Allison Durbin

Birth name| Allison Ann Durbin
Born|  (1950-05-24) 24 May 1950 (age 74)
Auckland, New Zealand
Occupation| Singer

Musical artist

Allison Ann Giles, who performed as Allison Durbin[1] (born 24 May 1950), is a former New Zealand Australian singer, known for her success in the late 1960s and 1970s as a teen idol. She is a relative of Canadian-born actress and lyric soprano Deanna Durbin.[2]

## Biography

[edit]

Allison Ann Durbin was born in 1950 in Auckland to Owen Durbin (born c. 1912/1913) and Agnes Durbin, the second eldest of seven children.[3] She attended school at Westlake High School, and performed for four years in a children's choir. She became interested in singing and was inspired by artists like Aretha Franklin, Nina Simone and Dionne Warwick,[2] and began performing in public in her early teens.

After winning a talent contest at an Auckland ballroom, she was signed to Eldred Stebbing's Zodiac Records at the age of 14 and issued a number of singles. Her third Zodiac single, a cover of Herman's Hermits "Can't You Hear My Heartbeat", out-sold the original in New Zealand and became her first charted hit.[4] She built up a following in New Zealand, recording and fronting the Mike Perjanik Group and travelled with them to Australia in 1966 for residencies in Sydney. After nine months in Sydney, she left the group to pursue a solo career, making numerous appearances on Australian TV pop and variety shows.[4]

Durbin's first single for His Master's Voice, "I Have Loved Me a Man", (a cover version of the song by Morgana King) became a No. 1 hit in New Zealand and also a hit in Australia. The song won her a New Zealand music award, 1968 Loxene Golden Disc, and she was named New Zealand Entertainer of the Year in 1969.[4] For three years running (1969, 1970 and 1971), she won Australia's King of Pop Award for "Best Female Artist", commonly called the "Queen of Pop".[5] In 1971, she recorded a duet album, Together, with Johnny Farnham, who had been voted Australia's "King of Pop" during the same years Durbin received her awards.[4]

## Personal life

[edit]

In the late 1960s, Durbin began a relationship with expatriate New Zealand record producer Howard Gable, then a senior A&R manager and in-house producer for EMI Australia. They married in 1969 and started a family.[5] During the 1970s, as her career waned, Durbin began using heroin and her marriage to Gable ended. In 1985, she publicly acknowledged her battle with drugs and sought treatment at Odyssey House, a drug rehabilitation centre, but she was struck by a car two days after leaving the centre, which left her with serious injuries, including a broken jaw.[5] After she recovered, she worked as a country music singer in the late 1980s.[6] In 1986, she married for a second time to Ray Giles.[5]

On 1 June 2007, under her married name Allison Giles, she was sentenced to 12 months' jail for cannabis trafficking. One of her co-accused, Giuseppe "Joe" Barbaro, whom she allegedly supplied with marijuana was a previously convicted drug dealer.[7]

## Television

[edit]

