Wendy Stapleton
Encyclopedia
Wendy Anne-Marie Stapleton (born 8 July 1954) is an Australian pop
/rock
singer-songwriter, and musical theatre
and television actress. Stapleton has performed as a backing singer, session musician and a solo artist; she fronted various Melbourne
-based groups including Wendy Stapleton Band (1976–1978) and Wendy & the Rocketts (1980–1985) which had a top 30 hit single with "Play the Game" in June 1983.
Stapleton's television roles include Trixie Tucker, the mother of Nina Tucker
played by Delta Goodrem
, on Neighbours
during 2002 and 2003. Her musical theatre work includes her performance as United Kingdom singer, Dusty Springfield
in I Only Want to Be with You in 1995 and 1997–1998. As from February 2008, Stapleton hosted Wrokdown, a weekly TV interview show, on Channel 31.
, Victoria, Australia
. At nine years old, Stapleton appeared in J. C. Williamson
’s 1963 production of Noel Coward
's Sail Away
at Her Majesty's Theatre
which starred Maggie Fitzgibbon
. In the mid-1960s she regularly performed in further J. C. Williamson productions and made weekly appearances on GTV-9's Tarax Show
on Melbourne television. She attended St. Columba's College
, in Essendon
. From 16 years old, Stapleton was lead vocalist for a succession of bands including Keith McKay Trio (1968), Souled Out (1976–1977), Incession (1979), Southern Transit, Bill Livingstone Trio. She also worked as a session backing vocalist and, during 1976–1978, fronted the Wendy Stapleton Band which included Geoff Cox
(ex-Keith McKay Trio, Bootleg Family Band) on drums and backing vocals who was replaced by Mike Anderson (Traction) on drums
and backing vocals; and Keith McKay (Keith McKay Trio, Cycle) on keyboards
and backing vocals.
", a cover
of The Rolling Stones
1964 song, in September 1979. Her version did not chart on the Australian Kent Music Report
Singles Chart. In August 1980 Stapleton formed pub rock
band, Wendy & the , with Mark Chew on guitar
and keyboards (ex-Traction, Southern Transit), Victor Crump on guitar (Bandicoot, Fastbuck), Steve Donald on drums (Fastbuck) and Wayne Sullivan on bass guitar
(Fastbuck). The band signed with Mushroom Records
and released "Reputation" in June 1981, which peaked at No. 40. "Tonite" followed in September but did not chart. Sullivan was replaced by Joe Imbroll on bass guitar.
A new line-up appeared in March 1982 with Donald, and new members: Joey Amenta on lead guitar and backing vocals (Taste, Redhouse, Russell Morris Band
, Darryl Cotton Band
), Noel Beare on bass guitar (Misfits, Routinos) and Adrian Dessent on rhythm guitar
and backing vocals (Scandal, Vixen, Marc Hunter Band
). The third single, "You're Place or Mine?" released in March, reached the top 40. A live recording
, Live, appeared as a six-track EP
in September. The band travelled to UK in early 1983 to record their debut studio album
, Dazed for Days it was issued in July and appeared into the top 30 on the Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart. Lead single, "Play the Game", was released in April and peaked in the top 30, "Have You Been Telling Me Lies" followed in August with "Security" in November. However, by September, the band had left for UK and Europe to tour as support for Bryan Adams
and ZZ Top
.
In November 1984, another version of Wendy & the Rocketts toured: John Dallimore replaced Amenta on lead guitar (Redhouse, Dallimore, Jon English & the Foster Brothers
), Brian Hamilton replaced Beare on bass guitar, and Paul McNaughton (aka Paul Norton) joined on guitar. No more recordings appeared—the group disbanded in March 1985—and Stapleton returned to session work. Stapleton joined as guest vocalist with The Incredible Penguins
in 1985, for a cover
of "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
", a charity project for research on Fairy penguins
, which peaked at No. 10 on the singles chart in December. Incredible Penguins also included Donald from an early Wendy & the Rocketts line-up.
, a 1989 musical theatre project with Daniel Abineri
, Nadine Garner
and Brian Mannix
; a soundtrack
of the same name was released. Also that year she formed The Glee Club with former bandmates Imbroll and Norton, adding Mark Greig on guitar (ex-The Runners with Norton) and Grant Hamston on drums (The Runners). Other musical theatre appearances include: The Magic Show, Sentimental Bloke and What's Goin' On.
