Deborah Gray is an Australian former high fashion model and actress who is now an international non-fiction author and singer/songwriter.
Early life
Gray was born in
Canberra, Australia
Canberra ( )
is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The c ...
. As a teenager while still at school, she was scouted by a leading Sydney agent for a modelling contract and after moving to Sydney, she became a successful model for fashion magazines including covers for
Cleo Cleo may refer to:
Entertainment
* ''Cleo'' (magazine), an Australian magazine established in 1972, now active in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand
* Cleo (group), a South Korean girl group formed in 1999
* ''Cleo'' (play), by Lawrenc ...
and
Dolly magazine
''Dolly'' (stylised in all-caps) was an Australian bimonthly teen magazine started in 1970 by Fairfax Ltd. in Australia and New Zealand, and purchased by ACP in 1988. The magazine became an online-only publication, and the print edition ceased, ...
and starred in national TV commercials including National Quintrix, Sunwhite Rice,
Holden
Holden, formerly known as General Motors-Holden, was an Australian subsidiary company of General Motors. It was an Australian automobile manufacturer, importer, and exporter which sold cars under its own marque in Australia. In its last thre ...
and
Coca Cola
Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlanta ...
.
Fashion modelling
Gray appeared on catwalks, top fashion magazine covers and pictorials including Dolly Magazine, Cleo Magazine,
New Idea
''New Idea'' is a long-running Australian weekly magazine aimed at women that is published by Are Media.
History
The magazine was first published in 1902 by Fitchett Bros. The founder was Thomas Shaw Fitchett. It was subtitled A Women's Home Jou ...
,
Bride to Be
''Bride to Be'' is a 1975 Spanish film, directed by Rafael Moreno Alba and starring Sarah Miles and Stanley Baker. It was also known as ''Pepita Jiménez'', title of the novel in which the film is based (Written and published by Juan Valera y Alc ...
,
TV Week
''TV Week'' is a weekly Australian magazine that provides television program listings information and highlights, as well as television-related news.
Content ranges from previews for upcoming storylines of popular television programs, particu ...
.
Acting
In 1977 Gray branched out into acting on the TV series ''
Number 96
96 (ninety-six) is the natural number following 95 and preceding 97. It is a number that appears the same when turned upside down.
In mathematics
96 is:
* an octagonal number.
* a refactorable number.
* an untouchable number.
* a semiperfe ...
'' as Miss Hemingway. She continued her acting career as a popular television and film actress. She played a guest role in soap opera ''
The Young Doctors
''The Young Doctors'' is an Australian early-evening soap opera originally broadcast on the Nine Network and produced by the Reg Grundy Organisation, it aired from Monday, 8 November 1976 until Wednesday, 30 March 1983.
The series is primar ...
'', acted in the police drama series '' Bellamy'' (1981), and was a regular co-host in an Australian ''
Candid Camera
''Candid Camera'' is a popular and long-running American hidden camera reality television series. Versions of the show appeared on television from 1948 until 2014. Originally created and produced by Allen Funt, it often featured practical jokes ...
'' style television series titled ''
Catch Us If You Can
"Catch Us If You Can" is a 1965 song from The Dave Clark Five, written by group's drummer Dave Clark and guitarist Lenny Davidson. It was the title song for the film of the same name, which was retitled ''Having a Wild Weekend'' in the United ...
''.
Gray started an all-girl cabaret act named ''Deborah Gray and the Flames'' (one of the ''flames'' was future '' Perfect Match'' hostess
Debbie Newsome
Debbie Newsome (born 1960) is a former Australian television personality, married to Mark Learmonth, a mother of two (Tara Pavlovic & Troy Pavlovic) and lives in Central Coast, New South Wales, Australia. Best known for her role as a co-host on ...
). Gray went on to appear on the cover of Australian Playboy and was showcased in its best-selling actor profile and pictorial, and acted in two 1981 feature films, the SAFC funded comedy ''
Pacific Banana
''Pacific Banana'' is a 1981 Australian bawdy comedy film which reunites the star and writer of ''Alvin Purple''.The Best of Friends''. Gray co-wrote and sang the title song from ''
Pacific Banana
''Pacific Banana'' is a 1981 Australian bawdy comedy film which reunites the star and writer of ''Alvin Purple''.Luan Peters
Luan Peters (18 June 1946 – 24 December 2017), also known as Karol Keyes, was an English actress and singer.
Biography
Born Carol Ann Hirsch, she made her stage debut in a pantomime aged four, then went on to win a drama scholarship at the ag ...
.
Music writing, singing, touring, and recording
Gray's first record deal was with Laser Records, an Australian label. "Love Song of O" peaked at number 89 in Australia in January 1978.
In 1982, Gray left Australia to pursue music full time after being offered a record deal and a European tour in the pop duo “Trouble” with
Coconut Records
Coconut Records is a German record label formed in 1981 by producers Tony Hendrik and Karin Hartmann. The label has released multiple genres of music, including dance, schlager, eurodance, electronica, Hi-NRG, Dance-pop and R&B.
Artists
...
, a label of German record company Hansa. She had a European top 40 hit “No Time to Lose”, released the same year. Trouble’s next singles were “Ich Bin Trouble” and “Cosmetic”.
Gray recorded and toured with her bandmate
Luan Peters
Luan Peters (18 June 1946 – 24 December 2017), also known as Karol Keyes, was an English actress and singer.
