Wendy Joan Matthews (born 13 January 1960) is a Canadian-born Australian singer-songwriter who has been a member of

Models A model is an informative representation of an object, person or system. The term originally denoted the plans of a building in late 16th-century English, and derived via French and Italian ultimately from Latin ''modulus'', a measure. Models c ...

and Absent Friends and is a solo artist. She released Top 20 hit singles in the 1990s including "

Token Angels "Token Angels" is a song by Australian recording artist Wendy Matthews. It was released in September 1990 as the lead single from her debut solo studio album, '' Émigré''. At the ARIA Music Awards of 1991, the song won the ARIA Award for Br ...

", "

Let's Kiss (Like Angels Do) "Let's Kiss (Like Angels Do)" is a song by Australian recording artist Wendy Matthews. It was released in April 1992 as the third and final single form Matthew's debut solo studio album, ''Émigré''. The song peaked at number 14 on the ARIA Cha ...

", "

The Day You Went Away "The Day You Went Away" is a song originally recorded by the project Soul Family Sensation in 1991. Australian singer-songwriter Wendy Matthews' cover was released in 1992 as the lead single from her second solo studio album, ''Lily'' (1992). Th ...

" and " Friday's Child" with Top 20 albums, '' You've Always Got The Blues'' (duet album with

Kate Ceberano Catherine Yvette Ceberano ( or , born 17 November 1966) is an Australian singer and actress who performs in the soul, jazz, and pop genres, as well as in film and musicals such as '' Jesus Christ Superstar''. Her song " Pash" received a gold ...

), ''

Émigré An ''émigré'' () is a person who has emigrated, often with a connotation of political or social self- exile. The word is the past participle of the French verb ''émigrer'' meaning "to emigrate". French Huguenots Many French Huguenots fled Fr ...

'', ''

Lily ''Lilium'' () is a genus of Herbaceous plant, herbaceous flowering plants growing from bulbs, all with large prominent flowers. They are the true lilies. Lilies are a group of flowering plants which are important in culture and literature in mu ...

'', ''

The Witness Tree ''The Witness Tree'' is the third solo studio album by Australian singer Wendy Matthews, released in Australia by rooArt on 14 November 1994. It is a non-traditional gospel album, with Matthews stating "the spirit of gospel is so uplifting, I have ...

'' and her compilation, ''

Stepping Stones Stepping stones or stepstones are sets of stones arranged to form an improvised causeway that allows a pedestrian to cross a natural watercourse such as a river; or a water feature in a garden where water is allowed to flow between stone steps. U ...

''. She has won six

Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade association representing the Australian recording industry which was established in the 1970s by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing th ...

(ARIA)

Awards An award, sometimes called a distinction, is something given to a recipient as a token of recognition of excellence in a certain field. When the token is a medal, ribbon or other item designed for wearing, it is known as a decoration. An award ...

. According to rock music historian,

Ian McFarlane Ian McFarlane (born 1959) is an Australian music journalist, music historian and author, whose best known publication is the '' Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop'' (1999), which was updated for a second edition in 2017. As a journalist ...

she provides "extraordinary, crystal-clear vocals ..a soulfulness that was the mark of a truly gifted singer". Matthews appeared on three series of '' It Takes Two''—an Australian TV celebrity singing competition—partnered with

Richard Champion Richard Champion (born 14 April 1968 on Yorke Peninsula in Kadina, South Australia) is a former Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League (AFL) and South Australian National Football Leagues (SANFL). Originally from SANFL ...

(2006),

Russell Gilbert Russell Gilbert (born 17 October 1959) is an Australian comedian and actor from Footscray, Victoria, best known for his radio and television appearances, on programs such as '' The Comedy Company'', ''Hey Hey It's Saturday'' and ''Thank God You'r ...

(2007) and

John Mangos John (born 9 July 1956) is an Australian news presenter. Mangos has previously been a news presenter on Sky News Australia. He has also made cameo appearances on the Australian comedy programs ''Pizza (TV series), Pizza'', ''Swift and Shift C ...

(2008). On 27 October 2010, Models were inducted into the

ARIA Hall of Fame In music, an aria (Italian: ; plural: ''arie'' , or ''arias'' in common usage, diminutive form arietta , plural ariette, or in English simply air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrumental or orchestral accompanime ...

by Matthews.

Biography

1960-1981: Early years

Wendy Joan Matthews was born in 1960 in

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

, Quebec, Canada, with

Abenaki The Abenaki (Abenaki: ''Wαpánahki'') are an Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands of Canada and the United States. They are an Algonquian-speaking people and part of the Wabanaki Confederacy. The Eastern Abenaki language was predom ...

(

First Nations First Nations or first peoples may refer to: * Indigenous peoples, for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area. Indigenous groups *First Nations is commonly used to describe some Indigenous groups including: **First Natio ...

tribe), Spanish and Scottish ancestry. Peter and Joan Matthews already had a son, Gary born a year earlier and another son, Glenn followed a year after Matthews. She listened and sang along to

Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan "Joni" Mitchell ( Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian-American musician, producer, and painter. Among the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitchell became known for her sta ...