Year  | Title  | Performance  | Type

|
|
|

1968  | The NZ Music Awards | Herself - Winner "Most Promising Female"  | TV special, NZ
1969-1970  | In Melbourne Tonight | Herself - Singer  | TV series, 7 episodes
1969  | The Tommy Leonetti Show | Herself - Guest  | TV series, 1 episode
1969-1971; 1977  | King Of Pop: 1969 TV Week Australian Popular Music Awards | Herself - Winner "Queen Of Pop"  | TV special
1969;1970  | The Mike Walsh Show | Herself - Guest / Singer  | TV series, 2 episodes
1970  | Bandstand | Herself - Singer  | TV series, 1 episode
1970  | 1970 TV Week Logie Awards | Herself sings "I Have Loved Me A Man" / "River Deep Mountain High"  | TV Special
1970  | Sounds Like Us | Herself - Guest  | TV series, 1 episode
1970  | The Weekend Starts Here | Herself  | TV series
1970  | King of Pop: 1970 TV Week Australian Popular Music Awards | Herself - Winner 'Queen Of Pop"  | TV special
1970  | Happening '70 | Herself - Singer  | TV series
1971  | King Of Pop: 1971 TV Week Australian Popular Music Awards | Herself - Winner 'Queen Of Pop'  | TV special
1971; 1971  | Happening '71 | Herself - Singer sings "Holy Man"  | TV series
1971  | Uptight | Herself - Singer  | TV series, 1 episode
1971  | Happening '71 | Herself - Singer sings "A Man And A Woman"  | TV series, 1 episode
1971  | Happening '71 | Herself - Singer sings "Baby Without You" with Johnny Farnham  | TV series, 1 episode
1971  | Young Talent Time | Herself - Guest Singer  | TV series, 1 episode
1972  | The Graham Kennedy Show | Herself - Singer sings "Amerikan Music"  | TV series, 1 episode
1972  | Happening '72 | Herself - Singer sings "Amerikan Music"  | TV series, 1 episode
1973  | Australian Popular Song Festival 1973 | Guest Performer  | TV special
1974-1975  | The Ernie Sigley Show | Herself - Guest / Singer  | TV series, 9 episodes
1975  | O'Keefe at the Cathedral | Herself  | TV special
1977  | Telethon '77 | Guest Performer  | TV special
1977  | King Of Pop: 1977 TV Week Australian Popular Music Awards | Guest - Herself  | TV special
1979  | The Barry Crocker Show | Herself  | TV special
1979  | 1979 Telethon | Guest - Herself sings "Love You A Little Bit More"  | TV special
1980;1982  | The Don Lane Show | Herself - Singer sings "Some Girls"  | TV series, 1 episode
1980; 1983  | The Mike Walsh Show | Guest Performer  | TV series, 1 episode
1982  | The Don Lane Show | Herself sings  | TV series, 1 episode
1982  | Australian Music Stars of the 60s | Herself - Archive clip  | TV special
1983  | The Mike Walsh Show | Guest Singer  | TV series, 1 episode
1984  | Tonight With Bert Newton | Herself sings "I Love A Rainy Night"  | TV series, 1 episode
1987,1990  | Hey Hey It's Saturday | Herself  | TV series, 1 episode "60s show"
1989  | In Melbourne Today | Guest - Herself  | TV series, 1 episode
1992  | Hey Hey It's Saturday | Herself sings "Put Your Hand In The Hand"  | TV series, 1 episode "70's show"
1992  | Hey Hey It's Saturday | Herself - Singer sings "Can't Get Over You"  | TV series, 1 episode
1994  | Good Morning Australia | Herself - Guest / Singer sings "Bright Eyes"  | TV series, 1 episode
1994;1995  | Good Morning Australia | Herself - Singer sings "Crazy"  | TV series, 1 episode
1995  | Good Morning Australia | Herself - Singer sings "River Deep, Mountain High"  | TV series, 1 episode
1996  | When Rock Was Young: The 70s | Herself - Archive clip  | TV special
1998  | Denise | Herself - Guest  | TV series, 1 episode
2003  | Give It A Whirl | Herself  | TV series NZ, 1 episode 2: "The Swinging Sixties"
2003  | Love Is In The Air | Herself  | ABC TV series, 1 episode 2: "She's Leaving Home"
2007  | Ten News | Herself  | TV series, 1 episode
2007  | Ten Late News | Herself  | TV series, 1 episode

## Discography

[edit]

### Studio albums

[edit]

List of albums, with Australian chart positions  Title  | Album details  | Peak chart
positions

|
|

AUS
[8]
I Have Loved Me a Man |

* Released: 1968
* Format: LP
* Label: His Master's Voice

| \-
Soft and Soulful |

* Released: 1969
* Format: LP
* Label: His Master's Voice

| \-
Together
(with Johnny Farnham)  |

* Released: August 1971
* Format: LP
* Label: His Master's Voice (OCSD 7682)

| 22
Amerikan Music |

* Released: 1972
* Format: LP
* Label: His Master's Voice

| \-
Born a Woman |

* Released: November 1976
* Format: LP
* Label: Hammard (HAM011)

| 75
Are You Lonesome Tonight |

* Released: June 1977
* Format: LP
* Label: Hammard (HAM017)

| 52
Three Times a Lady |

* Released: 1978
* Format: LP
* Label: Hammard

| \-
Bright Eyes |

* Released: 1979
* Format: LP
* Label: Hammard (HAM043)

| 34
Shining Star  |

* Released: 1980
* Format: LP
* Label: Hammard (HAM055)

| 43
My Kind of Country |

* Released: November 1981
* Format: LP
* Label: Hammard (HAM063)

| 97
Nothing But the Very Best
(with Diana Trask)  |

* Released: August 1982
* Format: LP
* Label: Hammard (HAMD075)

| 88
Country Love Songs |

* Released: September 1983
* Format: LP
* Label: Hammard (HAM089)

| 79
Reckless Girl |

* Released: 1992
* Format: CD
* Label:

| \-

### Charting singles

[edit]

