky Menzies and Pete Menzies are sister and brother. Rikky is an out-of-work geologist, and aspiring singer . Pete is a misfit who dreams up weird inventions...
(1988). She was lead vocalist on the single "Jump" released in October from Rockmelons' debut album Tales of the City
Tales of the City (album)
Tales of the City is the debut studio album by Australian rock band Rockmelons. It was released in May 1988 on True Tone Records and peaked at number six on the Australian album charts...
. Tales of the City peaked at No. 14 on 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 1989
ARIA Music Awards of 1989
The Third Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards was held on 6 March 1989 at the Darling Harbour Convention Centre in Sydney. First Australian host Greedy Smith of Mental As Anything was assisted by presenters George Martin and Jono & Dano to distribute 24 awards...
, Rockmelons won 'Breakthrough Artist – Album' and Stringer won 'Best Original Soundtrack / Cast / Show Recording'.
Matthews joined the Australian supergroup, Absent Friends
Absent Friends (band)
Absent Friends were an ARIA Award winning band from Sydney, Australia. The band was relatively short lived, forming in 1989 and disbanding in 1990...
, in 1989 with Kelly and James Valentine
James Valentine (Australian musician)
James Valentine is an Australian journalist, musician, and radio and television presenter.As a musician, Valentine has worked with Australian artists such as Kate Ceberano and Joe Camilleri. In 1984 he joined the band Models and played with them until they broke up in 1988...
of Models, Garry Gary Beers of INXS
INXS
INXS are an Australian rock band, formed as The Farriss Brothers in 1977 in Sydney, New South Wales. Mainstays are Garry Gary Beers on bass guitar, Andrew Farriss on guitar/keyboards, Jon Farriss on drums, Tim Farriss on lead guitar and Kirk Pengilly on guitar/sax...
, Roger Mason
Roger Mason (musician)
Roger Ashley Mason is an Australian keyboardist who has been a member of New Wave groups Models, Absent Friends and Icehouse. He was a session and backing musician for United Kingdom's Gary Numan and for various Australian artists...
and Mick King. She sang lead vocals on "I Don't Wanna Be with Nobody but You" which reached No. 4 on the ARIA Singles Chart; the related album, Here's Looking Up Your Address
Here's Looking Up Your Address
Here's Looking Up Your Address is the debut studio album by Australian rock band Absent Friends and was released in April, 1990 on the RooART label. It was re-released by RooART in October, 2005.-Track listing:...
peaked at No.7. The band toured Australia and then supported INXS on a European tour. During this period, Matthews continued her session work, singing on the Cher
Cher
Cher is an American recording artist, television personality, actress, director, record producer and philanthropist. Referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes and a Cannes Film Festival Award among others for her work in...
album Heart of Stone in 1989 and on Blakeley's solo album Harry's Cafe de Wheels in 1990. Absent Friends disbanded and Matthews pursued her solo career.
Solo career 1990s
In 1990, Matthews recorded her debut solo album ÉmigréÉmigré (album)
Émigré is the debut solo studio album by Australian singer-songwriter Wendy Matthews released by rooArt in Australia in November 1990. It was produced by Ricky Fataar and reached No. 11 on the Australian Albums Chart. It yielded three singles: "Token Angels", "Woman's Gotta Have It" and "Let's...
with the assistance of Absent Friends members, Beers, Kelly, King, Mason, Valentine and Andrew Duffield as well as Tim Finn and Blakeley. It was produced by Ricky Fataar
Ricky Fataar
Ricky Fataar is a South African multi-instrumentalist of Malay descent, who has performed as both a drummer, and a guitarist. He gained fame as an actor in the comedic television movie, The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash, a spoof on the actual history of The Beatles, and for his performance as a...
