Judith Durham, Australian singer of folk group The Seekers, has died at the age of 79.
The singer died Friday night after a long battle with chronic lung disease.
He was in palliative care at Alfred Hospital before his death due to complications from the disease.
Born in Melbourne in 1943, Durham rose to international fame with upbeat songs like Georgy Girl and a series of covers and collaborations with Paul Simon.
Seekers bandmates Keith Potger, Bruce Woodley and Athol Guy described him as “friends for life” in a shared statement.
“Our lives have been changed forever,” they said, “with the loss of our beloved life partner and shining star.”
His struggle was intense and heroic: he never complained about his fate and fully accepted the result. His beautiful musical legacy is Keith, Bruce and [Athol] I am very lucky to share it.
Judith Durham, Australian singer of folk group The Seekers, has died at the age of 79. Judith photographed at a show in 2013
Folk pop legends The Seekers were pictured in 1964. The group is best known for hits like I’ll Never Find Another You and Georgy Girl.
Smiling Judith celebrates her 75th birthday with a themed cake on the compilation So Much More
She was known for her hits The Seekers, I’ll Never Find Another You and Georgy Girl.
The quartet debuted in 1963 and soon made history as the first Australian pop group to achieve huge crossover success in the UK and America.
They appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show several times and performed for Queen Anne Elizabeth at the London Palladium in 1966.
The Seekers have sold over 50 million records during their career.
They were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 1996 and were awarded an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2014.
At home, The Seekers is still a household name and is still known to young Australians for their song I am a Australian, the theme song for public broadcaster ABC.
Apart from The Seekers, Judith started her solo career with albums such as Climb Ev’ry Mountain and Let Me Find Love.
Judith married British pianist Ron Edgeworth in 1969.
Edgeworth died in 1994 after a battle with motor neuron disease, and Judith spent years raising awareness about the disease.
“Ron was a big optimist and thought his body would heal on its own. He had always believed that I would survive to 120 years and fall out of a cane around 60 with my lung condition,” he told the Sydney Morning Herald in 2010.
A young Judith appears in a 1971 photograph squeezing a carrot.
Seekers bandmates Keith Potger, Bruce Woodley and Athol Guy called him “friends for life” in a shared statement. Photographed together in 2016
The Seekers were pictured performing for Queen Anne Elizabeth at the London Palladium in 1966.
Those who searched for the television program “Thank You Stars” between 1961-1966
Prime Minister Anthony Albanian called Durham “a national treasure and an Australian icon”, while a minute’s silence was held for the much-loved singer.
“Judith Durham has voiced a new part of our identity and helped pave the way for a new generation of Australian artists,” Albanian said on Twitter.
“He will miss his kindness very much, and the hymns he gave to our nation will never be forgotten.”
Prime Minister Dan Andrews, in his home state of Victoria, said Durham was taking the music world by storm, both in Australia and overseas.
“With their unique voice and stage presence leading the Seekers, the group has become one of the biggest hits on the Australian charts.”
“It’s a sad day for Judith’s family, other Seekers, Musicoast staff, the music industry and fans around the world, and all of us who are a part of Judith’s life,” Graham said. said. The callers executive team. Simpson.
Universal Music Australia and New Zealand President George Ash made a heartwarming statement for the late singer-songwriter on Saturday.
“Great artists become part of our fabric and extended family, and Judith Durham was no exception,” she said.
‘He was a force of nature constantly stimulated by his passion for music and life. We’ve all had the privilege of knowing Judith and hearing her heavenly voice. We are deeply saddened by his passing and we will miss him terribly,’ she said.
The Seekers were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 1996 and awarded the Order of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2014.
“We really need music in our lives, it’s most important to all of us to have songs we can all sing,” Judith said in 2019. pictured in 1996
Apart from The Seekers, Judith started her solo career with albums such as Climb Ev’ry Mountain and Let Me Find Love.
“The most famous Australian voice was once Judith Durham,” said art secretary Tony Burke.
“With The Seekers and her solo, Judith has taken her place as an icon of our music,” he added.
Burke talked about a 1967 show attended by one-tenth of Melbourne’s total population.
‘What a contribution. What a loss. ‘
Judith reflected on her legendary career in one of her recent interviews with Today in 2019.
“I can only see in retrospect that I was a pioneer,” he said.
“It is only now that I realize that I was the first to do certain things. I had no intention of doing that,” he continued.
“We really need music in our lives, it’s most important for all of us to have songs we can all sing. People can participate as a community.’
“We’ve all had the privilege of knowing Judith and hearing her divine voice,” the record label said in a statement.
Source: Daily Mail
Elizabeth Cabrera is an author and journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a talent for staying up-to-date on the latest news and trends, Elizabeth is dedicated to delivering informative and engaging articles that keep readers informed on the latest developments.
