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Laurel Lea

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Laurel Lea
Birth nameLorraine May Chapman
Also known asLorraine Lianos
Born(1942-10-03)3 October 1942
OriginArmidale, New South Wales, Australia
Died31 January 1992(1992-01-31) (aged 49)
Camperdown, New South Wales[1]
GenresPop
Occupation(s)Singer, TV performer
Years active1957–1992
LabelsLeedon, CBS
External videos
video icon Please Don't Talk to the Lifeguard on YouTube
video icon Treasure of Your Love (1964) on YouTube
video icon It Doesn't Matter Anymore (with husband Kevin Todd) on YouTube
video icon Easier Said Than Done on YouTube
video icon Alfie on YouTube

Lorraine May Chapman (3 October 1942 – 31 January 1992), professionally known as Laurel Lea,[2] was an Australian popular singer of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Lea appeared regularly on TV series, Bandstand, Six O'Clock Rock and Saturday Date. In 1974 and 1975 she toured throughout Australia with contemporaries Johnny O'Keefe, Johnny Devlin, Lonnie Lee and Barry Stanton. On 31 January 1992 Lea died of leukaemia.

Biography

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Laurel Lea was born as Lorraine May Chapman. She was raised in Armidale, New South Wales by Con Lianos and was known as Lorraine Lianos. Con and his wife ran a travelling performance troupe and Laurel joined them from the age of 15.[3] Her younger brother Doug (born c. 1946) performed as a drummer, Little Rock Billy in the early 1960s.[4][nb 1] In 1958 Lea signed with Leedon Records and was promoted by its founder, United States-born Lee Gordon.[5]

At the end of 1960, Lea broke her jaw in a fall and was unable to sing for six months.[3] She regularly appeared on TV series Bandstand, Saturday Date and Six O'Clock Rock.[3][6] Lea was inspired by Brigitte Bardot, "I used to copy her mannerisms, and the way she opened her eyes and looked up like this".[7] In October 1963 an audience of 40,000 attended a 2UW concert with the roster including Lea, Bee Gees, Lonnie Lee, Col Joye and Judy Stone.[8] Lea recorded several singles, but had limited chart success.

In 1974 and 1975, she joined her contemporaries Johnny O'Keefe, Johnny Devlin, Lonnie Lee, Barry Stanton, Jade Hurley and Tony Brady in the Good Old Days of Rock 'n' Roll Tour which travelled throughout Australia. Lea returned to the updated Bandstand ‘76 show now hosted by Daryl Somers for a one off live performance.[9][10]

She also had a band in the 1980s called Chockarock.

Personal life

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In 1960 or 1961 she married fellow Bandstand singer Kevin Todd (born ca. 1943), and the couple had a son Mark (born ca. 1962).[6][11] The pair often performed duets and by December 1963 had signed with CBS Records.[12] By November 1975, Lea had been married and divorced twice, "[she] has finished with two husbands and has a son of 131⁄2".[7]

Laurel Lea died of leukemia on 31 January 1992 in Camperdown, New South Wales, aged 49.

Legacy

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From 12 October 2003, ABC-TV series, Love Is in the Air, was a five-part documentary on Australian pop music with "Episode 2: She's Leaving Home" describing female pop stars and how many travelled overseas to try to further their careers, Lea was described, "[a]ccomplished television regulars like Laurel Lea had the look, the sound and the talent".[13] The program featured two of her tracks, "Alfie" and "Tomorrow".[14]

Discography

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Singles
  • "I'll Save the Last Dance" (December 1960)
  • "Bermuda" (1962)
  • "Treasure of Your Love" / "What I Don't Know Won't Hurt Me" (CBS BA-221104, 1964)
  • "I Shall Take My Leave" / "You're Closer to Me" (Parlophone A-8807 1969)