and released on the RooArt
RooArt
rooArt was an Australian independent record label, founded in 1988 by INXS's then-manager, Chris Murphy. The label's roster included several well-known Australian bands and artists such as Crow, Ratcat, Screaming Jets, You Am I, Wendy Matthews, The Hummingbirds, The Trilobites and Amanda Brown...
label owned by INXS manager, Chris Murphy; Émigré became a hit, being certified platinum. She won the Australian Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone Australia
Rolling Stone Australia is an Australian-based magazine devoted to music, politics, and popular culture that is published monthly, it is the Australian edition of the United States' Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone was initially released in Melbourne in May 1970 as a supplement in Revolution, an...
magazine award for best female vocalist in 1990 for her debut album and her work with Absent Friends.
At the ARIA Music Awards of 1991
ARIA Music Awards of 1991
The Fifth Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards was held on 25 March 1991 at the Darling Harbour Convention Centre in Sydney. International host Bob Geldof was assisted by presenters to distribute 24 awards...
, "I Don't Wanna Be with Nobody but You" won 'Single of the Year' for Absent Friends; while Matthews won two ARIA Awards for 'Best Female Artist' and 'Breakthrough Artist – Single' for "Token Angels", which hit No. 18. Subsequent hits from the album were "Woman's Gotta Have It" (No. 34) and "Let's Kiss (Like Angels Do)" (No. 14). Her touring band included Paul Abrahams
Paul Abrahams (musician)
Paul Abrahams is an Australian musician and bass player for The Reels-Biography:Abrahams joined The Reels in 1978 and recorded 2 Albums and 1 EP between 1979-1981...
on bass guitar, Amanda Brown
Amanda Brown (musician)
Amanda Gabrielle Brown is an Australian composer, classically trained musician, singer and songwriter, renowned for her role as the violinist of the band The Go-Betweens and more recently a session musician and soundtrack composer....
on oboe and violin (ex-The Go-Betweens
The Go-Betweens
The Go-Betweens were an indie rock band formed in Brisbane, Australia in 1977 by singer-songwriters and guitarists, Robert Forster and Grant McLennan. They were later joined by Lindy Morrison on drums, Robert Vickers on bass guitar and Amanda Brown on violin, oboe, guitar, and backing vocals,...
), Robbie James on guitar (GANGgajang
GANGgajang
Gang Gajang are an Australian rock band who formed in 1984. The three principal figures in the original lineup were former Riptides frontman Mark "Cal" Callaghan and two former members of popular Australian hard rock band The Angels, bassist Chris Bailey and drummer Graham "Buzz"...
), King on guitar (Absent Friends), Lisa Maxwell on backing vocals, Mark Meyer on drums (Moving Pictures
Moving Pictures (band)
Moving Pictures was a rock music band formed in Sydney, Australia in 1980. They are best known for their hit single, "What About Me" and multi-platinum album Days of Innocence, both of which topped the charts in Australia.-Biography:...
), Mark O'Connor on keyboards and Valentine on saxophone. On 31 May, she performed at Dallas Brooks Hall, Melbourne which was released as the live album The Way It Has to Be in October. She also supported the Neville Brothers on their Australian tour.
In February–March 1992 Matthews recorded her second solo studio album Lily
Lily (album)
Lily is the second solo studio album by Australian singer-songwriter Wendy Matthews released by rooArt in Australia on 28 September 1992 . Matthews travelled to Canada with her mother for the album to discover their heritage, which influences the album. Matthews states the album "overall, has...
in Los Angeles with T-Bone Burnett
T-Bone Burnett
Joseph Henry Burnett , widely known as T-Bone Burnett, is an American musician, songwriter, and soundtrack and record producer.He was a guitarist in Bob Dylan's band on the Rolling Thunder Revue...
producing, it was released on 28 September while she was on tour supporting Simply Red
Simply Red
Simply Red were a British soul band that sold more than 50 million albums over a 25-year career. Their style drew influences from blue-eyed soul, new romantic, rock, reggae and jazz...