Linda Ronstadt Linda Maria Ronstadt (born July 15, 1946) is a retired American singer who performed and recorded in diverse genres including rock, country, light opera, the Great American Songbook, and Latin. She has earned 11 Grammy Awards, three American ...

and

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers List ...

records. Her parents separated when she was 14, Peter became a

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

advertising executive and Joan took up yoga instructing near

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

. At the age of 15 Matthews joined friends in the Little Benny Blues Band (named after Little Benny Park where they hung out). She left school at 16 and went

busking Street performance or busking is the act of performing in public places for gratuities. In many countries, the rewards are generally in the form of money but other gratuities such as food, drink or gifts may be given. Street performance is pr ...

across North America including south to Mexico with friends. By 1978, she was in Los Angeles where she busked, made jewellery and worked as a session singer. In February 1981, Matthews sang lead vocal for "Willow Pattern" on

Osamu Kitajima Osamu Kitajima (喜多嶋修), also known by the pseudonym Justin Heathcliff, is a Japanese musician, producer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist. History After studying the classical guitar and the piano as a child, in the 1960s Kitajima wa ...

's album ''Dragon King'' (1982). She met Japanese musician, Hiroshi Sato, and travelled to Japan to record lead vocals for his fourth album, ''Awakening'', which was released in June on

Alfa Records , originally a publisher known as Alfa Music Ltd. and later succeeded by record company Alfa Music Inc., was established in 1969 by composer and record producer Kunihiko Murai. It was formed into an independent record label known as Alfa Record ...

1982–1990: Soundtracks, Rockmelons and Absent Friends

Back in Los Angeles, Australian singer

Glenn Shorrock Glenn Barrie Shorrock (born 30 June 1944) is an English-born Australian singer-songwriter. He was a founding member of rock bands the Twilights, Axiom, Little River Band and post LRB spin-off trio Birtles Shorrock Goble, as well as being a solo ...

(ex-

Little River Band Little River Band (LRB) are a Rock music, rock band originally formed in Melbourne, Australia, in March 1975. The band achieved commercial success in both Australia and the United States. They have sold more than 30 million records; six studi ...

) asked her to provide backing vocals on his solo album ''Villain of the Peace'' (1982) and to join him on his subsequent six-week tour of Australia in 1983. Matthews decided to stay in Sydney at the tour's completion and found herself in demand as a session vocalist and singing jingles. She sang on albums by

Jimmy Barnes James Dixon "Jimmy" Barnes (née Swan; born 28 April 1956) is a Scottish-born Australian rock singer. His career, both as a solo performer and as the lead vocalist with the rock band Cold Chisel, has made him one of the most popular and best- ...

, Richard Clapton,

Tim Finn Brian Timothy Finn (born 25 June 1952) is a New Zealand singer and musician. His musical career includes forming 1970s and 1980s New Zealand rock group Split Enz, a number of solo albums, temporary membership in his brother Neil's band Crowd ...

and Icehouse. After singing backing vocals on Models' 1985 album '' Out of Mind, Out of Sight'', she became a regular vocalist for the band. Matthews and Models' guitarist and vocalist, Sean Kelly, had an 11-year personal relationship. Other backing singers for Models included

and

Zan Abeyratne Suzanne Marguerite Abeyratne (born 1961), who performs as Zan or Xan, is an Australian-based singer born in London. Abeyratne was a co-lead vocalist of I'm Talking (1984–87), alongside Kate Ceberano. She provided lead vocals on their single, ...

, both members of

I'm Talking I'm Talking are an Australian funk-pop music, pop rock band, which featured vocalists Kate Ceberano and Zan Abeyratne. They formed in 1983 in Melbourne and provided top ten hit singles "Trust Me (I'm Talking song), Trust Me", "Do You Wanna Be?" ...

– the two bands often toured together. In 1986, Matthews joined

Peter Blakeley Peter Blakeley is an Australian white soul/adult contemporary singer and songwriter. Blakeley was a lead singer of the Rockmelons in the mid-1980s. He launched a solo career in 1987 and had a massive hit single in Australia in 1989 with "Cryi ...

and The Resurrection, with Blakeley (ex-

Rockmelons Rockmelons, often referred to as the Rockies, were an Australian pop/ dance/ R&B group formed in 1983 in Sydney. Primary members are Bryon Jones, his brother Jonathon Jones and Raymond Medhurst. They had two Australian top five hit singles in ...

) on lead vocals, Chris Abrahams on bass guitar and piano (ex-The Benders), Jim Benjamin on drums and Mark Punch on guitar (

Renée Geyer Renée Rebecca Geyer (born 11 September 1953) is an Australian singer who has long been regarded as one of the finest exponents of jazz, soul and R&B idioms. She had commercial success as a solo artist in Australia, with "It's a Man's Man's Worl ...

