Dead Ringer Band were an Australian family country music band. They are best known for their ARIA Award-winning album '' Home Fires'' which won the Best Country Album at the ARIA Music Awards of 1996.

Background and formation

Dead Ringer Band had its roots in the husband and wife team of

Bill Bill(s) may refer to: Common meanings * Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States) * Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature * Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer * Bill, a bird or animal's beak Plac ...

and Diane Chambers. Shortly after the birth of their second child Kasey in 1976, and with their three-year-old son Nash, the family moved to central Australia's Nullarbor Plain. The Chambers earned a living by hunting and trapping rabbits and foxes that raided Nullarbor poultry farms, then selling the pelts. The Chambers home-schooled Nash and Kasey, and taught them American folk and country music by the Carter Family, Jimmy Rogers,

Hank Williams Hank Williams (born Hiram Williams; September 17, 1923 – January 1, 1953) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. Regarded as one of the most significant and influential American singers and songwriters of the 20th century, he reco ...

, Townes Van Zandt and Gram Parsons, as well as Australian country artists,

Slim Dusty Slim Dusty, AO MBE (born David Gordon Kirkpatrick; 13 June 1927 – 19 September 2003) was an Australian country music singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer. He was an Australian cultural icon and one of the country's most awarded stars, ...

, Buddy Williams and

Tex Morton Tex Morton (born Robert William Lane in Nelson, New Zealand, also credited as Robert Tex Morton; 30 August 1916 – 23 July 1983) was a pioneer of New Zealand and Australian country and western music, vaudevillian, actor, television host and ...

. In 1986 the family moved to Southend, located on the southern coast of Australia, and they began playing as a band at local public houses. The quartet, initially billed under Bill's name, released two albums, ''Sea Eagle'' in 1987 and ''Kindred Spirit'' in 1991, before changing their name to Dead Ringer Band with teenager, Kasey as the group's lead singer. During those years, the Chambers family lived a nomadic lifestyle.

Commercial releases

In 1992 Dead Ringer Band self-released their debut

extended play An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record.

, ''A Matter of Time''. In November 1993, the band released a debut album, ''Red Desert Sky'', which included 17-year-old Kasey's first recorded song writing effort. At that time, Bill provided lead guitars, Diane on bass guitar, Nash on rhythm guitar and harmony vocals, and Kasey on rhythm guitar and lead vocals. At the Country Music Association Awards of 1995, the group won the award for Vocal Group or Duo of the Year with their song, "Family Man". The band's second studio album, '' Home Fires'', was released in 1995, which featured the single, "Australian Son", which spent seven weeks on the country charts. At the ARIA Music Awards of 1996, the band won Best Country Album for ''Home Fires''. In 1997, the band's third studio album, ''

Living in the Circle ''Living in the Circle'' is the third studio album by Australian country music band Dead Ringer Band. The album was released in June 1997 and became the band's first charting album, peaking at number 86 on the ARIA Charts. At the ARIA Music Aw ...

'', was released and became the band's first charting release. Geoffrey Himes observed that it, "makes it clear that Kasey was the Dead Ringer Band's most valuable asset. At 21, her voice had blossomed into the dramatic instrument it is today. And her songwriting—especially on 'Things Don't Come Easy', 'The Last Generation' and 'Already Gone' had found the simple, emotionally naked approach that proved the perfect vehicle for her voice". At the ARIA Music Awards of 1997, the album was nominated for Best Country Album. Contractually obligated to provide another album for their label, Massive Records, the Dead Ringer Band released, ''Hopeville'', in 1998 consisting entirely of songs by other writers. Following ''Hopeville'', Bill and Diane Chambers separated and subsequently divorced, and the Dead Ringer Band broke up. Dead Ringer Band's contract with

EMI Australia 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 ...

that included a solo contract for Kasey.

Band members

* Bill Chambers (lead guitars) *Diane Chambers (bass guitars) *

Nash Chambers Nash Chambers (born 8 May 1974, Mount Gambier) is an Australian record producer, talent manager, audio engineer and multi-instrumentalist. He is a former member of the family country music group, Dead Ringer Band (1986–98), with his father Bil ...

(rhythm guitar and harmony vocals) *

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. ...

(rhythm guitar and vocals)

Discography

Studio albums

Compilation albums

Extended plays

Awards

ARIA Music Awards

The

ARIA Music Awards The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (commonly known informally as ARIA Music Awards, ARIA Awards, or simply the ARIAs) is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Austr ...

are an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of

Australian music The music of Australia has an extensive history made of music societies. Indigenous Australian music forms a significant part of the unique heritage of a 40,000- to 60,000-year history which produced the iconic didgeridoo. Contemporary fusions of ...

. Dead Ringer Band won one awards from two nominations. , - ,

1996 File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A Centennial Olympic Park bombing, bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical Anti-abortion violence, anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 8 ...

, ''Home Fires'' , Best Country Album , , - ,

1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of t ...

, ''Living in the Circle'' , Best Country Album , , -

CMAA Awards

The CMAA Country Music Awards of Australia also known as the Golden Guitar Awards is an annual awards night held in January during the Tamworth Country Music Festival, in Tamworth, New South Wales, celebrating recording excellence in the Australian country music industry. Dead Ringer Band have won four awards. , - , 1995 , "Family Man" , Vocal Group or Duo of the Year , , - , rowspan="2", 1998 , "Living in the Circle" , APRA Song of the Year , , - , "Living in the Circle" , Vocal Group or Duo of the Year , , - , 1999 , "Saddle Boy" , Vocal Group or Duo of the Year , , -

Mo Awards

The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards (commonly known informally as the Mo Awards), were annual Australian entertainment industry awards. They recognise achievements in live entertainment in Australia from 1975 to 2016. Dead Ringer Band won five awards in that time. (wins only) , - , 1995 , Dead Ringer Band , Country Group of the Year , , - , 1996 , Dead Ringer Band , Country Group of the Year , , - , 1997 , Dead Ringer Band , Country Group of the Year , , - , 1998 , Dead Ringer Band , Country Group of the Year , , - , 1999 , Dead Ringer Band , Country Group of the Year , , -

References

{{reflist ARIA Award winners 1986 establishments in Australia 1998 disestablishments in Australia Australian country music groups