TELEVISION

Year Title Performance Type
1959-1962 Six O'Clock Rock Herself - Singer ABC TV series
1962 Saturday Date Herself - Singer TV series
1962 The Johnny O'Keefe Show Herself - Singer TV series, 1 episode
1963-1968 Bandstand Herself - Singer TV series, 12 episodes
1963 Sing Sing Sing Herself - Singer TV series, 2 episodes
1966 Jimmy Herself - Guest TV series, 1 episode
1969 This Day Tonight Herself - Singer sings "Alfie" ABC TV series, 1 episode
1975 The Ernie Sigley Show Herself - Singer TV series, 2 episodes
1975 This Is Your Life Guest - Herself TV series, 1 episode "Johnny O'Keefe"
1976 Countdown Herself - Singer ABC TV series, 1 episode
1976 Bandstand '76 Herself - Singer sings "You're No Good" TV series, 1 episode
1978, 1979 The Mike Walsh Show Herself - Guest TV series, 1 episode
1978 Reg Lindsay's Country Homestead Herself - Singer sings "Crazy Arms" / "I Still Miss Someone" TV series, 1 episode
1979; 1980 The Mike Walsh Show Guest Performer TV series, 1 episode
1980 Country Music Herself - Guest ABC TV series, 1 episode
1980, 1981 The Mike Walsh Show Guest with Warren Williams, Bryan Davies, Little Pattie, Lucky Starr. TV series, 1 episode
1981 Australian Music Stars Of The 60s Herself - Archive clip TV special
1981 Channel Nine Celebrates: 25 Years Of Television Herself - Archival 'Bandstand' clip with Brian Henderson TV special
1981; 1983 The Mike Walsh Show Guest Performer TV series, 1 episode
1983; 1984 The Mike Walsh Show Guest - Herself TV series, 1 episode
1984 The Mike Walsh Show Guest - Herself TV series, 1 episode
1995 Australian Women In Rock And Pop Music Herself - Archive clips TV Documentary
2001 Long Way to the Top Herself - Archive clip ABC TV series, 1 episode
2003 Love Is in the Air Herself - Archive clip 'This Day Tonight' ABC TV series, 1 episode 2: "She's Leaving Home"

References

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  1. ^ "Laurel Lea". IMDb. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  2. ^ Her name is frequently misspelled as "Laurel Lee"
  3. ^ a b c Ward, Kirsten (1 November 1961). "Listen Here – First Baby for the Johnny Devlins". Teenagers' Weekly. The Australian Women's Weekly. p. 11. Retrieved 15 April 2012. She left school at 15 to join the touring tent show run by her father, Con Lianos, and for the past few years has appeared in TV shows regularly.
  4. ^ "Pin-Up Trio". Teenagers' Weekly. Australian Women's Weekly. 20 December 1961. p. 11. Retrieved 15 April 2012. ... songster Laurel Lea ... the touring troupe run by her father, Con Lianos ... Little Rock Billy is really Doug Lianos, Laurel's younger brother...
  5. ^ Sturma, Michael. "Gordon, Lee Lazer (1923–1963)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
  6. ^ a b Adair, Robin (24 June 1964). "The Weekly Round". The Australian Women's Weekly. p. 2. Retrieved 15 April 2012. Laurel revealed recently that she and TV personality Kevin Todd have been married for more than two years; they have an 18-month-old son, Mark.
  7. ^ a b Musgrove, Nan (5 November 1975). "Happy Days of Bandstand". The Australian Women's Weekly. pp. 8–9. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
  8. ^ "Timeline". Long Way to the Top. Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). Retrieved 15 April 2012. Note: This source spells her last name as Lee.
  9. ^ McFarlane, Ian (1999). "Encyclopedia entry for 'Lonnie Lee'". Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop. St Leonards, New South Wales: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86508-072-1. Archived from the original on 19 April 2004. Retrieved 15 April 2012.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  10. ^ "Laurel Lea". The Australian Women's Weekly. National Library of Australia. 27 May 1964. p. 54 Supplement: Teenagers' Weekly. Retrieved 4 April 2012.
  11. ^ Baker, Ainslie (14 February 1962). "Listen Here – Young Vocalist Wasn't Interested in Singing". Teenagers' Weekly. The Australian Women's Weekly. p. 11. Retrieved 16 April 2012. 'I thought if they could do it, so could I, so I decided to give [singing] a try', said handsome, 5 ft. 11 in. Kevin, who is now 19.
  12. ^ Rogers, Bob (18 December 1963). "PopLine – New Success for Col Joye". Teenagers' Weekly. The Australian Women's Weekly. p. 11. Retrieved 17 April 2012. Now that Kevin and Laurel are working for the same company [C.B.S.] they could easily repeat ... successful duets they often do on national television shows.
  13. ^ "Episode 2: She's Leaving Home – Transcript". Love is in the Air. Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). 19 October 2003. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
  14. ^ "Episode 2: She's Leaving Home – Songlist". Love is in the Air. Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). 19 October 2003. Retrieved 15 April 2012.

Notes

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  1. ^ according to her son Mark in 2022, Doug was not her brother; he was a friend and was nicknamed her "brother."
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Reading

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  • Jackson, Graham (2001). Pioneers of Australian rock 'n' roll. ISBN 0646416103.
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