Band). Her second album with Models, '' Models' Media'' appeared in December which reached the top 30. In 1985, Matthews recorded vocals for the soundtrack of

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 ...

(ABC) TV series '' Dancing Daze'' (1986) with musical production by

Martin Armiger John Martin Armiger (10 June 1949 – 27 November 2019) was an Australian musician, record producer and composer. He was one of the singer-songwriters and guitarists with Melbourne-based rock band the Sports from August 1978 to late 1981, which ...

. Her tracks were, " Dancing Daze" (duet with Jenny Morris), "Dare to Be Bold", "Might Have Been" (trio with Morris and Mark Williams) and "Lost in a Dancing Daze". First three of her tracks were released as singles but neither they nor the related album, ''Dancing Daze – Rock'' reached the top 50. ABC-TV and Armiger asked Matthews to sing with Ceberano on the soundtrack to the series ''Stringer'' in 1987. The soundtrack '' You've Always Got The Blues'' was released as a duet album by Ceberano and Matthews in April 1988 and reached No. 4 on the Australian

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 January 1999. The chart was re-branded the Australian Music Report (AMR) in July ...

Albums Chart. Matthews was a member of Noel's Cowards, a short term project, including ex-

Split Enz Split Enz were a New Zealand rock band formed in Auckland in 1972 by Tim Finn and Phil Judd and had a variety of other members during its existence. Originally started as a folk-oriented group with quirky art rock stylings, the band built a ...

members

Noel Crombie Geoffrey Noel Crombie (born 17 April 1953) is a New Zealand percussionist and former member of the band Split Enz. He fulfilled multiple roles including costume and hair designer, singer, album cover designer, and music video director. Prior to ...

on drums,

Nigel Griggs Nigel Griggs (born 18 August 1949) is a musician who played bass guitar in Split Enz. He is the brother of Paul Griggs from the 1970s vocal group Guys 'n' Dolls. A professional musician since 1963, Nigel Griggs played in a number of bands, not ...

on bass guitar and

Phil Judd Philip Raymond Judd (born 20 March 1953) is a New Zealand singer-songwriter known for being one of the founders of the bands Split Enz and The Swingers. Split Enz In 1972, Judd and Tim Finn founded the arty folk band Split Enz. In its early ...

on guitar. Noel's Cowards, with Matthews on lead vocals, provided six tracks for the Australian movie ''

Rikky and Pete ''Rikky and Pete'' is a 1988 Australian film directed by Nadia Tass, written by David Parker, and starring Stephen Kearney and Nina Landis. Plot Rikky Menzies (Nina Landis) is an out-of-work geologist and aspiring singer (vocals by Wendy Ma ...

'' (1988). She was featured vocalist on the single "Jump" released in October from Rockmelons' debut album ''

Tales of the City ''Tales of the City'' is a series of nine novels written by American author Armistead Maupin from 1978 to 2014, depicting the life of a group of friends in San Francisco, many of whom are LGBT. The stories from ''Tales'' were originally serial ...

''. ''Tales of the City'' peaked at No. 14 on the

ARIA Albums Chart The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...

. At the

ARIA Music Awards of 1989 The Third Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (generally known as the ARIA Music Awards or simply The ARIAS) was held on 6 March 1989 at the Darling Harbour Convention Centre in Sydney. First Australian host Greedy Smith o ...

, Rockmelons won ' Breakthrough Artist – Album' and ''Stringer'' won ' Best Original Soundtrack / Cast / Show Recording'. Matthews joined the Australian supergroup, Absent Friends, in 1989 with Kelly and James Valentine of Models,

Garry Gary Beers Garry William Beers (born 22 June 1957), known as Garry Gary Beers, is an Australian musician and was the bass guitarist for the new wave rock group INXS. Career Garry William Beers was born to Lola (died 2011) and William Beers. William Beer ...

INXS INXS (a word play, phonetic play on "in excess") were an Australian Rock music, rock band, formed as The Farriss Brothers in 1977 in Sydney, New South Wales. The band's founding members were bassist Garry Gary Beers, main composer and keyboar ...

, Roger Mason and Mick King. She sang lead vocals on "

I Don't Want to Be with Nobody but You "I Don't Want to Be with Nobody but You" is a song originally recorded by Dorothy Moore for her 1976 album ''Misty Blue''. It was written by Eddie Floyd, who recorded his own version in 2008 for the album ''Eddie Loves You So''. Australian band ...

" which reached No. 4 on the ARIA Singles Chart; the related album, ''

Here's Looking Up Your Address ''Here's Looking Up Your Address'' is the debut studio album by Australian rock band Absent Friends. It was released in April 1990 and peaked at number 7 on the ARIA Charts and was certified gold. Track listing All songs written by S. Kelly ex ...

