Barbra Amesbury (born 1948) is a Canadian philanthropist, singer-songwriter, composer and filmmaker, who had several

Top 40 In the music industry, the Top 40 is the current, 40 most-popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "Top 40" or " con ...

hits in Canada in the 1970s. Amesbury was the long-time partner of Canadian philanthropist Joan Chalmers until her death in 2016. Known as Bill Amesbury during her active musical career, Amesbury came out as

transgender A transgender (often abbreviated as trans) person is someone whose gender identity or gender expression does not correspond with their sex assigned at birth. Many transgender people experience dysphoria, which they seek to alleviate through tr ...

after leaving the music business.

Music

Amesbury's biggest hit was "Virginia (Touch Me Like You Do)", which was also the first single (1974) to be released on the

Casablanca Records Casablanca Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group and operated under Republic Records. Under its founder Neil Bogart, Casablanca was most successful during the disco era of the mid to late 1970s. The label currently f ...

label, reaching #14 in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. Written by Amesbury, the song also reached No. 59 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. "Rock My Roll" reached #94 in Canada later in 1974. "Can You Feel It" was also a minor hit in 1976. Amesbury's "Nothin' But a Fool" has been covered by

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, and "A Thrill's a Thrill" was recorded in 1979 by

Long John Baldry John William "Long John" Baldry (12 January 1941 – 21 July 2005) was an English musician and actor. In the 1960s, he was one of the first British vocalists to sing the blues in clubs and shared the stage with many British musicians including t ...

and covered by

Mitch Ryder Mitch Ryder (born William Sherille Levise, Jr.; February 26, 1945) is an American musician who has recorded more than 25 albums over more than four decades. Career Ryder formed his first band, Tempest, when he was at Warren High School, and th ...

with

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and

John Cougar John J. Mellencamp (born October 7, 1951), previously known as Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for his catchy brand of heartland rock, which emphasizes traditional instrument ...

. In 1976 and 1977, Amesbury produced "No Charge" by

J.J. Barrie J. J. Barrie (born Barry Authors, July 7, 1933) is a Canadian songwriter and singer. He is best known for his 1976 UK chart-topper, "No Charge". Biography A former Blue Mink and Ocean manager, and ex-comedian, Barrie turned to songwriting and in ...

, which became a number one hit in England. In 1999, "Virginia" was given an award by

SOCAN The Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) is a Canadian performance rights organization that represents the performing rights of more than 135,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers. The organization collects ...

to mark 100,000 spins on Canadian radio stations. In 2002, James Collins and

Dave Pickell Dave may refer to: Film, television, and theater * ''Dave'' (film), a 1993 film starring Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver * ''Dave'' (musical), a 2018 stage musical adaptation of the film * Dave (TV channel), a digital television channel in the ...

released the single "Do You Mind If We Talk About Bill?", which was written about Amesbury.

Filmmaking and art

In 1994, Amesbury and her partner Joan Chalmers organized an art exhibition called ''Survivors, In Search of a Voice: The Art of Courage'', using the stories of breast cancer survivors to inspire 24 women artists to create works of art aimed at raising awareness of breast cancer. The exhibition toured throughout North America from 1995 to 1998, accompanied by a companion book. Amesbury also shot a documentary film of the tour. In 2006 and 2007, her documentary film ''The G8 is Coming...The G8 is Coming'' was an official selection of the Rome International Film Festival, the Ashville Film Festival, the Atlanta Film Festival, the Southern Winds Film Festival, and the Dixie Film Festival. Amesbury and Chalmers have provided support and donations to a variety of charities and organizations through their ''Woodlawn Arts Foundation''."Joan Chalmers: in the service of art"
. ''Canada Council'', by Betty Ann Jordan

Discography

* ''Jus' a Taste of the Kid'' (1974 – album) * ''Can You Feel It'' (1976 – album) * "You Belong to Me", b/w "Harlow" (1977 – single, unavailable on any commercially released album) * "Virginia (Touch Me Like You Do" (1974 – single) * "Can You Feel It" (1976 – single) * "Nothin' But a Fool" – composer * "No Charge" – producer * "A Thrill's a Thrill" – composer

References

External Links

Article at canadianbands.com
* as Bill * as Barbra/Barbara {{DEFAULTSORT:Amesbury, Barbra 1948 births Canadian documentary film directors 20th-century Canadian philanthropists Canadian singer-songwriters Canadian women film directors Canadian women philanthropists Capitol Records artists Casablanca Records artists Yorkville (record label) artists Canadian LGBT singers Canadian LGBT songwriters Transgender singers Transgender songwriters Living people People from Kirkland Lake Transgender women musicians 21st-century LGBT people Canadian women documentary filmmakers 21st-century Canadian philanthropists