By 1990, Stapleton and Norton were married, and Paul Norton Band was formed with Greig, Norton and Stapleton joined by Tim Millikan (Chantoozies
) on bass guitar and Derek Pellicci
(Little River Band) on drums to record, Under a Southern Sky and related singles. Yooralla
, a disability support provider, recorded an advertising jingle, "Yooralla People Helping People Achieve" in use during 1993–2007, which featured lead vocals by Venetta Fields
and John Paul Young
with backing vocals by Stapleton and others. In 1994, Greig, Millikan, Norton and Stapleton formed Hillbilly Moon with Cletis Carr
(Big Whiskey) on vocals, guitar and bass guitar; and Peter Wells (Rose Tattoo
) on vocals, guitar and bass guitar. They released an album, Volume One, on Pelican Records. Stapleton returned to musical theatre in May 1995 with the role of UK entertainer Dusty Springfield
in I Only Want to Be With You - The Dusty Springfield Story. Li'l Elvis Jones and the Truckstoppers
(1997) was a 26-episode children's television cartoon show on Australian Broadcasting Corporation
(ABC), with Stapleton supplying the singing voice for lead character, 'Li'l Elvis Jones' and voice for 'Mama Rig'. She released Li'l Elvis and the TruckStoppers soundtrack in 1998 on ABC Records with eleven tracks. She revived her role as Springfield with another season of I Only Want to Be With You from July 1997, and toured Australia, UK and Europe into early 1998. Stapleton and Norton sang the theme
for long running TV series, Neighbours
(1985–present) used during 1999–2001 seasons.
In 2001, Stapleton, Debra Byrne
and Lisa Edwards
toured with Girls, Girls, Girls a tribute show of hits by The Supremes
, Cilla Black
, Springfield, Patsy Cline
and Lulu
. After one month, Edwards returned to backing vocals for John Farnham
on his The Last Time Tour; she was replaced by Nikki Nicholls, Girls, Girls, Girls continued touring into 2002. Stapleton's television roles include Trixie Tucker, the mother of Nina Tucker
played by Delta Goodrem
, on Neighbours
during 2002 and 2003; other TV roles have been on Blue Heelers
(1996, 1999) and Halifax f.p.
(1996). Stapleton appeared on film in You Don't Have to Say You Love Me, a short by Terrence O'Connell. During June–August 2006, Norton and Stapleton performed in the Countdown Spectacular
alongside other 1970s and 1980s acts. As from February 2008, Stapleton hosted Wrokdown, a weekly TV interview show, on Channel 31.
.
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
/rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
singer-songwriter, and musical theatre
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
and television actress. Stapleton has performed as a backing singer, session musician and a solo artist; she fronted various Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
-based groups including Wendy Stapleton Band (1976–1978) and Wendy & the Rocketts (1980–1985) which had a top 30 hit single with "Play the Game" in June 1983.
Stapleton's television roles include Trixie Tucker, the mother of Nina Tucker
Nina Tucker
Nina Tucker is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Delta Goodrem. She made her first on-screen appearance on 11 June 2002. Goodrem was approached by producers after they saw her video for her debut single. Goodrem, who had just signed a record deal, almost...
played by Delta Goodrem
Delta Goodrem
Delta Lea Goodrem is an Australian singer-songwriter, pianist, and actress. Signed to Sony at the age of 15, Goodrem rose to prominence in 2002, starring in the Australian soap opera Neighbours as Nina Tucker. Goodrem has achieved eight number-one singles and three number-one albums in her home...
, on Neighbours
Neighbours
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...
during 2002 and 2003. Her musical theatre work includes her performance as United Kingdom singer, Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'BrienSources use both Isabel and Isobel as the spelling of her second name. OBE , known professionally as Dusty Springfield and dubbed The White Queen of Soul, was a British pop singer whose career extended from the late 1950s to the 1990s...
in I Only Want to Be with You in 1995 and 1997–1998. As from February 2008, Stapleton hosted Wrokdown, a weekly TV interview show, on Channel 31.
Early years
Wendy Stapleton was born in MelbourneMelbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Victoria, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. At nine years old, Stapleton appeared in J. C. Williamson
J. C. Williamson
James Cassius Williamson was an American actor and later Australia's foremost theatrical manager, founding J. C. Williamson Ltd....
’s 1963 production of Noel Coward
Noël Coward
Sir Noël Peirce Coward was an English playwright, composer, director, actor and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what Time magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and chic, pose and poise".Born in Teddington, a suburb of London, Coward attended a dance academy...