'' peaked at No.7. The band toured Australia and then supported INXS on a European tour. During this period, Matthews continued her session work, singing on the

Cher Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...

album '' Heart of Stone'' in 1989 and on Blakeley's solo album ''

Harry's Cafe de Wheels Harry may refer to: TV shows * ''Harry'' (American TV series), a 1987 American comedy series starring Alan Arkin * ''Harry'' (British TV series), a 1993 BBC drama that ran for two seasons * ''Harry'' (talk show), a 2016 American daytime talk show ...

'' in 1990. Absent Friends disbanded and Matthews pursued her solo career.

1990–1999: Solo Success

In 1990, Matthews recorded her debut solo album ''

'' with the assistance of Absent Friends members, Beers, Kelly, King, Mason, Valentine and

Andrew Duffield Andrew Peter Duffield (born 9 February 1958) is an Australian musician, producer and teacher. He has been a member, on keyboards, synthesisers or electronics, for various groups, including Whirlywirld, Models and Absent Friends. Duffield has a ...

as well as Tim Finn and Blakeley. It was produced by

Ricky Fataar Ricky Fataar (born 5 September 1952) is a South African-English multi-instrumentalist of Cape Malay descent, who has performed as both a drummer and a guitarist. He gained fame as an actor in ''The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash'', a spoof on ...

and released on the

rooArt rooArt was an Australian independent record label, founded in 1988 by INXS's then-manager, Chris Murphy. The label's roster included several well-known Australian bands and artists such as Crow, Ratcat, Screaming Jets, You Am I, Wendy Matthews ...

label owned by INXS manager,

Chris Murphy Christopher Scott Murphy (born August 3, 1973) is an American lawyer, author, and politician serving as the junior United States senator from Connecticut since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served in the United States Hou ...

; ''Émigré'' became a hit, being certified platinum. She won the Australian ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' magazine award for best female vocalist in 1990 for her debut album and her work with Absent Friends. At the

ARIA Music Awards of 1991 The Fifth Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (generally known as the ARIA Music Awards or simply The ARIAS) was held on 25 March 1991 at the Darling Harbour Convention Centre in Sydney. International host Bob Geldof was as ...

, "

" won the

ARIA Award for Single of the Year The ARIA Music Award for Single of the Year/Song of the Year, 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 Austral ...

for Absent Friends; while Matthews won two

ARIA 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 The music of Australia has ...

ARIA Award for Best Female Artist The ARIA Music Award for Best Female Artist, 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 Ind ...

and

ARIA Award for Breakthrough Artist – Single The ARIA Music Award for Breakthrough Artist – Single was an award presented at the annual ARIA Music Awards. It was presented from 1989 through to 2009 and 2011. This, and the ARIA Award for Breakthrough Artist – Album was merged in 2012 t ...

for "

", which hit No. 18. Subsequent hits from the album were " Woman's Gotta Have It" (No. 34) and "

" (No. 14). Her touring band included Paul Abrahams on bass guitar, Amanda Brown on oboe and violin (ex-

The Go-Betweens The Go-Betweens were an Australian indie rock band formed in Brisbane, Queensland, in 1977. The band was co-founded and led by singer-songwriters and guitarists Robert Forster and Grant McLennan, who were its only constant members throughout ...

), Robbie James on guitar (

Ganggajang Ganggajang (styled as GANGgajang) are an Australian pop rock band which formed in 1984. The four founders are frontman Mark 'Cal' Callaghan (ex- Riptides) on guitar and lead vocals, Chris Bailey on bass guitar, Graham 'Buzz' Bidstrup on drums ...

), King on guitar (Absent Friends), Lisa Maxwell on backing vocals, Mark Meyer on drums ( Moving Pictures), Mark O'Connor on keyboards and Valentine on saxophone. On 31 May, she performed at Dallas Brooks Hall, Melbourne which was released as the live album '' The Way It Has to Be'' in October. She also supported the Neville Brothers on their Australian tour. In February–March 1992 Matthews recorded her second solo studio album ''

'' in Los Angeles with

T-Bone Burnett Joseph Henry "T Bone" Burnett III (born January 14, 1948) is an American record producer, guitarist and songwriter. He rose to fame as a guitarist in Bob Dylan's band during the 1970s. He has received multiple Grammy awards for his work in fil ...

producing, it was released on 28 September while she was on tour supporting

Simply Red Simply Red are a British soul and pop band formed in Manchester in 1985. The lead vocalist of the band is singer and songwriter Mick Hucknall, who, by the time the band initially disbanded in 2010, was the only original member left. Since the ...

. Her album peaked at No. 2 and achieved double-platinum in Australia selling over 140,000 copies. The lead single "

" hit No. 2 while the album spawned two further hits in " Friday's Child" (No. 15) and "

If Only I Could "If Only I Could" is a song by American-German singer-songwriter Sydney Youngblood. The track was co-written by Youngblood with Markus Friedrich Staab, Ralf Hamm, and Claus Zundel. In the song, Youngblood evokes "the world of brotherhood and lo ...

