renee geyer
Renée Geyer's past is Australian music history. Her career has spanned four decades and is still going strong. A precocious jazz, blues and soul singer in her late teens; Countdown royalty in her 20s; a string of pop, soul and reggae hits spanning the 70s and 80s; her LA years in the studio with the likes of Stevie Wonder, Sting, Joe Cocker and Chaka Kahn; her 90s renaissance with Paul Kelly. She is a singer, a songwriter, producer, and author.
Her career began around 1971 in Sydney, when a girlfriend took her along to the rehearsal of friends who were forming a band. From there, things began to snowball. Her reputation found its way to America and led to an invitation to record an album in Los Angeles with famed Mowtown producer Frank Wilson. While the Movin' Along album provided another hit at home, in America Heading in the Right Direction created confusion. R&B stations loved the record, but didn't know what to do when they discovered Geyer was a white Jewish girl from Australia. For the next few years, Geyer bounced between Australia and America and released albums, which include So Lucky, Difficult Woman and Sweet Life.
Her career has never stalled. At the end of 1999, Geyer released her frank life story; Confessions of a Difficult Woman through Harper Collins, and 2003 saw her release the Gold selling (and self produced) album Tenderland. In 2004 Renée hooked up with Brisbane producer Magoo to co-produce her 21st album Tonight which has received stunning reviews and was nominated for an ARIA award. And in 2005 Renée was inducted into the ARIA Hall Of Fame, a proud occasion in which she joined the ranks of Australias most respected and accomplished musicians.
2007 is a busy one for Renée, her 22nd album is due for release on EMI in September and will be followed by a stomping national tour. There is no question that Renée remains one of Australia's most enduring and endearing artists.
Renée Geyer had started out a sensual blues belter. Now she has evolved into a bona fide music icon - someone to look up to for never having let go of her dreams. This consummate entertainer with a proud body of work still transfixes a room with the power of her song.
SAT: 9.30pm-11pm: Blue Owls Nest
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