's Sail Away
Sail Away (musical)
Sail Away is a musical with a book, music and lyrics by Noël Coward. The show was the last musical for which Coward wrote both the book and music, although he wrote the music for one last "book" musical in 1963. The story centers around brash, bold American divorcee Mimi Paragon, working as a...
at Her Majesty's Theatre
Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne
Her Majesty's Theatre is a 1706 seat theatre in Melbourne, Australia. Built in 1886, it is located at 219 Exhibition Street, Melbourne. It is classified by the National Trust of Australia and is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register....
which starred Maggie Fitzgibbon
Maggie Fitzgibbon
Maggie Fitzgibbon, an Australian actress and singer, was born in Melbourne on 30 January 1929. Coming from a show-business family, Maggie is the sister of the late Smacka Fitzgibbon. She began her career as operatic soprano Margaret Fitzgibbon with the Tivoli Circuit in 1946 before graduating to...
. In the mid-1960s she regularly performed in further J. C. Williamson productions and made weekly appearances on GTV-9's Tarax Show
Tarax Show
The Tarax Show was an early Australian children's TV program on GTV-9 in Melbourne running from 1957 to 1969.Denzil Howson, who was Assistant Programme Manager at GTV9, was asked by Normal Spencer to develop a daily children's programme. A pilot of the show was kinescope recorded onto film...
on Melbourne television. She attended St. Columba's College
St. Columba's College, Melbourne
St. Columba's College is a private, all-female Roman Catholic secondary school in the Melbourne suburb of Essendon.-History:After taking responsibility for St Monica's School in Moonee Ponds in 1896, Mother Ursula Bruton purchased the property at 139 Buckley Street to provide secondary education...
, in Essendon
Essendon, Victoria
Essendon is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 10 km north-west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Moonee Valley...
. From 16 years old, Stapleton was lead vocalist for a succession of bands including Keith McKay Trio (1968), Souled Out (1976–1977), Incession (1979), Southern Transit, Bill Livingstone Trio. She also worked as a session backing vocalist and, during 1976–1978, fronted the Wendy Stapleton Band which included Geoff Cox
Geoff Cox
Geoff Cox is an Australian musician and media personality. He is often referred to as Coxy.He is most notable for having played drums with the Little River Band. More recently he became a light entertainment presenter on the Seven Network. Currently he hosts Coxy's Big Break.Cox has been an...
(ex-Keith McKay Trio, Bootleg Family Band) on drums and backing vocals who was replaced by Mike Anderson (Traction) on drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
and backing vocals; and Keith McKay (Keith McKay Trio, Cycle) on keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
and backing vocals.
Wendy & the Rocketts
Stapleton signed a solo deal with Festival Records and issued her debut single, "Heart of StoneHeart of Stone (song)
"Heart of Stone" is a song by the English rock 'n roll band The Rolling Stones, released as a single in the United States, and on an extended-play single in Europe, as pictured to the right...
", a cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
1964 song, in September 1979. Her version did not chart 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...
Singles Chart. In August 1980 Stapleton formed pub rock
Pub rock (Australia)
Pub rock is a style of Australian rock and roll popular throughout the 1970s and 1980s, and still influencing contemporary Australian music today....
band, Wendy & the , with Mark Chew on guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
and keyboards (ex-Traction, Southern Transit), Victor Crump on guitar (Bandicoot, Fastbuck), Steve Donald on drums (Fastbuck) and Wayne Sullivan on bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
(Fastbuck). The band signed with Mushroom Records
Mushroom Records
Mushroom Records is an Australian recoJrd company formed by Michael Gudinski and Ray Evans in Melbourne in 1972. After its sale in 1998, it merged into Festival Mushroom Records. From 2005 to 2009, it is one of the record labels operated by Warner Bros...
and released "Reputation" in June 1981, which peaked at No. 40. "Tonite" followed in September but did not chart. Sullivan was replaced by Joe Imbroll on bass guitar.
A new line-up appeared in March 1982 with Donald, and new members: Joey Amenta on lead guitar and backing vocals (Taste, Redhouse, Russell Morris Band
Russell Morris
Russell Norman Morris is an Australian singer-songwriter who had five Australian Top 10 singles during the late 1960s and early 1970s...
, Darryl Cotton Band
Darryl Cotton
Darryl Cotton is an Australian pop singer, television presenter and actor. Cotton is best known as a founding member of Australian rock group Zoot in 1968, along with Beeb Birtles, Rick Brewer and, later, Rick Springfield....