List of singles, with Australian chart positions  Year  | Title  | Peak chart
positions

|
|

AUS
[8]
1968  | "Don't Come Any Closer"  | 47
"I Have Loved Me a Man"  | 27
1969  | "Games People Play"  | 29
"He's Bad Bad Bad"  | 98
1970  | "Golden Days"  | 98
1971  | "Put Your Hand in the Hand"  | 24
"Baby, Without You" (with Johnny Farnham) | 27
1972  | "Amerikan Music"  | 33

## Awards and nominations

[edit]

### Go-Set Pop Poll

[edit]

The Go-Set Pop Poll was coordinated by teen-oriented pop music newspaper, Go-Set and was established in February 1966 and conducted an annual poll during 1966 to 1972 of its readers to determine the most popular personalities.[9]

Year  | Nominee / work  | Award  | Result

|
|
|

1969  | herself  | Female Vocal  | 1st
1970  | herself  | Best Girl  | 1st
1971  | herself  | Best Girl Vocal  | 1st
1972  | herself  | Best Female Vocal  | 2nd

### King of Pop Awards

[edit]

The King of Pop Awards were voted by the readers of TV Week. The King of Pop award started in 1967 and ran through to 1978.[9]

Year  | Nominee / work  | Award  | Result

|
|
|

1969  | herself  | Best Female Artist  | Won
1970  | herself  | Best Female Artist  | Won
1971  | herself  | Best Female Artist  | Won
Best Dressed Female Performer  | Won

* Note: Durbin is often referred to as the 'Queen of Pop', but won Best Female Artist at the King of Pop Awards from 1969 to 1971. The Queen of Pop award was introduced in 1972. In 2003, Durbin reiterated this saying, "I never in fact won a queen of pop award. The award was called The King of Pop awards."[10]

### Mo Awards

[edit]

The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards (commonly known informally as the Mo Awards), were annual Australian entertainment industry awards. They recognise achievements in live entertainment in Australia from 1975 to 2016. Allison Durbin won two awards in that time.[11]

Year  | Nominee / work  | Award  | Result (wins only)

|
|
|

1979  | Allison Durbin  | Country Female Entertainer of the Year  | Won
1980  | Allison Durbin  | Country Female of the Year  | Won

### New Zealand Music Awards

[edit]

The New Zealand Music Awards are an annual awards night celebrating excellence in New Zealand music and have been presented annually since 1965.

Year  | Nominee / work  | Award  | Result  | Ref.

|
|
|
|

1968 | "I Have Loved Me a Man" | Most Promising Female | Won | [12]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Hodgson, Shelley (1 June 2007). "Allison Durbin jailed for drugs". PerthNow News Corp Australia. Archived from the original on 25 May 2018. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
2. ^ a b Herkt, David (1 July 2013). "Allison Durbin Profile". Audio Culture. Archived from the original on 16 February 2020. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
3. ^ Elder, John (4 June 2007). "Friends, family rally behind Durbin". Brisbane Times. Archived from the original on 8 July 2018. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
4. ^ a b c d Sergent, Bruce. "Allison Durbin". New Zealand Music of the 60's, 70's and a bit of 80's. Archived from the original on 11 August 2020. Retrieved 18 October 2020.
5. ^ a b c d Tippet, Gary (5 February 2006). "Fall of a pop royal - In Depth". The Age. Archived from the original on 8 July 2018. Retrieved 18 October 2020. Note: archived version only shows first part of three; rest of article is not archived. Archived version includes photos, live version does not.
6. ^ Milovanovic, Selma (13 March 2004). "Former Queen of Pop on drug traffic charges". The Age.
7. ^ "ABC News Australia Pop queen Durbin jailed for cannabis trafficking". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 3 June 2007. Retrieved 1 June 2007.
8. ^ a b Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 97\. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
9. ^ a b "Australian Music Awards". Ron Jeff. Archived from the original on 30 June 2012. Retrieved 16 December 2010.
10. ^ "Love is in the Air Episode 2: "She's Leaving Home"". Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). 19 October 2003. Archived from the original on 3 June 2008. Retrieved 6 December 2008.
11. ^ "MO Award Winners". Mo Awards. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
12. ^ "Aotearoa Music Awards". aotearoamusicawards.nz. Retrieved 18 August 2021.

Works cited

* Noel McGrath's Australian Encyclopedia of Rock & Pop \- Rigby Publishers - 1978
* The Who's Who of Australian Rock \- Chris Spencer - Moonlight Publishing

## External links

[edit]

* Amplifier NZ Music
* Pop Archives Feature – "Don't Come any Closer"
* Pop Archives Feature – "Put Your Hand in the Hand"

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* United States

*[Ref.]: Reference