In the spotlight: Australia’s most in-demand backing singers and musicians
You’ve seen and heard their voices for years and now we put the spotlight on Australia’s finest professional backing singers and musicians.
Music
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Mostly in the shadows to the side of stage, sometimes gifted the spotlight to showcase their talents, backing singers and session players are the unsung heroes of the gig.
Some are familiar faces and voices, like Mahalia Barnes who is not only a regular fixture in her father Jimmy’s band but has helped build a network of in-demand singers in Australia.
And then there are those known by voice if not by name, like Robyn Loau who likes to call herself a “hired gun” and is always hustling for the next gig.
“Back-up singing is a specialised trade; I’ll get the call when an international artist is touring Australia and is picking up a local band; they want somebody who has a certain sound and look, who’s professional and can do the job with minimum rehearsal,” Loau said.
Here we train the spotlight on some of Australian music’s finest “hired guns”.
GARY PINTO
Widely acknowledged as the singer’s singer, the founding member of 90s R & B pioneers CDB has worked with everyone on stage and in the studio, including Guy Sebastian, Taylor Dayne, Delta Goodrem, Jimmy Barnes and most recently Sophie Monk. He is a vocal coach on The Voice and The Masked Singer. Pinto takes the spotlight on April 22 with the release of his Sam Cooke The Music tribute album.
VIKA AND LINDA BULL
On stage with the Black Sorrows and Paul Kelly and in the studio with Hunters and Collectors and John Farnham, this dynamic sisters duo have always been shone more as sidekicks than back-ups. Their enduring popularity with Australian live music fans reached a dizzying peak during the pandemic when they released three records for their first No. 1 (Akilotoa) and two No. 2s.
CHONG LIM
One of the go-to musical directors in the country, working with John Farnham and Olivia Newton-John for decades. His credits include producing entertainment pieces for the Sydney Olympics opening and closing ceremonies, several AFL Grand Final half-time shows, Australian Open tennis tournaments and helming the Dancing With The Stars band.
JOHN FOREMAN
The musical director has a stacked resume of big gigs since he kicked off as Bert Newton’s sidekick on Good Morning Australia in 1992. He has served as the go-to music man on Australian Idol, Carols By Candlelight and the Logies and composed and produced songs for Anthony Callea, Casey Donovan and Tina Arena.
SHARON AND CHRISTINE MUSCAT
As the 2000s pop duo Sister2Sister, the Muscats opened for Britney Spears on her Oops … I Did It Again tour in America. They have run their own S2S School of Singing since 2004 while in-demand as backing vocalists for artists including Jess Mauboy, Boy George, Michael Bolton, Darren Hayes and currently co-starring alongside Delta Goodrem on her tour.
THE BARNES FAMILY
Jane now plays guitar and bagpipes, son Jackie is on drums (and also plays with Rose Tattoo) and daughters Mahalia, Eliza Jane and Elly May are fixtures in the backing singer rotation as well as pursuing their respective solo projects. Mahalia’s daughter Ruby makes the odd guest appearance.
JUANITA TIPPINS
Tippins has been a familiar face alongside her “chosen sisters” Mahalia Barnes and Jade MacRae on stage with Cold Chisel, Jimmy Barnes and American blues artist Joe Bonamassa. Her studio credits include The Sapphires soundtrack and posted recently from a vocals session for a new Ian Moss record.
JADE MACRAE
When the R & B queen isn’t touring the world by American blues guitarist Joe Bonamassa, she’s in the rotation for Cold Chisel and the Barnes family band. As well as her own acclaimed solo career, she has also done vocal work for Ray Charles, James Brown, Dave Stewart and John Legend.
PRINNIE STEVENS
A soul singer for every occasion, Stevens not only has her own Lady Sings The Blues cabaret show and is a regular on the musical theatre circuit. But you can hear her giving a professional assist to The Voice contestants as part of the backing band and is also in-demand for the big theme and anniversary shows.
ROBYN LOAU
The former star vocalist of 90s girl group Girlfriend and then the voice of world music project Siva Pacifica is one of the “hired guns” in Australia. When not shining in the mix of the “anniversary” show circuit – she is on the upcoming 50 Years Of Imagine concerts – she has backed up for Bananarama, Martika, Kate Ceberano, Berlin, Cutting Crew, Steve Kilbey and Richard Clapton.
LIZ STRINGER AND LEAH FLANAGAN
Both respected singer songwriters with their own careers, Liz Stringer and Leah Flanagan were paired to become Midnight Oil’s first guest backing vocalists on their Makarrata Live shows in 2021 and are back on the riser for the band’s swansong Resist tour of Australia.
MIRANDA GREY
A member of Dami Im’s live squad and The Voice backing band alongside Prinnie Stevens and Gary Pinto, Carey is also sought-after for duties in the house band for the Sunset Sounds festivals. She has also performed with Richard Clapton, Ross Wilson and Casey Donovan.
ANDY BICKERS
The saxophone legend is one of the most popular guests players in the country. He toured regularly with Cold Chisel and Silverchair and is currently touring with Midnight Oil who he has played with for decades. Bickers has also recorded sessions for Hoodoo Gurus, Boy and Bear and Delta Goodrem.
JAK HOUSDEN
One of the hardest working guitarists in Australia, since co-founding The Badloves and becoming a long-standing member of The Whitlams, Housden has recorded or performed with Barry Gibb & Olivia Newton John, Tim Minchin, Richard Clapton, Steve Kilbey (The Church) and Daryl Braithwaite and is the music director for the Pure Gold concert series.
ADAM VENTOURA
The respected musician’s Insta profile states: “2% human 98 % fender bass”. Brother of actor Zoe, Ventoura has played alongside Guy Sebastian for several years before being called up to play with Midnight Oil last year in the wake of Bones Hillman’s death and is also an award-winning musical director.
JESS HITCHCOCK
Kate Miller-Heidke fans would be well aware of the divine voice of Jess Hitchcock. The Indigenous opera singer and songwriter has toured with the Eurovision queen for several years and provided backing vocals for her Zero Gravity performance in Tel Aviv in 2019. She has also regularly performed with Paul Kelly as guest vocalist on Everyday My Mother’s Voice.
DARRYL BEATON
The musical director for Delta Goodrem and Jessica Mauboy, Beaton is a multi-instrumentalist maestro. He has played or recorded with a plethora of superstars including Kanye West, Katie Noonan, Harry Connick Jr, Aloe Blacc, Thelma Houston, Sneaky Sound System and Human Nature.
CLAYTON AND LACHY DOLEY
These keyboard wizards have been leaders in the Australian blues and soul scenes for the past two decades. You may have spotted Lachy touring with Powderfinger on their final tours, while Clayton has worked his magical fingers for recordings by Kasey Chambers and tours by Jimmy Barnes and the recent Rolling Stones’ Sticky Fingers tribute shows.
BEC CARUANA
Caruana gave her solo career a boost last year on The Voice but has also been a familiar face on the backing singers’ podium on the Seven Wonders – The Music of Fleetwood Mac Orchestrated tour over the past year.
TAYLOR BEADLE-WILLIAMS
The daughter of Dragon singer and soul legend Mark Williams also lends her gifted vocals to the Metropolis Touring “Orchestrated” tours when not in the studio producing fresh tracks including latest single In Ur Net as Taylor B-W.
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