Felicity Ann Urquhart (born 4 May 1976) is an Australian country and western music singer-songwriter, and a TV and radio presenter. Her single "Big Black Cloud", co-written with

Randy Scruggs Randy Lynn Scruggs (August 3, 1953 – April 17, 2018) was an American music producer, songwriter and guitarist. He had his first recording at the age of 13. He won four Grammy Awards and was named Musician of the Year at the Country Music ...

, reached No. 1 on Country Tracks National Top 30 Singles Chart in 2007. She has won numerous awards including a

Centenary Medal The Centenary Medal is an award which was created by the Australian Government in 2001. It was established to commemorate the centenary of the Federation of Australia and to recognise "people who made a contribution to Australian society or go ...

in 2001 "For service to Australian society through country music". Urquhart married musician and producer Glen Hannah in March 2009. She has been the host of country music show ''

Saturday Night Country ''Saturday Night Country'' is a weekly Australian country music radio program. It is produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principal ...

'' on

Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principally funded by direct grants from the Australian Government and is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a publicly-own ...

Local Radio since March 2010. Since 2015, Urquhart has been part of the group Bennett Bowtell Urquhart

Early life

Felicity Ann Urquhart was born on 4 May 1976 to Rex, an upholsterer, and Patricia "Trish" Urquhart. She grew up in Tamworth in rural

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

. Her maternal grandfather, Ernie Walmsley, was a jockey turned horse-trainer and with her grandmother, Anne, ran a pub in

Bingara Bingara (Aboriginal for 'creek') is a small town on the Gwydir River in Murchison County in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. Bingara is currently the administrative centre for the Gwydir Shire that was created in 2003. The ...

. Urquhart began busking in Peel Street, Tamworth during the

Tamworth Country Music Festival The Tamworth Country Music Festival is an annual Australian music festival held for 10 days from Friday to Sunday in mid to late January each year, sometimes including Australia Day, in Tamworth, New South Wales. The festival is the second bigg ...

at the age of 11. Aside from learning guitar, Urquhart had piano lessons and performed in musicals.

Career

In 1992 Urquhart released her debut self-titled album, ''Felicity Urquhart'' on Tamworth-based Hadley Records. Her second album, ''Follow Me'' appeared in 1995 on Radio Friendly Music. ''Nothing to Hide'' was released in 1999 on

EMI EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At the time of its break-up in 201 ...

with ''New Shadow'' issued in 2001. On 1 January she was awarded a

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

John Howard John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939) is an Australian former politician who served as the 25th prime minister of Australia from 1996 to 2007, holding office as leader of the Liberal Party. His eleven-year tenure as prime minister is the s ...

. Urquhart performed with

western swing Western swing music is a subgenre of American country music that originated in the late 1920s in the Western United States, West and Southern United States, South among the region's Western music (North America), Western string bands. It is dan ...

group Feral Swing Katz at the Gympie National Country Music Muster in August – the performance was broadcast a year later on ''Live on Stage'' by ABC Radio National with

Vince Jones Vincent Hugh Jones (born 24 March 1954) is an Australian jazz singer, songwriter, and trumpet, flugelhorn and flumpet player. His music includes both original material and new contemporary versions of jazz standards. His themes are often lov ...

presenting. In 2002, she travelled to

Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...

to record tracks for a future album with Hannah providing acoustic guitar, harmony vocals and song writing. Album plans fell through and Urquhart left EMI. She recorded a six-track extended play, ''Turn out the Light'' on

Shock Records Shock Records (now part of Shock Entertainment) is an Australian independent record label. History The three founding members had all previously worked in music retail or distribution: Williams for a Melbourne distribution company called "Musi ...

which was released in 2004. Shock Records distributed ''My Life'' in 2006, which was produced by Hannah (ex-

Kasey Chambers Kasey Chambers (born 4 June 1976) is an Australian country singer-songwriter and musician born in Mount Gambier. She is the daughter of fellow musicians, Diane and Bill Chambers, and the younger sister of musician and producer, Nash Chambers. ...