" (No. 41). At the ARIA Music Awards of 1992, Matthews was nominated for Best Female Artist. The Canadian CD release of ''Lily'' included a French-language version of "The Day You Went Away". Matthews toured internationally in 1993 including gigs in London, Montreal and New York. She won 'Best Female Artist' for ''Lily'' and both 'Best Single' and ARIA Award for Highest Selling Single for "The Day You Went Away" at the ARIA Music Awards of 1993. Matthews had a film role as a

nightclub singer A nightclub act is a production, usually of nightclub music or comedy, designed for performance at a nightclub, a type of drinking establishment, by a nightclub performer such as a nightclub singer or nightclub dancer, whose performance may ...

in ''Flynn'' (1993) which starred

Guy Pearce Guy Edward Pearce (born 5 October 1967) is an Australian actor. Born in Ely, Cambridgeshire in England, and raised in Geelong, Victoria (Australia), Victoria in Australia, he started his career portraying Mike Young (Neighbours), Mike Young in ...

as Australian-born actor

Errol Flynn Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (20 June 1909 – 14 October 1959) was an Australian-American actor who achieved worldwide fame during the Golden Age of Hollywood. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles, frequent partnerships with Olivia ...

. Matthews released her next album ''

'' on 14 November 1994, featuring the Top 40 hit "

Standing Strong "Standing Strong" is a song by Australian recording artist Wendy Matthews. It was released in September 1994 as the lead single from her third studio album, ''The Witness Tree''. The song peaked at number 37 on the Australian charts. At the APR ...

". The album went platinum selling 100,000 copies and she won her third ARIA award for Best Female Artist at the

ARIA Music Awards of 1994 The Eighth Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (generally known as the ARIA Music Awards or simply The ARIAS) was held on 30 March 1994 at the State Theatre in Sydney. Radio and TV personality Richard Stubbs hosted the ce ...

for "Friday's Child". In 1995, Matthews became an Australian citizen. Her single "Standing Strong" won 'Most Performed Australian Work' at the APRA Awards of 1995. She returned to Canada for a visit before the release of her next album ''

Ghosts A ghost is the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that is believed to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to rea ...

'' in 1997. The single "

Beloved Beloved may refer to: Books * ''Beloved'' (novel), a 1987 novel by Toni Morrison * ''The Beloved'' (Faulkner novel), a 2012 novel by Australian author Annah Faulkner *''Beloved'', a 1993 historical romance about Zenobia, by Bertrice Small Film ...

" from the album peaked at No. 49 on the Australian charts. In 1999, Matthews released ''

'', a greatest hits package which hit No. 4, earning her another platinum certification. According to rock music historian,

in his ''

Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop ''The Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop'' or ''Rock and Pop'' by Australian music journalist Ian McFarlane is a guide to Australian popular music from the 1950s to the late 1990s. The book has a similar title to the 1978 work by Noel McGra ...

'', Matthews provides "extraordinary, crystal-clear vocals ..a soulfulness that was the mark of a truly gifted singer".

2000–present: Music, TV and other activies

In 2000, Matthews joined the cast of a new Australian musical theatre production of ''

Godspell ''Godspell'' is a musical composed by Stephen Schwartz with book by John-Michael Tebelak. The show is structured as a series of parables, primarily based on the Gospel of Matthew, interspersed with music mostly set to lyrics from traditional hymn ...

'' alongside

Angry Anderson Gary Stephen "Angry" Anderson (born 5 August 1947) is an Australian rock singer, songwriter, television personality and actor. He has been the lead vocalist with the hard rock band Rose Tattoo since 1976. As a solo artist, he is best known f ...

Debra Byrne Debra Anne Byrne (born 30 March 1957), formerly billed as Debbie Byrne, is an Australian pop singer, variety entertainer, theatre and TV actress and writer, director and choreographer of cabaret. From April 1971 to March 1975 she was a founding ...

, Marie Wilson,

Fiona Horne Fiona Horne (born 1966 in Sydney) is the former lead singer of 1990s Australian electro-rock band, Def FX, before continuing on to author several best-selling books on Modern Witchcraft. She is a popular radio and television personality, appe ...

Belinda Emmett Belinda Jane Emmett (12 April 1974 – 11 November 2006) was an Australian actress and singer. She was best known for her roles in the TV drama series '' Home and Away'' and '' All Saints'' as well as the sitcom '' Hey Dad..!''. She was married ...

Paul Mercurio Paul Joseph Mercurio (born 31 March 1963) is an Australian actor, dancer, TV presenter and politician. Mercurio is best known for his lead role in '' Strictly Ballroom'' 1992 and his role as a judge on TV series ''Dancing with the Stars''. H ...

and

Terence Trent D'Arby Sananda Francesco Maitreya (born Terence Trent Howard; March 15, 1962), who started his career with the stage name Terence Trent D'Arby, is an American singer and songwriter who came to fame with his debut studio album, '' Introducing the Hardl ...