. Her album peaked at No. 2 and achieved double-platinum in Australia selling over 140,000 copies. The lead single "The Day You Went Away" hit No. 2 while the album spawned two further hits in "Friday's Child" (No. 15) and "If Only I Could" (No. 41). At the ARIA Music Awards of 1992
ARIA Music Awards of 1992
The Sixth Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards was held on 6 March 1992 at the World Congress Centre in Melbourne. Hosts were international guest, Julian Lennon and local Richard Wilkins, they were assisted by presenters, Spinal Tap, Rod Stewart and Mick Jones to distribute 24...
, Matthews was nominated for 'Best Female Artist' for her single, "Let's Kiss (Like the Angels)" . The Canadian CD release of Lily included a French language version of "The Day You Went Away". Matthews toured internationally in 1993 including gigs in London, Montreal and New York. She won 'Best Female Artist' for Lily and both 'Best Single' and 'Highest Selling Single' for "The Day You Went Away" at the ARIA Music Awards of 1993
ARIA Music Awards of 1993
The Seventh Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards was held on 14 April 1993 at the Entertainment Centre in Sydney. Host, Richard Wilkins, was assisted by presenters, James Reyne, Elle Macpherson, Billy Birmingham, Tim Finn, Neil Finn and Daryl Somers to distribute 24 awards...
. Matthews had a film role as a nightclub singer in Flynn (1993) which starred Guy Pearce
Guy Pearce
Guy Edward Pearce is an English-born Australian actor and musician, known for his roles as Leonard Shelby in Christopher Nolan's Memento, Lieutenant Ed Exley in L.A...
as Australian-born actor Errol Flynn
Errol Flynn
Errol Leslie Flynn was an Australian-born actor. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles in Hollywood films, being a legend and his flamboyant lifestyle.-Early life:...
.
Matthews released her next album The Witness Tree
The Witness Tree
The Witness Tree is the third solo studio album by Australian singer Wendy Matthews released in Australia by rooArt on 14 November 1994. It is a non-traditional gospel album, Matthews stating "the spirit of gospel is so uplifting, I have a lot of faith, but for me it's more nature and the...
on 14 November 1994, featuring the Top 40 hit "Standing Strong". The album went platinum selling 100,000 copies and she won her third ARIA award for 'Best Female Artist' in 1994
ARIA Music Awards of 1994
The Eighth Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards was held on 30 March 1994 at the State Theatre in Sydney...
for "Friday's Child". In 1995, Matthews became an Australian citizen. "Standing Strong" won 'Most Performed Australian Work' at the APRA Awards
APRA Awards
The APRA Music Awards are several award ceremonies run in Australia and New Zealand by Australasian Performing Right Association to recognise songwriting skills, sales and airplay performance by its members annually....
of 1995. She returned to Canada for a visit before the release of her next album Ghosts in 1997. The single "Beloved" from the album peaked at No. 49 on the Australian charts. In 1999, Matthews released Stepping Stones
Stepping Stones (album)
Stepping Stones is a Greatest Hits package released by Australian artist Wendy Matthews in 1999. The album features all of Matthews singles since 1989...
, a greatest hits package which hit No. 4, earning her another platinum certification. According to rock music historian, Ian McFarlane in his Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop
Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop
The Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop or Rock and Pop by Australian music journalist Ian McFarlane is a guide to Australian popular music from the 1950s to the late 1990s...
, Matthews provides "extraordinary, crystal-clear vocals [...] a soulfulness that was the mark of a truly gifted singer".
2000s
In 2000, Matthews joined the cast of a new Australian musical theatre production of GodspellGodspell
Godspell is a musical by Stephen Schwartz and John-Michael Tebelak. It opened off Broadway on May 17, 1971, and has played in various touring companies and revivals many times since, including a 2011 revival now playing on Broadway...
alongside Angry Anderson
Angry Anderson
Gary Stephen "Angry" Anderson AM is an Australian rock singer, television presenter/reporter, actor and conservative political activist. He is best known as the vocalist with the hard rock band Rose Tattoo since 1976 but he is also recognised for his acting roles and his charity work...