touring band). Her single "Big Black Cloud", co-written with

, appeared in November and reached No.1 on Country Tracks National Top 30 Singles Chart on 24 January 2007. On 5 September, Urquhart performed for John Howard, United States President George W Bush and Australian Defence Force personnel at a barbecue on Garden Island. Urquhart released ''Landing Lights'' upon return to Australia. Internationally she has opened for country music legends

Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album ''Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of ''Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and '' Stardust'' (197 ...

and

Waylon Jennings Waylon Jennings (June 15, 1937 – February 13, 2002) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. He pioneered the Outlaw Movement in country music. Jennings started playing guitar at the age of eight and performed at age f ...

. From 2005 to 2009, Urquhart was a presenter on '' Sydney Weekender'', a travel show on

Seven Network The Seven Network (commonly known as Channel Seven or simply Seven) is a major Australian commercial free-to-air Television broadcasting in Australia, television network. It is owned by Seven West Media, Seven West Media Limited, and is one of ...

. She has been the host of country music show ''Saturday Night Country'' on

Local Radio across Australia since March 2010. She had previously filled-in for retiring host John Nutting who had picked her as his replacement. In 2015, Urquhart formed the group Bennett Bowtell Urquhart with Kevin Bennett and

Lyn Bowtell Lyn Bowtell (born 1977) is an Australian singer-songwriter from Kleinton, Queensland. She has won ten Golden Guitar Awards at the Country Music Awards of Australia. She was primary songwriter and singer for the pop country trio, Bella (2002� ...

. In 2019, ten year since her last solo album, Urquhart released ''Frozen Rabbit''. In January 2020, Urquhart and

Josh Cunningham Joshua Hayden Cunningham is an Australian guitarist, vocalist and songwriter who is one-third of folk rock band the Waifs. Note: nlineversion established at White Room Electronic Publishing Pty Ltd in 2007 and was expanded from the 2002 edition. ...

were invited to join Song Club—a creative collective that tasked members with writing a song a week. Nine of these weekly tracks were recorded and released in May 2021 on the album, ''The Song Club''.

Personal life

In 2001, she met Glen Hannah who became her boyfriend. Urquhart and Hannah married on 10 March 2009 in

Vanuatu Vanuatu ( or ; ), officially the Republic of Vanuatu (french: link=no, République de Vanuatu; bi, Ripablik blong Vanuatu), is an island country located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is east of no ...

. She lives in

Avoca Beach Avoca Beach is a coastal suburb of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia, about north of Sydney. Avoca Beach is primarily a residential suburb, Avoca Beach is also a popular tourist destination. Avoca Beach is known for its ...

on the New South Wales Central Coast.

Discography

Studio albums

Charted singles

Awards and nominations

AIR Awards

The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known informally as

AIR Awards The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known informally as AIR Awards) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector. History The inaugural 2006 awards were held at ...

) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector. , - ,

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

, ''My Life'' , AIR Best Independent Country Release , , - ,

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...

, ''Frozen Rabbit'' , AIR Best Independent Country Album , , - ,

2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...

, ''The Song Club'' (with Josh Cunningham) , Best Independent Country Album or EP ,

ARIA Music Awards

, - ,

2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...

, , ''Landing Lights'' , ,

ARIA Award for Best Country Album The ARIA Music Award for Best Country Album, is an award presented at the annual ARIA Music Awards, which recognises "the many achievements of Aussie artists across all music genres", since 1987. It is handed out by the Australian Recording Indus ...

, , , - ,

2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...

, , ''Frozen Rabbit'' , , Best Country Album , , , - ,

2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...