. In February, with rehearsals commencing, Matthews released her cover of " Day by Day" but financial difficulties prevented the musical from being staged. She contributed "Pure Inspiration" to ''Olympic Record'' – an album for the

Sydney Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 (Dharug language, Dharug: ''Gadigal 2000''), the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport ...

by various Australian artists. In 2001, Matthews relocated from Sydney to a property near

Coffs Harbour Coffs Harbour is a city on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia, north of Sydney, and south of Brisbane. It is one of the largest urban centres on the North Coast, with a population of 78,759 as per 2021 census. The Gumbaynggirr ...

on the

Mid North Coast The Mid North Coast is a country region in the north-east of the state of New South Wales, Australia. The region covers the mid northern coast of the state, beginning from Port Stephens north of Sydney, and extending as far north as Woolgoolg ...

of New South Wales. Her solo album, ''

Beautiful View Beautiful View is the seventh studio album released by Australian singer Wendy Matthews released by BMG in Australia on 7 May 2001. It yielded three singles "Free", "Beautiful View" and "Like the Sun". Matthews wrote the majority of the albu ...

'', was released on 17 July and made the Top 40. Produced by Michael Szumowski, it was her first with BMG records, and included three singles, "Free", "Beautiful View" and "Like the Sun" which did not reach the top 50. A limited edition of ''Beautiful View'' included a bonus six-track disc. In 2003, Matthews sang a duet with

Rod Stewart Sir Roderick David Stewart (born 10 January 1945) is a British rock and pop singer and songwriter. Born and raised in London, he is of Scottish and English ancestry. With his distinctive raspy singing voice, Stewart is among the best-selling ...

on the track "

My Heart Stood Still "My Heart Stood Still" is a 1927 popular song composed by Richard Rodgers, with lyrics by Lorenz Hart. It was written for the Charles Cochran revue ''One Dam' Thing after Another'', which opened at the London Pavilion on May 19, 1927. The sho ...

" on the Australian release of his album '' As Time Goes By: The Great American Songbook, Volume II''. She released her own covers album, ''

Café Naturale ''Café Naturale'' is the seventh studio album by singer Wendy Matthews, released by BMG in Australia on 24 May 2004. It is an album of cover songs chosen by Matthews and the album's producer, Michael Szumowski. Matthews enjoyed recording this ...

'' in May 2004. Matthews explained why she recorded it acoustically, "To keep creative you have to break down your own personal barriers. With this record that meant moving away from pop and crafting something instrument-driven, something that feels like me playing live". The album includes acoustic versions of U2's "One" from the ''

Achtung Baby ''Achtung Baby'' () is the seventh studio album by Irish rock band U2. It was produced by Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno, and was released on 18 November 1991 on Island Records. After criticism of their 1988 release ''Rattle and Hum'', U2 shifte ...

'' and

Massive Attack Massive Attack are an English trip hop collective formed in 1988 in Bristol by Robert "3D" Del Naja, Adrian "Tricky" Thaws, Andrew "Mushroom" Vowles and Grant "Daddy G" Marshall. The debut Massive Attack album ''Blue Lines'' was release ...

's "

Protection Protection is any measure taken to guard a thing against damage caused by outside forces. Protection can be provided to physical objects, including organisms, to systems, and to intangible things like civil and political rights. Although th ...

" from the album of the same name. The first single "All I Need" is a version of the

Air The atmosphere of Earth is the layer of gases, known collectively as air, retained by Earth's gravity that surrounds the planet and forms its planetary atmosphere. The atmosphere of Earth protects life on Earth by creating pressure allowing f ...

song from the ''

Moon Safari ''Moon Safari'' is the debut studio album by French electronic music duo Air, released on 16 January 1998 by Source and Virgin Records. ''Moon Safari'' was re-released on 14 April 2008 to mark the album's 10th anniversary, including a bound book ...

'' album. Matthews' album debuted in the top 50 of the ARIA charts. Matthews embarked on the national Fallen Angels Tour during May–June 2008 and then co-headlined with

Ian Moss Ian Richard Moss (born 20 March 1955) is an Australian rock musician from Alice Springs. He is the founding mainstay guitarist and occasional singer of Cold Chisel. In that group's initial eleven year phase from 1973 to 1984, Moss was recorded ...

in October–November. On 8 November, Matthews released the album ''

She She most commonly refers to: *She (pronoun), the third person singular, feminine, nominative case pronoun in modern English. She or S.H.E. may also refer to: Literature and films *'' She: A History of Adventure'', an 1887 novel by H. Rider Hagga ...

'' on her own independent record label, Barking Bear. The album is a personal collection of favourite songs by women who have inspired her,

Bonnie Raitt Bonnie Lynn Raitt (; born November 8, 1949) is an American blues singer and guitarist. In 1971, Raitt released her self-titled debut album. Following this, she released a series of critically acclaimed roots-influenced albums that incorporated ...

Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the " Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in ''Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". With ...