, Jimmy Barnes, Debra Byrne
Debra Byrne
-Career:Byrne made her television debut on Brian and the Juniors, an early predecessor of Young Talent Time, which was hosted by a young Brian Naylor. She stayed with the show for 12 months. In 1971 she was cast as one of the original six Young Talent Time cast members...
, Marie Wilson, Fiona Horne
Fiona Horne
Fiona Horne is an Australian singer, rock musician, radio and television personality, actress and author. She is famous for her public promotion of Witchcraft and as the singer in Australian band Def FX...
, Belinda Emmett
Belinda Emmett
Belinda 'Belle' Jane Emmett was an Australian actress and singer. She was married to television personality Rove McManus and was known for her roles in the TV drama series Home and Away and All Saints.-Early life:...
, Paul Mercurio
Paul Mercurio
Paul Joseph Mercurio is an Australian actor, dancer and TV presenter. Mercurio is well-known for his lead role in Baz Luhrmann's Strictly Ballroom . His father was the character actor Gus Mercurio.- Biography :...
and Terence Trent D'Arby. In February, with rehearsals commencing, Matthews released her cover of "Day by Day
Day by Day (Godspell song)
"Day by Day" is a song from the 1971 Stephen Schwartz and John-Michael Tebelak musical Godspell.Day by Day is the third song in the show’s score and it is also reprised as the closing number for the 1973 film version...
" but financial difficulties prevented the musical from being staged. She contributed "Pure Inspiration" to Olympic Record – an album for the Sydney Olympics by various Australian artists.
In 2001, Matthews relocated from Sydney to a property near Coffs Harbour on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales. Her solo album, Beautiful View
Beautiful View
Beautiful View is the seventh studio album released by Australian singer Wendy Matthews released by BMG in Australia on 7 May 2001. It yielded three singles "Free", "Beautiful View" and "Like the Sun"....
, was released on 17 July and made the Top 40. Produced by Michael Szumowski, it was her first with BMG
BMG
Bertelsmann Music Group, , was a division of Bertelsmann before its completion of sale of the majority of its assets to Japan's Sony Corporation of America on October 1, 2008. It was established in 1987 to combine the music label activities of Bertelsmann...
records, and included three singles, "Free", "Beautiful View" and "Like the Sun" which did not reach the top 50. A limited edition of Beautiful View included a bonus six-track disc.
In 2003, Matthews sang a duet with Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
on the track "My Heart Stood Still
My Heart Stood Still
"My Heart Stood Still" is a 1927 popular song composed by Richard Rodgers, with lyrics by Lorenz Hart for the musical A Connecticut Yankee , where it was introduced by Constance Carpenter and William Gaxton.-Notable recordings:...
" on the Australian release of his album As Time Goes By: The Great American Songbook, Volume II. She released her own covers album, Café Naturale
Café Naturale
-Charts:...
in May 2004. Matthews explained why she recorded it acoustically, "To keep creative you have to break down your own personal barriers. With this record that meant moving away from pop and crafting something instrument-driven, something that feels like me playing live". The album includes acoustic versions of U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
's "One" from the Achtung Baby
Achtung Baby
Achtung Baby is the seventh studio album by Irish rock band U2. It was produced by Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno, and was released on 19 November 1991 on Island Records. Stung by the criticism of their 1988 release Rattle and Hum, U2 shifted their musical direction to incorporate alternative...
and Massive Attack's
Massive Attack
Massive Attack are an English DJ and trip hop duo from Bristol, England consisting of Robert "3D" Del Naja and Grant "Daddy G" Marshall. Working with co-producers, as well as various session musicians and guest vocalists, they make records and tour live. The duo are considered to be of the trip...
