Jean Stafford (musician)

Jean Stafford
Background information
Birth name	Jean Stafford
Born	(1950-01-01) January 1, 1950 Latrobe,Tasmania, Australia
Genres	Country, Western Swing, gospel
Occupation(s)	Singer-Songwriter, Paintist.
Instruments	Vocals, guitar
Years active	1965 - present.
Labels	Hadley Records, EMI, Universal Music
Associated acts	Kitty Wells, Johnnie Wright, Dolly Parton, Smoky Dawson, Jimmy Little, Slim Whitman
Website	www.jeanstafford.com.au,

Jean Stafford born at Latrobe, Tasmania) is an Australian country music artist. She has won three Golden Guitar awards and received two ARIA nominations. In 1989 Jean was officially crowned Australia's Queen of Country Music by Smoky Dawson. Jean Stafford is known as The Golden Voice of Country worldwide for her hit song Someday I'll Take Home The Roses released in 1982. Jean has received many honours and awards, including the key to the city of Nashville, Tennessee. Jean is the most awarded female country music singer in Australia. During the late 80s and early 90s Jean was a regular on the Midday Show hosted by Ray Martin^[1]

Early life and career

Jean spent her earlier years in the hills of Meander, Northern Tasmania, in 1962 at the age of 12 she made her first public appearance on Television on a program called “ShowTime” a series from TNT-9 a popular tv show during that time, after leaving school she worked as a kitchen hand at a local hotel and on weekends performing at the local hotels, country halls and dances.

At age 15 her recording career began with the release on Hadley Records recording a duet with Dusty Rankin “Promised to John” Her first big break came after winning first prize in a “country music talent quest” from radio 7LA in Launceston, Tasmania, this came with a 5 album deal with Hadley Records that put Jean on the road to stardom, Her first solo album in 1974 was “Flowers for Mama” This gained her Australian-wide recognition and winning her first Golden Guitar award at the Australasian Country Music Awards in Tamworth for a song written by Loretta Lynn “What Kind of A Girl (Do You Think I Am)”. Jean won her second Golden Guitar in 1979 for song “Hello Love”.

In 1981 with her gospel recording of “That Glory Bound Train,” from her final album with Hadley Records “Born Again” won Jean her third Golden Guitar award. Shortly after her contract with Hadley Records ended that same year, Jean decided It was time to further her career and she went to Sydney NSW and signed a contract with EMI Music Australia releasing her first album “The Way I Feel Inside”, working during the week at her day job and promoting her album on the weekends performing in clubs throughout Australia, she also found time for her songwriting , Jean was asked by her band members to write some songs for them, after hearing what she had written they advised her to record the songs herself, she took the songs to EMI and in 1982 the release of her self penned song and album of the same title “Someday I’ll Take Home The Roses” became her most popular song to this date.

Personal life

Born at Latrobe, Tasmania in 1950 she spent her childhood in a small locality area of Meander Valley in Northern Tasmania. Raised by her mother and stepfather, Jean later in life discovered that her biological father was a Navajo Native American.^[2]

Jean has three children all of which live in Tasmania near the town of Burnie .

Awards and honours

Discography

• 1974: Flowers for Mama (Hadley)
• 1975: Jean Stafford (Album) (Hadley)
• 1977: I'll Sing You a Country Song (Hadley)
• 1979: Hello Love (Hadley)
• 1980: Born Again (Hadley)
• 1982: Someday I'll Take Home the Roses (EMI)
• 1987: Burning Bright (album) (EMI)
• 1992: That Says It All (Dino/Independent)
• 1995: Tassie's Got It All LP (Sony)
• 2015: The Golden Voice of Country Music EMI (Universal)
• 2017: Let the Dance Begin (Independent)

References

External links

• {{Official website www.jeanstafford.com.au