Judith Durham, lead singer of The Seekers and Australian singer-songwriter, died on August 5 at the age of 79. In 1968, she left the trio to pursue a solo career, and then created a series of unforgettable songs. Anthony Albanese, the Australian Prime Minister, paid tribute to her and wrote:
“Judith Durham gave voice to a new strand of our identity, paving the way for a new generation of Australian artists.” Her generosity will be mourned by many, and the eulogies she wrote for our country will never be forgotten.”
Death of Judith Durham
Judith Durham has died in a Melbourne hospital as a result of complications from a severe lung disease, Universal Music reports. The next day she was admitted to the hospital. However, it is not certain how long she suffered from the condition. More information will likely be released soon. Durham had already suffered a stroke on the Seekers’ Golden Jubilee tour in May 2013. This impaired her ability to read and write, which she recovered after recovering.
Career of Judith Durham
She was born on 3 July 1943 in Essendon, Victoria, and attended Essendon Primary School until 1949, when her family moved to Hobart, Tasmania, where she enrolled at Fahan School. Durham then returned to Melbourne, where she attended Ruyton Girls’ School Kew and RMIT. Durham subsequently launched her solo career, releasing albums such as For Christmas with Love, Gift of Song and others. In 1970 she made a television special called Meet Judith Durham, and in 1975 she appeared in an episode of the TV sitcom Cash and Co. In 2003, Judith celebrated her 60th birthday by touring the UK on The Diamond Tour. At the Advance Australia Fair in 2006, she updated the melody and words of the Australian National Anthem, and in 2009 she sang it at the Federation Hall on St Kilda Road.
Durham returned to the Myer Music Bowl in February 2009 performing The Carnival Is Over at RockWiz Salutes the Bowl – the 50th anniversary of the Sidney Myer Music Bowl. In 2009 she also played a concert in Melbourne to mark the release of her CD Up Close and Personal. She first appeared with Frank Traynor’s Jazz Preachers at the Memphis Jazz Club in Malvern in 1963. Judith then collaborated with the band to make her debut self-titled EP. She joined The Seekers in 1963 and left after a tour of New Zealand that same year. In 2011, Judith signed a contract with Decca Records. In June 2018, on her 75th birthday, her 14 unreleased songs were released on an album called So Much More.
Twitter users pay tribute
Durham’s involvement with The Seekers and her vocal abilities have made her a household name in the music business. When news of her death spread, Twitter was flooded with tributes:
Once upon a time, Australia’s most famous voice was Judith Durham. With Seekers and solo, Judith earned her place as an icon of our music. In 1967, 10% of Melbourne’s population attended a gig. What a contribution. What a waste. I’m Australian will play forever. REST IN PEACE
— Tony Burke (@Tony_Burke) August 6, 2022
#REST IN PEACE Judith Durham. The former Seeker and Australian legend died at the age of 79 😘 pic.twitter.com/a8lP0DRT52
— Geoff Field (@GeoffField) August 6, 2022
In November 1969, she married music director and pianist Ron Edgeworth. Edgeworth died in December 1994.
Categories: Entertaintment
Source: HIS Education