), Noel Beare on bass guitar (Misfits, Routinos) and Adrian Dessent on rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
and backing vocals (Scandal, Vixen, Marc Hunter Band
Marc Hunter
Marc Alexander Hunter was a New Zealand rock and pop singer best known as the lead vocalist with Dragon, a band formed by his older brother Todd in Auckland in 1973....
). The third single, "You're Place or Mine?" released in March, reached the top 40. A live recording
Live album
A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
, Live, appeared as a six-track EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
in September. The band travelled to UK in early 1983 to record their debut studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
, Dazed for Days it was issued in July and appeared into the top 30 on the Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart. Lead single, "Play the Game", was released in April and peaked in the top 30, "Have You Been Telling Me Lies" followed in August with "Security" in November. However, by September, the band had left for UK and Europe to tour as support for Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams, is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, guitarist, bassist, producer, actor and photographer. Adams has won dozens of awards and nominations, including 20 Juno Awards among 56 nominations. He has also received 15 Grammy Award nominations including a win for Best Song Written...
and ZZ Top
ZZ Top
ZZ Top is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "That Little Ol' Band from Texas". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based boogie rock, has come to incorporate elements of arena, southern, and boogie rock. The band, from Houston Texas, formed in 1969...
.
In November 1984, another version of Wendy & the Rocketts toured: John Dallimore replaced Amenta on lead guitar (Redhouse, Dallimore, Jon English & the Foster Brothers
Jon English
Jonathan James "Jon" English is an Australian rock singer, musician, actor and writer. English emigrated to Australia with his parents in 1961...
), Brian Hamilton replaced Beare on bass guitar, and Paul McNaughton (aka Paul Norton) joined on guitar. No more recordings appeared—the group disbanded in March 1985—and Stapleton returned to session work. Stapleton joined as guest vocalist with The Incredible Penguins
The Incredible Penguins
The Incredible Penguins were an Australian supergroup formed in 1985, which reached the top ten on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart with their cover of "Happy Xmas " in December. Contributors included Angry Anderson , Bob Geldof, Brian Mannix , Scott Carne , Colleen Hewett, and John...
in 1985, for a cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
"Happy Xmas " is a song written by John Lennon and Yoko Ono and released in 1971 as a single by John & Yoko/Plastic Ono Band with the Harlem Community Choir....
", a charity project for research on Fairy penguins
Little Penguin
The Little Penguin is the smallest species of penguin. The penguin, which usually grows to an average of in height and in length , is found on the coastlines of southern Australia and New Zealand, with possible records from Chile.Apart from Little Penguins, they have several common names...
, which peaked at No. 10 on the singles chart in December. Incredible Penguins also included Donald from an early Wendy & the Rocketts line-up.
Later years
Stapleton's work for the late 1980s includes recording vocals for Dave Evans & Thunder Down Under's releases in 1986, and performing backing vocals for Melbourne band, Wild Turkey, in 1988. She performed in Bad Boy Johnny and the Prophets of DoomBad Boy Johnny and the Prophets of Doom
Bad Boy Johnny and the Prophets of Doom is a controversial stage musical first performed in Australia in 1989, written by Daniel Abineri and is a satire on religion and rock and roll.-History:...
, a 1989 musical theatre project with Daniel Abineri
Daniel Abineri
Daniel Abineri is an English actor, songwriter and playwright, famous for writing the book, music and lyrics for the controversial musical Bad Boy Johnny and the Prophets of Doom....
, Nadine Garner
Nadine Garner
Nadine Lynette Garner is an Australian actress.-Biography:Garner first came to public attention in 1985, as Tamara Henderson in the Australian TV series, The Henderson Kids, and then in her debut film The Still Point...
and Brian Mannix
Brian Mannix
Brian Mannix is an Australian rock music singer and actor.He guest-starred in several episodes of Australian soap Neighbours in 1993 as Conor Cleary, a love interest for Lauren Carpenter....
; a soundtrack
Soundtrack album
A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television program. In some cases, not all the tracks from the movie are included in the album; however there are rare cases of songs in the trailers that do not appear in...
of the same name was released. Also that year she formed The Glee Club with former bandmates Imbroll and Norton, adding Mark Greig on guitar (ex-The Runners with Norton) and Grant Hamston on drums (The Runners). Other musical theatre appearances include: The Magic Show, Sentimental Bloke and What's Goin' On.