Biography
Born Carol Ann Hirsch, she made her stage debut in a pantomime aged four, then went on to win a drama scholarship at the ag ...
in Europe throughout 1982 to 1983. She then returned to Australia in 1983 looking to build on the interest in her own solo material (by CBS/Sony New York) and by imagining a sophisticated visual and electronic duo alternative.
Producing
In 1983 Gray formed a musical partnership with fellow musician/producer Roy Nicolson who had returned from producing and writing in the UK. Gray composed and co-produced an albums’ worth of demos with Nicolson. She was signed along with Roy Nicolson by CBS Records Australia. They named their musical partnership ARVO. Their first pop album was entitled “Luna” and was produced at Paradise Studios Sydney and released in Australia 1984.
Gray moved to New York in 1986 to study jazz vocalization and songwriting. She lived there for 9 years, performing in many of the known cabaret and jazz clubs (Maxims,
Blue Note
In jazz and blues, a blue note is a note that—for expressive purposes—is sung or played at a slightly different pitch from standard. Typically the alteration is between a quartertone and a semitone, but this varies depending on the musical co ...
, Bradleys, The Supper Club, Tatou) and recording her first all original jazz CD featuring trumpeter
Roy Hargrove
Roy Anthony Hargrove (October 16, 1969 – November 2, 2018) was an American jazz musician and composer whose principal instruments were the trumpet and flugelhorn. He achieved worldwide acclaim after winning two Grammy Awards for differing styles ...
.
Gray returned to Australia in 1996 and continued her jazz performing and recording . She released her new Jazz CD ”Still Got a Thing” in late 1997 through
Creative Vibes
Creative Vibes was a record label that sourced, signed and released local Australian acts. It also licensed material from overseas and imported CDs and vinyl from around the world and had its own sales and distribution arm.
Creative Vibes was no ...
Label in Australia and performed with her Jazz trio in Australia.
In 2005, Gray produced and hosted the documentary “Wish on a Spell”. She released a DVD internationally by leading American independent distributor
Monterey Media
Monterey Media Inc. (formerly The Monterey Movie Company) started as a home video company founded in 1982 by Scott Mansfield. It was initially financed by Noel C. Bloom, and the titles were distributed by the Family Home Entertainment subsidiary of ...
, in mainstream stores throughout USA, Canada and Australia and through streaming. In 2007, Gray released her new Jazz CD “Jazz Fresh”.
Gray appeared in the FFC funded documentary hosted by American
Pulp Fiction
''Pulp Fiction'' is a 1994 American crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, who conceived it with Roger Avary.See, e.g., King (2002), pp. 185–7; ; Starring John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis, Tim Roth, Ving Rhame ...
director
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American film director, writer, producer, and actor. His films are characterized by stylized violence, extended dialogue, profanity, Black comedy, dark humor, Nonlinear narrative, non-lin ...
titled “
Not Quite Hollywood
''Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation!'' is a 2008 Australian documentary film about the Australian New Wave of 1970s and 1980s low-budget cinema. The film was written and directed by Mark Hartley, who interviewed over ei ...
”, a film homage to the breakthrough days of Australian films of the 70’s and early 80’s.
In 2018, there was renewed international interest from UK and European DJ’s in one of the album tracks “Bikini” and ARVO’s music was re-released internationally on vinyl along with a DJ remix and streaming through “Strangelove Records”.
Author
Gray is an author with books published in Australia and overseas.
Her first book was with
Athena Starwoman
Athena Starwoman (17 July 1945 – 16 December 2004), also known internationally as Miss Starwoman.
She was known as a media astrologer, as well as for her magazine columns and books, her radio and television appearance's and had a phone and on ...
and published in September 1996 titled “How to Turn Your Ex-Boyfriend into a Toad: And Other Spells for Love, Wealth, Beauty, and Revenge”. This was followed by “The Nice Girl's Book of Naughty Spells: Get Rich, Get Lucky, Get Even” in October 1999, “Mini Book of Love Spells” in January 2000, “How To Turn Your Boyfriend Into a Love Slave : And Other Spells to Inspire Passion, Romance & Seduction” in January 2001, “Spells to Get Ahead Pack: All the Magic You Could Possibly Need in One Witchy Pack” in August 2002, “Glamazon: How to Be Fabulous, Famous And Flawless” with Athena Starwoman in January 2003, "How to be a Real Witch", “Kinky Couture” in September 2005, “Mind over Medicine Revealing the Blame Game” in 2011 and "How to Make Bad Things Happen to Awful People" published in the USA and Australia by Hampton Press in 2019. Gray was a contributing author to the academic medical book titled "Perspectives of Complimentary and Alternative Medicines" edited by Professor Ian Olver (published by
Imperial College Press
Imperial College Press (ICP) was formed in 1995 as a partnership between Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine in London and World Scientific publishing.
This publishing house was awarded the rights, by The Nobel Foundation, Swede ...
).
Several of these books have been published in Spanish, German, Czech, and Portuguese.
Gray is also mentioned in two academic papers: Ritual-Design im rezenten Hexendiskurs : Transferprozesse und Konstruktionsformen von Ritualen auf Persönlichen Homepages by Kerstin Radde, and Reinventando tradições : representações e identidades da bruxaria neopagã no Brasil by Janluis Duarte.
Filmography
Television