"Protection
Protection (album)
-Sound:Protection was featured in the top ten of Rolling Stone magazine's 'Coolest Albums of All Time List,' calling it "great music for when you're driving around a city at 4 am," due to the 'chill out' nature of the album...
" from the album of the same name. The first single "All I Need" is a version of the Air song from the Moon Safari
Moon Safari
Moon Safari is the first full-length studio album by the French band Air, released in 1998.On April 14, 2008 Virgin Records released a reissue of Moon Safari to mark the album's 10-year anniversary...
album. Matthews' album debuted in the top 50 of the ARIA charts.
Matthews embarked on the national Fallen Angels Tour during May–June 2008 and then co-headlined with Ian Moss
Ian Moss
Ian Moss is an Australian rock musician, best known as the guitarist and occasional singer of Cold Chisel. In that group's initial ten year career, Moss recorded eight albums, three of which were No. 1 national hits. His solo career began with a No. 1 album and single and five ARIA Awards...
in October–November. On 8 November, Matthews released the album She on her own independent record label, Barking Bear. The album is a personal collection of favourite songs by women who have inspired her, Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Lynn Raitt is an American blues singer-songwriter and a renowned slide guitar player. During the 1970s, Raitt released a series of acclaimed roots-influenced albums which incorporated elements of blues, rock, folk and country, but she is perhaps best known for her more commercially...
, Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
, Emmylou Harris
Emmylou Harris
Emmylou Harris is an American singer-songwriter and musician. In addition to her work as a solo artist and bandleader, both as an interpreter of other composers' works and as a singer-songwriter, she is a sought-after backing vocalist and duet partner, working with numerous other artists including...
, Chrissie Hynde
Chrissie Hynde
Christine Ellen "Chrissie" Hynde is an US musician best known as the leader of the rock/new wave band the Pretenders. She is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist, and has been the only constant member of the band throughout its history.-Early life and career:Hynde is the daughter of a part-time...
, Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell, CC is a Canadian musician, singer songwriter, and painter. Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in her native Saskatchewan and Western Canada and then busking in the streets and dives of Toronto...
, Buffy Sainte-Marie
Buffy Sainte-Marie
Buffy Sainte-Marie, OC is a Canadian Cree singer-songwriter, musician, composer, visual artist, educator, pacifist, and social activist. Throughout her career in all of these areas, her work has focused on issues of Indigenous peoples of the Americas. Her singing and writing repertoire includes...
, Lucinda Williams
Lucinda Williams
Lucinda Williams is an American rock, folk, blues and country music singer and songwriter. She recorded her first albums in 1978 and 1980 in a traditional country and blues style and received very little attention from radio, the media, or the public. In 1988, she released her self-titled album,...
and Jane Siberry. In June 2010, she combined with country musician, Adam Harvey
Adam Harvey
Adam Harvey is an Australian country music singer. Harvey has been nominated three times for an ARIA Music Award and is a multiple CMAA Award winner.-Biography:Adam Harvey got his start musically learning country classics on the guitar as a small boy...
for the Both Sides Tour. In October 2010, Matthews performed at the Opening Ceremony of the Alice Springs Masters Games. On 27 October, her former band, Models were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame
ARIA Hall of Fame
Since 1988 the Australian Recording Industry Association has inducted artists into its ARIA Hall of Fame. While most have been recognised at the annual ARIA Music Awards, in 2005 ARIA sought to create a separate standalone "ARIA Icons: Hall of Fame" event as only one or two acts could be inducted...
by Matthews. The line-up of Duffield, Ferrie, Kelly, Mason, Price and Valentine performed "I Hear Motion" and "Evolution". Matthews recalled meeting the group for the first time at a recording session – she was due to provide backing vocals but they were busy playing indoor cricket in the studio.
TV appearances
Matthews has appeared on three series of Channel SevenSeven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
's celebrity singing competition It Takes Two. The first series premiered on 28 May 2006, she was partnered by former Australian Rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
er, Richard Champion
Richard Champion
Richard Champion was a former Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League....