, , ''The Song Club'' (with Josh Cunningham) , , Best Country Album , , , -

Australian Club Entertainment Awards

, - , 1998 , , Felicity Urquhart , , Country Female Performer , , , - , 1999 , , Felicity Urquhart , , Country Female Performer , , , - , 2000 , , Felicity Urquhart , , Country Female Performer , , , - , 2001 , , Felicity Urquhart , , Country Female Performer , , , - , 2002 , , Felicity Urquhart , , Country Female Performer , , , - , 2003 , , Felicity Urquhart , , Country Female Performer , , , - , 2005 , , Felicity Urquhart , , Country Female Performer , , , - , 2006 , , Felicity Urquhart , , Country Female Performer , , , - , 2007 , , Felicity Urquhart , , Country Female Performer , , , - , 2008 , , Felicity Urquhart , , Country Female Performer , , , - , 2009 , , Felicity Urquhart , , Country Female Performer , , , -

Australian Independent Country Music Awards

, - , 2004 , , ''Turn out the Light'' , , Australian Independent Female Vocalist of the Year , , , - , rowspan="2", 2006 , , ''My Life'' , , Australian Independent Album of the Year , , , - , "The Flood" , , Australian Independent Female Vocalist of the Year , , , -

Australian Songwriters' Association

, - , 2005 , , Felicity Urquhart & Glen Hannah – "The Flood" , , Country Songwriter of the Year , , , -

Country Music Awards (CMAA)

The

Country Music Awards of Australia The Country Music Awards of Australia also known as the Golden Guitar Awards (originally named Australasian Country Music Awards) is an annual awards night held in January during the Tamworth Country Music Festival, in Tamworth, New South Wales ...

(CMAA) (also known as the Golden Guitar Awards) is an annual awards night held in January during the

, celebrating recording excellence in the Australian country music industry. They have been held annually since 1973. , - , rowspan="2", 2001 , , Felicity Urquhart, , The Australian Country Music Hands of Fame , , , - , Felicity Urquhart (with

Beccy Cole Beccy Cole (born Rebecca Diane Thompson, 27 October 1972), also known as Beccy Sturtzel, Rebecca Diane Albeck and Bec O'Donovan, is an Australian country music singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. She has released ten studio albums, wi ...

, Darren Coggan &

Adam Harvey Adam Harvey (born 21 December 1974) is an Australian country music singer. Harvey has sold over half a million records, has been nominated five times for an ARIA Music Award and has won nine golden guitars at the Country Music Awards of Aust ...

) – "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind" , , Vocal Collaboration of the Year , , , - , 2006 , , Felicity Urquhart , , Independent Entertainer of the Year , , , - , rowspan="2", 2007 , , "Big Black Cloud" , , Video Clip of the Year , , , - , Felicity Urquhart , , Independent Entertainer of the Year , , , - , 2010 , , "Roller Coaster" , , Female Vocalist of the Year , , , - , rowspan="5", 2020, , ''Frozen Rabbit'' , , Traditional Country Album of the Year , , , - , ''Frozen Rabbit'' , , Female Artist of the Year, , , - , ''Frozen Rabbit'' , , Album of the Year, , , - , "Chain of Joy" , , Song of the Year, , , - , "Chain of Joy" , , Single of the Year, , , -

Mo Award

The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards (commonly known informally as the

Mo Awards The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards (commonly known informally as the Mo Awards) were an annual Australian entertainment industry award, that where established in 1975, to recognise achievements in live entertainment in Australia. They were l ...

), were annual Australian entertainment industry awards. They recognise achievements in live entertainment in Australia from 1975 to 2016. Urquhart won two awards in that time. , - , 1995 , , Felicity Urquhart , , Female Country Performer of the Year , , , - , 1997 , , Felicity Urquhart , , Female Country Performer of the Year , , , -

References

External links

Profile on ABC Local

at Tamworth rage page {{DEFAULTSORT:Urquhart, Felicity 1976 births Living people Australian country singers Australian DJs Australian radio personalities People from Tamworth, New South Wales 21st-century Australian singers EMI Classics and Virgin Classics artists Australian television personalities 20th-century Australian women singers Australian songwriters Australian women radio presenters Australian women television presenters