udith Durham, Australia's folk music icon who achieved global fame as the lead singer of The Seekers, has died. She was 79.
Durham died in Alfred Hospital in Melbourne on Friday night after suffering complications from a long-standing lung disease, Universal Music Australia and Musicoast said in a statement on Saturday.
She made her first recording at 19 and rose to fame after joining The Seekers in 1963. The group of four became the first Australian band to achieve major chart and sales success in the U.K. and the United States, eventually selling 50 million records.
International hits included “The Carnival is Over,” “I'll Never Find Another You,” “A World of Our Own” and “Georgy Girl.”
Durham embarked on a solo career in 1968 but recorded with The Seekers again in the 1990s.
“This is a sad day for Judith’s family, her fellow Seekers, the staff of Musicoast, the music industry and fans worldwide, and all of us who have been part of Judith’s life for so long,” said The Seekers' management team member Graham Simpson.
Her bandmates in The Seekers — Keith Potger, Bruce Woodley and Athol Guy — said their lives had been changed forever by losing “our treasured lifelong friend and shining star”.
“Her struggle was intense and heroic, never complaining of her destiny and fully accepting its conclusion. Her magnificent musical legacy Keith, Bruce and I are so blessed to share,” they said.
Tributes flowed for the beloved singer, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese describing Durham as “a national treasure and an Australian icon"
Those songs are an indelible part of any 60s soundtrack.
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Joined: 21 Feb 2011 Age: 56 Gender: Male Posts: 34,146
06 Aug 2022, 5:42 pm
I wasn't alive when the Seekers were making waves in the 60s but Judith's voice certainly permeates my memories as my parents had all their albums. RIP,
Georgy Girl and Up Up and Away (Fifth Dimension) were the first two songs that I knew as SONGS.
I remember in the late 60's early 70's the song "Up up and away" was used as an ad for an airline we used to have. whenever I hear the original song I always remember "Up UP and away with TAA the friendly friendly way. I don't know how to put videos on but its on youtube.
Joined: 21 Feb 2011 Age: 56 Gender: Male Posts: 34,146
07 Aug 2022, 10:41 pm
Aprilviolets wrote:
kraftiekortie wrote:
I bet you mean TWA
Trans World Airways.
I grew up with Pan Am and TWA as the main airlines.
No it's TAA Trans Australian Airline it was a domestic airline along with Ansett both of them don't exist anymore.
If you are ever in melbourne there's an air museum at Moorabin airport with an old TAA plane from the 1960s/70s all fitted out with tray tables, seats and a cockpit. My daughter loves it.
Joined: 26 Aug 2010 Age: 69 Gender: Male Posts: 33,873 Location: temperate zone
08 Aug 2022, 8:55 am
Aprilviolets wrote:
kraftiekortie wrote:
I bet you mean TWA
Trans World Airways.
I grew up with Pan Am and TWA as the main airlines.
No it's TAA Trans Australian Airline it was a domestic airline along with Ansett both of them don't exist anymore.
Yeah. I was alive in the US at the time, and I remember the song being hugely popular, but I dont recall it ever being used in an Airline commercial. Thank gawd. So I figured that the TAA must be a local to Australia thing.
But I DO remember the Sixties song "Leavin on a Jet Plane" being repurposed, and ...debased and prostituted...for an airline commercial ... in the Seventies, or Eighties.