, they were voted off in week six. On 1 May 2007, ahead of the second series, Matthews, David Hobson and Troy Cassar-Daley
Troy Cassar-Daley
Troy Cassar-Daley is a multi-award-winning country musician from New South Wales, Australia.He released his first EP, "Dream Out Loud", in 1994 and was nominated for his first Golden Guitar for Best Male Vocalist the same year...
sang "Got to Get You into My Life
Got to Get You into My Life
"Got to Get You into My Life" is a song by The Beatles, first released in 1966 on the album Revolver. Written by Paul McCartney , it made prominent use of a brass section...
" on celebrity dancing competition Dancing with the Stars
Dancing With The Stars (Australian Season 6)
The sixth season of the Australian Dancing with the Stars TV series premiered on Tuesday 20 February 2007 and concluded on Tuesday 1 May 2007. It featured the following celebrities....
grand final, which was won by Ceberano and her professional dance partner John Paul Collins. It Takes Two second series premiered on 8 May, where Matthews was paired with comedian Russell Gilbert
Russell Gilbert
Russell Gilbert , is an Australian comedian and actor from Footscray, Victoria.-Television:He has appeared in several Australian TV comedies, first attracting notice as 'Russ the Postie' on The Comedy Company , which led to a nine year stint on Hey Hey It's Saturday...
, they were voted off in week four of the competition. The third series commenced on 12 February 2008 with John Mangos
John Mangos
John is an Australian news presenter.He is also a host on talk back radio station 2UE and a regular on Sunrise on the Seven Network. He has also made cameo appearances on the Australian comedy programs Pizza and Swift and Shift Couriers....
, news reader for Sky News Australia
Sky News Australia
Sky News Australia is an Australian 24 hour cable and satellite news channel available in 2.5 million homes on Foxtel, Austar, Optus Television and Neighbourhood Cable subscription platforms....
, and Matthews being voted off in week two. Matthews appeared on the TV show RocKwiz
RocKwiz
RocKwiz is an Australian television quiz show series, focused on rock music, and broadcast on SBS One. It premiered in 2005.-Summary:The forty minute program airs on Saturday at 9:20 pm, and is hosted by Julia Zemiro. It is shot in The Gershwin Room at St Kilda's Esplanade Hotel, commonly...
on 1 November 2008, she performed Toto's "Hold the Line
Hold the Line
Hold the Line is a song written by David Paich and recorded by the American rock group Toto. The song was the band's first single, and was featured on their debut eponymous album...
" as a duet with Johnny Galvatron from The Galvatrons
The Galvatrons
The Galvatrons are a four piece rock band who formed on 28 August 2007, in Melbourne, Australia. Lead singer Johnny Galvatron stated on radio station 101.3 Sea FM on the Central Coast that the band got their name from the 1986 animated film Transformers...
.
Discography
- You've Always Got the Blues (duet album with Kate CeberanoKate CeberanoKate Ceberano is an Australian singer. She achieved success in the soul, jazz and pop genres as well as in her brief forays into musicals with Jesus Christ Superstar and film...
) 1988 - ÉmigréÉmigré (album)Émigré is the debut solo studio album by Australian singer-songwriter Wendy Matthews released by rooArt in Australia in November 1990. It was produced by Ricky Fataar and reached No. 11 on the Australian Albums Chart. It yielded three singles: "Token Angels", "Woman's Gotta Have It" and "Let's...
1990 - LilyLily (album)Lily is the second solo studio album by Australian singer-songwriter Wendy Matthews released by rooArt in Australia on 28 September 1992 . Matthews travelled to Canada with her mother for the album to discover their heritage, which influences the album. Matthews states the album "overall, has...