By 1990, Stapleton and Norton were married, and Paul Norton Band was formed with Greig, Norton and Stapleton joined by Tim Millikan (Chantoozies
Chantoozies
Chantoozies were an Australian pop group active from 1986 to 1991. The band featured four female singers: Eve von Bibra, Angie La Bozzetta, Ally Fowler and Tottie Goldsmith; and four male musicians: Brett Goldsmith , Scott Griffiths , Frank McKoy and David Reyne...
) on bass guitar and Derek Pellicci
Derek Pellicci
Derek Allan Pellicci is an Australian pop music drummer. He is best known as a founding member of Little River Band...
(Little River Band) on drums to record, Under a Southern Sky and related singles. Yooralla
Yooralla
Yooralla is a non-profit disability support and community service provider in Victoria, Australia. Yooralla assists those who live with a disability acquired from birth, accident, ill health or age...
, a disability support provider, recorded an advertising jingle, "Yooralla People Helping People Achieve" in use during 1993–2007, which featured lead vocals by Venetta Fields
Venetta Fields
Venetta Fields is an American singer best known as session musician for leading rock and pop acts of the 1970s including Pink Floyd, Barbra Streisand, Steely Dan and the Rolling Stones...
and John Paul Young
John Paul Young
John Paul Young is an Australian pop singer who had a 1978 worldwide hit with "Love Is in the Air"...
with backing vocals by Stapleton and others. In 1994, Greig, Millikan, Norton and Stapleton formed Hillbilly Moon with Cletis Carr
Cletis Carr
Cletis Carr is a singer-songwriter, guitarist and record producer. Carr was a founder of the Pacific Northwest 70's new wave music band Sneakers before embarking on an on-off solo career between forming other bands such as Big Whiskey and Hillbilly Moon.-Early life:Carr was born into a family of...
(Big Whiskey) on vocals, guitar and bass guitar; and Peter Wells (Rose Tattoo
Rose Tattoo
Rose Tattoo is an Australian rock and roll band, now led by Angry Anderson, that was formed in Sydney in 1976. Their sound is hard rock mixed with blues rock influences, with songs including "Bad Boy for Love", "Rock 'n' Roll Outlaw", "Nice Boys", "We Can't Be Beaten" and "Scarred for Life"...
) on vocals, guitar and bass guitar. They released an album, Volume One, on Pelican Records. Stapleton returned to musical theatre in May 1995 with the role of UK entertainer Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'BrienSources use both Isabel and Isobel as the spelling of her second name. OBE , known professionally as Dusty Springfield and dubbed The White Queen of Soul, was a British pop singer whose career extended from the late 1950s to the 1990s...
in I Only Want to Be With You - The Dusty Springfield Story. Li'l Elvis Jones and the Truckstoppers
Lil' Elvis and the Truckstoppers
Lil' Elvis and the Truckstoppers is an Australian children's television cartoon series produced by the ABC. The story follows a group of children and their adventures in outback Australia.The title character of the series is "Lil' Elvis"...
(1997) was a 26-episode children's television cartoon show on Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
(ABC), with Stapleton supplying the singing voice for lead character, 'Li'l Elvis Jones' and voice for 'Mama Rig'. She released Li'l Elvis and the TruckStoppers soundtrack in 1998 on ABC Records with eleven tracks. She revived her role as Springfield with another season of I Only Want to Be With You from July 1997, and toured Australia, UK and Europe into early 1998. Stapleton and Norton sang the theme
Theme to Neighbours
The theme to Neighbours is the theme tune to the popular Australian soap opera Neighbours. Composed by Tony Hatch with the lyrics written by his then wife, Jackie Trent, it has been voted the world's most recognised television theme song...
for long running TV series, Neighbours
Neighbours
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...
(1985–present) used during 1999–2001 seasons.
In 2001, Stapleton, 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...
and Lisa Edwards
Lisa Edwards
Lisa Edwards is an Australian singer and musician, who had an Australian Top 5 hit with the Godley and Creme song Cry.Born in Adelaide, she is the daughter of a Jazz pianist and a stage performer. She made her stage debut aged seven with her father, who would then regularly take the young girl on...
toured with Girls, Girls, Girls a tribute show of hits by The Supremes
The Supremes
The Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
, Cilla Black
Cilla Black
Cilla Black OBE is an English singer, actress, entertainer and media personality, who has been consistently popular as a light entertainment figure since 1963. She is most famous for her singles Anyone Who Had A Heart, You're My World, and Alfie...