Emmylou Harris Emmylou Harris (born April 2, 1947) is an American singer, songwriter and musician. She has released dozens of albums and singles over the course of her career and has won 14 Grammys, the Polar Music Prize, and numerous other honors, including ...

, Chrissie Hynde,

Buffy Sainte-Marie Buffy Sainte-Marie, (born Beverly Sainte-Marie, February 20, 1941) is an Indigenous Canadian-American ( Piapot Cree Nation) singer-songwriter, musician, composer, visual artist, educator, pacifist, and social activist. While working in these ...

Lucinda Williams Lucinda Gayle Williams (born January 26, 1953) is an American singer-songwriter and a solo guitarist. She recorded her first two albums: '' Ramblin' on My Mind'' (1979) and '' Happy Woman Blues'' (1980), in a traditional country and blues style ...

and

Jane Siberry Jane Siberry ( ; ; born 12 October 1955) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, known for such hits as " Mimi on the Beach", "I Muse Aloud", "One More Colour" and "Calling All Angels". She performed the theme song to the television series ''Maniac Ma ...

. In June 2010, she combined with country musician,

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 ...

for the Both Sides Tour. In October 2010, Matthews performed at the Opening Ceremony of the Alice Springs Masters Games. On 27 October, her former band, Models were inducted into the

by Matthews. The line-up of Duffield, Ferrie, Kelly, Mason, Price and Valentine performed "I Hear Motion" and "Evolution". Matthews recalled meeting the group for the first time at a recording session – she was due to provide backing vocals but they were busy playing indoor cricket in the studio. Matthews independently released ''Billie and Me: The White Room Sessions'' on 27 July 2015. The live album, available through her official website only, was recorded in the winter of 2012 with Brendan St Ledger on piano and Greg Royal on standup bass. The album celebrates the centenary year birth of Billie Holiday, who Matthews describes Holiday as an "iconic woman whose soul and music has been long admired." In November 2016, Matthews featured on the Catherine Britt single, "F U Cancer" alongside

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. ...

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 ...

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� ...

Josh Pyke Joshua Jon Pyke (born 18 December 1977) is an Australian singer-songwriter, producer, musician and children's book author. Biography Josh Pyke is a prolific songwriter, with a successful and critically acclaimed career both domestically and ove ...

and

Wes Carr Wesley Dean "Wes" Carr (born 14 September 1982), also recording as Buffalo Tales, is an Australian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, best known for winning the sixth season of ''Australian Idol'' in 2008. He released his first studi ...

TV appearances

Matthews has appeared on three series of Channel Seven's celebrity singing competition '' It Takes Two''. The first series premiered on 28 May 2006, she was partnered by former

Australian Rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...

er,

, they were voted off in week six. On 1 May 2007, ahead of the second series, Matthews, David Hobson and

Troy Cassar-Daley Troy Cassar-Daley (born 18 May 1969) is an Australian country music songwriter and entertainer. Cassar-Daley has released thirteen studio albums, two live albums and five compilation albums over 30 years, including the platinum-selling ''The G ...

sang "

Got to Get You into My Life "Got to Get You into My Life" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, first released in 1966 on their album ''Revolver''. It was written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The song is a homage to the Motown Sound, wit ...

" on celebrity dancing competition ''

Dancing with the Stars ''Dancing with the Stars'' is the name of various international television series based on the format of the British TV series '' Strictly Come Dancing'', which is distributed by BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the forma ...

'' grand final, which was won by Ceberano and her professional dance partner John Paul Collins. ''It Takes Two'' second series premiered on 8 May, where Matthews was paired with comedian

, they were voted off in week four of the competition. The third series commenced on 12 February 2008 with

, news reader for ''

Sky News Australia Sky News Australia is an Australian news channel owned by News Corp Australia. Originally launched on 19 February 1996, it broadcasts rolling news coverage throughout the day, while its prime time lineup is dedicated to opinion-based programs f ...

'', and Matthews being voted off in week two. Matthews appeared on the TV show '' RocKwiz'' on 1 November 2008, she performed Toto's " Hold the Line" as a duet with Johnny Galvatron from The Galvatrons.

Discography

*'' You've Always Got The Blues'' (duet album with

) (1988) *''

'' (1990) *'' The Way It Has to Be'' (1991) *''

'' (1992) *''

'' (1994) *''

'' (1997) *''

'' (2001) *''

'' (2004) *''

'' (2008) * '' The Welcome Fire'' (2013) * ''Billie and Me: The White Room Sessions'' (2015)

Awards and nominations

APRA Awards

The APRA Awards are presented annually from 1982 by the

Australasian Performing Right Association APRA AMCOS consists of Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) and Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS), both copyright management organisations or copyright collectives which jointly represent over 100,000 songwr ...

(APRA). , - ,

APRA Music Awards of 1995 The Australasian Performing Right Association Awards of 1995 (generally known as APRA Awards) are a series of awards held in May 1995. The APRA Music Awards were presented by Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) and the Australas ...