1992 - The Witness TreeThe Witness TreeThe Witness Tree is the third solo studio album by Australian singer Wendy Matthews released in Australia by rooArt on 14 November 1994. It is a non-traditional gospel album, Matthews stating "the spirit of gospel is so uplifting, I have a lot of faith, but for me it's more nature and the...
1994 - Ghosts 1997
- Beautiful ViewBeautiful ViewBeautiful View is the seventh studio album released by Australian singer Wendy Matthews released by BMG in Australia on 7 May 2001. It yielded three singles "Free", "Beautiful View" and "Like the Sun"....
2001 - Café NaturaleCafé Naturale-Charts:...
2004 - She 2008
APRA Awards
The APRA AwardsAPRA Awards
The APRA Music Awards are several award ceremonies run in Australia and New Zealand by Australasian Performing Right Association to recognise songwriting skills, sales and airplay performance by its members annually....
are presented annually from 1982 by the Australasian Performing Right Association
Australasian Performing Right Association
The Australasian Performing Right Association is a copyright collective representing New Zealand and Australian composers, lyricists and music publishers. The association's head offices located in Sydney Australia, and it has branch offices in Auckland, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth...
(APRA).
|-
| 1995 || "Standing Strong" – (Wendy Matthews, Glenn Skinner) || Most Performed Australian Work ||
|-
ARIA Awards
The ARIA Music AwardsARIA Music Awards
The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Australian Recording Industry Association...
are presented annually from 1987 by the Australian Recording Industry Association
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
(ARIA). Matthews has won six awards from thirteen nominations as a solo artist.
|-
|rowspan="2"| 1991
ARIA Music Awards of 1991
The Fifth Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards was held on 25 March 1991 at the Darling Harbour Convention Centre in Sydney. International host Bob Geldof was assisted by presenters to distribute 24 awards...
|| Wendy Matthews || Best Female Artist ||
|-
|| "Token Angels" || Breakthrough Artist - Single ||
|-
| 1992
ARIA Music Awards of 1992
The Sixth Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards was held on 6 March 1992 at the World Congress Centre in Melbourne. Hosts were international guest, Julian Lennon and local Richard Wilkins, they were assisted by presenters, Spinal Tap, Rod Stewart and Mick Jones to distribute 24...
|| "Let's Kiss (Like the Angels)" || Best Female Artist ||
|-
|rowspan="4"| 1993
ARIA Music Awards of 1993
The Seventh Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards was held on 14 April 1993 at the Entertainment Centre in Sydney. Host, Richard Wilkins, was assisted by presenters, James Reyne, Elle Macpherson, Billy Birmingham, Tim Finn, Neil Finn and Daryl Somers to distribute 24 awards...
||rowspan="2"| Lily
Lily (album)
Lily is the second solo studio album by Australian singer-songwriter Wendy Matthews released by rooArt in Australia on 28 September 1992 . Matthews travelled to Canada with her mother for the album to discover their heritage, which influences the album. Matthews states the album "overall, has...
|| Album of the Year ||
|-
|| Best Female ||
|-
|rowspan="2"| "The Day You Went Away" || Single of the Year ||
|-
|| Highest Selling Single ||
|-
|| 1994
ARIA Music Awards of 1994
The Eighth Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards was held on 30 March 1994 at the State Theatre in Sydney...
|| "Friday's Child" || Best Female Artist ||
|-
|| 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"...
|| The Witness Tree
The Witness Tree
The Witness Tree is the third solo studio album by Australian singer Wendy Matthews released in Australia by rooArt on 14 November 1994. It is a non-traditional gospel album, Matthews stating "the spirit of gospel is so uplifting, I have a lot of faith, but for me it's more nature and the...
|| Best Adult Contemporary Album ||
|-
|| 1997
ARIA Music Awards of 1997
The eleventh Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards were held on 22 September 1997 at the Capitol Theatre in Sydney. The event was hosted by Australian actor–comedian Paul McDermott, with presenters Elle McFeast, Kylie Minogue, Ben Folds and The Presidents of the United...