, Springfield, Patsy Cline
Patsy Cline
Patsy Cline , born Virginia Patterson Hensley in Gore, Virginia, was an American country music singer who enjoyed pop music crossover success during the era of the Nashville sound in the early 1960s...
and Lulu
Lulu (singer)
Lulu Kennedy-Cairns, OBE , best known by her stage name Lulu, is a Scottish singer, actress, and television personality who has been successful in the entertainment business from the 1960s through to the present day...
. After one month, Edwards returned to backing vocals for John Farnham
John Farnham
John Peter Farnham, AO, formerly billed as Johnny Farnham , is an English-born Australian pop singer. He was a teen pop idol from 1964 to 1979, and has since forged a career as an adult contemporary singer. His career has mostly been as a solo artist although he briefly replaced Glenn Shorrock as...
on his The Last Time Tour; she was replaced by Nikki Nicholls, Girls, Girls, Girls continued touring into 2002. Stapleton's television roles include Trixie Tucker, the mother of Nina Tucker
Nina Tucker
Nina Tucker is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours, played by Delta Goodrem. She made her first on-screen appearance on 11 June 2002. Goodrem was approached by producers after they saw her video for her debut single. Goodrem, who had just signed a record deal, almost...
played by Delta Goodrem
Delta Goodrem
Delta Lea Goodrem is an Australian singer-songwriter, pianist, and actress. Signed to Sony at the age of 15, Goodrem rose to prominence in 2002, starring in the Australian soap opera Neighbours as Nina Tucker. Goodrem has achieved eight number-one singles and three number-one albums in her home...
, on Neighbours
Neighbours
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...
during 2002 and 2003; other TV roles have been on Blue Heelers
Blue Heelers
Blue Heelers is an Australian police drama series which depicted the lives of police officers stationed at the fictional Mount Thomas police station in a small town in Victoria.- Overview :...
(1996, 1999) and Halifax f.p.
Halifax f.p.
Halifax f.p. is an Australian television drama series produced by Nine Network from 1994 to 2001. The series stars Rebecca Gibney as Doctor Jane Halifax, a forensic psychiatrist investigating cases involving the mental state of suspects or victims...
(1996). Stapleton appeared on film in You Don't Have to Say You Love Me, a short by Terrence O'Connell. During June–August 2006, Norton and Stapleton performed in the Countdown Spectacular
Countdown Spectacular
The Countdown Spectacular is a series of concerts reviving the nostalgia of the Australian music television series Countdown.-Countdown Spectacular:...
alongside other 1970s and 1980s acts. As from February 2008, Stapleton hosted Wrokdown, a weekly TV interview show, on Channel 31.
Personal life
By 1990, Stapleton had married fellow Melbourne-based singer-songwriter, Paul Norton (previously Paul McNaughton), and they have a daughter, Alexandra. As from March 2008, Stapleton and Norton perform regularly at Hardimans Hotel in KensingtonKensington, Victoria
Kensington is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 4 km north-west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Melbourne...
.
Albums
- Dazed for Days – MushroomMushroom RecordsMushroom Records is an Australian recoJrd company formed by Michael Gudinski and Ray Evans in Melbourne in 1972. After its sale in 1998, it merged into Festival Mushroom Records. From 2005 to 2009, it is one of the record labels operated by Warner Bros...
/Festival (L 37994) (July 1983) AUSKent Music ReportThe 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...
No. 26.
Singles
- "Heart of StoneHeart of Stone (song)"Heart of Stone" is a song by the English rock 'n roll band The Rolling Stones, released as a single in the United States, and on an extended-play single in Europe, as pictured to the right...
" / "I Need You" Solo – Mushroom (K 7596) (September 1979) - "Reputation" / "Let the Boy Go" – Mushroom (K 8336) (June 1981) AUSKent Music ReportThe 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...
No. 40. - "Tonite" / "The Brighton Creeper" – Mushroom (K 8521) (September 1981)
- "You're Place or Mine?" / "In Your Eyes" – Mushroom (K 8666) (March 1982) AUS No. 35.
- "Play the Game" / "I Can't Tell You" – Mushroom (K 9108) (April 1983) AUS No. 28.
- "Have You Been Telling Me Lies" / "How Come You're Still Hanging Around" – Mushroom (K 9182) (August 1983) AUS No. 75.
- "Security" / "Nightflyer" – Mushroom (K 9281) (November 1983)