, , "Standing Strong" – (Wendy Matthews, Glenn Skinner) , , Most Performed Australian Work , , , -

ARIA 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 presented annually from 1987 by the

(ARIA). Matthews has won six awards from twenty-two nominations as a solo artist. , - ,

1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, k ...

, , " Dancing Daze" , ,

, , , - , rowspan="3", 1989 , , rowspan="3", '' You've Always Got The Blues'' (with Kate Ceberano) , , Best Female Artist , , , - , , Best Adult Contemporary Album , , , - , ,

ARIA Award for Best Jazz Album The ARIA Music Award for Best Jazz Album is an award presented within the Fine Arts Awards at the annual ARIA Music Awards. The award for Best Jazz Album was first presented in 1987, when George Golla Orchestra, received a trophy for their album, ...

, , , - , rowspan="5",

1991 File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phil ...

, , rowspan="2", ''

'' , , Best Female Artist , , , - , , ARIA Award for Breakthrough Artist – Album , , , - , rowspan="2", " (I Don't Want to Be With) Nobody but You – ( Absent Friends featuring Wendy Matthew) , ,

, , , - , rowspan="2",

, , , - , , "

" , , , - ,

1992 File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...

, , "

" , , Best Female Artist , , , - , rowspan="5", 1993 , , rowspan="3", ''

'' , , Album of the Year , , , - , ,

ARIA Award for Highest Selling Album The ARIA Music Award 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 industr ...

, , , - , , Best Female Artist , , , - , rowspan="2", "

" , , Single of the Year , , , - , , ARIA Award for Highest Selling Single , , , - , rowspan=2",

1994 File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which Sinking of the MS Estonia, sank in ...

, , " Friday's Child" , , Best Female Artist , , , - , ''Lily'' , , Highest Selling Album , , , - , rowspan="2",

1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is O. J. Simpson murder case, acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the 1994, year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The ...

, , ''

'' , , Best Adult Contemporary Album , , , - , ''The Witness Tree'' , , Highest Selling 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 ...

, , "Then I Walked Away" , , Best Female Artist , , , - , rowspan="2", 1998 , , ''

'' , , Best Adult Contemporary Album , , , - , ''Ghosts'' except "Halcyon Days" – Tony Espie , , Engineer of the Year , , , - , ,

2001 The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a Participants in ...

, , ''

'' , , Best Adult Contemporary Album , , , - Matthews has also won awards as a member of

) and project (''Stringers'' soundtrack album, ''You've Always Got the Blues – Songs from the ABC TV Series "Stringer"''). , - , rowspan="2", 1989 , , ''

'' , , Breakthrough Artist – Album , , , - , ''

Stringer Stringer may refer to: Structural elements * Stringer (aircraft), or longeron, a strip of wood or metal to which the skin of an aircraft is fastened * Stringer (slag), an inclusion, possibly leading to a defect, in cast metal * Stringer (stairs), ...

'' various Australia (

, Matthews,

Joy Smithers Joy Smithers (born 15 July 1963) is an Australian actress, best known for her acting performances on television, and her role as a television news presenter, such as with MTV Australia in the late 1980s. Her credits include: ''All The Way'', ' ...

) , , Best Original Soundtrack/Cast/Show Album , , , -

Country Music Awards of Australia

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 Tamworth Country Music Festival, in

Tamworth, New South Wales Tamworth is a city and administrative centre of the north-western region of New South Wales, Australia. Situated on the Peel River (New South Wales), Peel River within the local government area of the Tamworth Regional Council, it is the largest ...

, celebrating recording excellence in the Australian country music industry. Matthews has won one awards from one nominations. , - , 2017 , , "F U Cancer" , , Vocal Collaboration of the Year , , , -

Mo Awards

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. Wendy Matthews won one award in that time. (wins only) , - , 1990 , Wendy Matthews , Female Rock Performer of the Year , , -

Rolling Stone Awards

The Rolling Stone Awards. (wins only) , - , 1990 , Wendy Matthews , Best Female Vocalist , , -

References

;General * Note: Archived on-line copy has limited functionality. * Note: on-line version established a
White Room Electronic Publishing Pty Ltd
in 2007 and was expanded from the 2002 edition. ;Specific

External links

* *

Wendy Matthews biography Wendy is a given name now generally given to girls in English-speaking countries. In Britain, Wendy appeared as a masculine name in a parish record in 1615. It was also used as a surname in Britain from at least the 17th century. Its popularity ...

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Matthews, Wendy 1960 births Abenaki people Absent Friends (band) members ARIA Award winners Australian women singer-songwriters Australian people of First Nations descent Australian people of Scottish descent Australian people of Spanish descent Canadian emigrants to Australia Canadian women singer-songwriters Canadian singer-songwriters Canadian people of Scottish descent Canadian people of Spanish descent Living people Models (band) members Singers from Montreal Singers from Sydney