|| "Then I Walked Away" || Best Female Artist ||
|-
|rowspan="2"| 1998
ARIA Music Awards of 1998
The 12th Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards was held on 20 October 1998 at the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre...
|| Ghosts || Best Adult Contemporary Album ||
|-
| Ghost except "Halcyon Days" – Tony Espie || Engineer of the Year ||
|-
|| 2001
ARIA Music Awards of 2001
The 15th Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards were held on 30 October 2001 at the Capitol Theatre.-Awards:...
|| Beautiful View
Beautiful View
Beautiful View is the seventh studio album released by Australian singer Wendy Matthews released by BMG in Australia on 7 May 2001. It yielded three singles "Free", "Beautiful View" and "Like the Sun"....
|| Best Adult Contemporary Album ||
Matthews has also won awards as a member of groups (Absent Friends
Absent Friends (band)
Absent Friends were an ARIA Award winning band from Sydney, Australia. The band was relatively short lived, forming in 1989 and disbanding in 1990...
, Rockmelons
Rockmelons
Rockmelons, often referred to as the Rockies, are an Australian Pop/Dance/R&B group formed in 1983 in Sydney. They are based around Bryon Jones, his brother Jonathon Jones and Raymond Medhurst. They had two Top Five hit singles in the early 1990s with "Ain't No Sunshine" and "That Word ", both sung...
) and projects (Stringers soundtrack album, You've Always Got the Blues – Songs from the ABC TV Series "Stringer").
|-
|rowspan="2"| 1989
ARIA Music Awards of 1989
The Third Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards was held on 6 March 1989 at the Darling Harbour Convention Centre in Sydney. First Australian host Greedy Smith of Mental As Anything was assisted by presenters George Martin and Jono & Dano to distribute 24 awards...
|| Tales of the City
Tales of the City (album)
Tales of the City is the debut studio album by Australian rock band Rockmelons. It was released in May 1988 on True Tone Records and peaked at number six on the Australian album charts...
|| Breakthrough Artist – Album ||
|-
| Stringer – various artists (Kate Ceberano
Kate Ceberano
Kate Ceberano is an Australian singer. She achieved success in the soul, jazz and pop genres as well as in her brief forays into musicals with Jesus Christ Superstar and film...
, Matthews, Martin Armiger
Martin Armiger
John Martin Armiger is an Australian musician, record producer and film/TV composer. He was singer-songwriter and guitarist with Melbourne-based rock band, The Sports during 1978–1981, which had Top 30 hits on the Kent Music Report Singles Chart with, "Don't Throw Stones" , "Strangers on a...
, Joy Smithers
Joy Smithers
Joy Smithers is an Australian actress, best known for her acting performances on television, and her role as a television news presenter....
) || Best Original Soundtrack / Cast / Show Recording ||
|-
| 1991
ARIA Music Awards of 1991
The Fifth Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards was held on 25 March 1991 at the Darling Harbour Convention Centre in Sydney. International host Bob Geldof was assisted by presenters to distribute 24 awards...
|| "(I Don't Want to Be With) Nobody but You" – Absent Friends
Absent Friends (band)
Absent Friends were an ARIA Award winning band from Sydney, Australia. The band was relatively short lived, forming in 1989 and disbanding in 1990...
|| Single of the Year ||
Other awards
- 1990 Rolling StoneRolling Stone AustraliaRolling Stone Australia is an Australian-based magazine devoted to music, politics, and popular culture that is published monthly, it is the Australian edition of the United States' Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone was initially released in Melbourne in May 1970 as a supplement in Revolution, an...
, 'Best Female Vocalist'. - 1991 Mo AwardsMo AwardsThe Mo Awards are long running annual Australian entertainment industry awards. They recognise achievements in live entertainment in Australia....
, 'Female Rock Performer'.
External links
- [ Wendy Matthews biography] at Allmusic