Judith Durham: Family accept state funeral; Athol Guy pays tribute to The Seekers singer
Australian music’s “true icon” Judith Durham will be farewelled at a state funeral, after she passed away at the age of 79.
Music
Don't miss out on the headlines from Music. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A state funeral will be held to honour the legendary singer Judith Durham who passed away aged 79.
“I’ve spoken with Judith Durham’s family today and I’m pleased they have accepted the offer of a state funeral to honour the life and contribution of a true icon of Australian music,” Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews wrote on Twitter.
Opposition Leader Matthew Guy had earlier called for Durham’s family to be offered a state funeral to honour her “immense legacy.”
“I think that is probably a good idea, one person who is certainly deserving of it is Judith Durham,” Mr Guy said.
Mr Guy said Durham was an icon who had been “a legend for so many decades” in Australia.
“Judith Durham left an immense legacy, not just for women, for music, but for Australia,” Mr Guys said.
“And I think it is exceptionally sad, her passing, and the one thing I think her close family and friends will always know is that she has been an absolute trailblazer.”
‘LITTLE SISTER’: JUDITH DURHAM’S HEARTBREAKING FINAL MOMENTS
The Seekers double bassist Athol Guy has paid an emotional tribute to his “little sister” Judith Durham after the legendary singer passed away aged 79.
Guy described the heartbreaking final moments as he said goodbye to Durham with her family members, while speaking glowingly of her performances.
“We had a chance to talk to her even though she wasn’t able to respond very well in those last hours, and that’s something that we will treasure,” Guy said on Channel 7’s Sunrise.
“It’s a little surreal in one sense … for Judith’s personal family and the Seekers’ family together, to lose a treasured person like her.
“Although we knew things weren’t going well, when it suddenly hits you we have to deal with it the same as any family has to deal with the same scenario.”
Durham had been an incredible and consistent shining light for The Seekers since her first day in the group, Guy said.
“The first day I met Judith she’d walked into my office … I was meant to go hear her sing. I didn’t get around to it but suddenly she turned up to my office and I said ‘well why don’t you come and sing with us tonight’, which she did, and it started that way,” he said.
“We said ‘you sing something and we’ll sing along’, and the magic happened.
“With Judith, the beautiful thing about her was every performance she gave 110 per cent, that’s the way she wanted to be every time over all those hundreds and hundreds of performances.”
Guy said the tributes to Durham and the wider impact of The Seekers had been “immeasurably touching”.
“Everyone needs pulling up at this time … every family who loses a treasured member needs something like that from somewhere and we’re just getting it in bucket loads.
“(Durham was) like my little sister. The odd argument here and there but no fisticuffs, no pulling of the hair or the plaits.
“She was a very, very normal little sister and loved very, very much by Keith and Bruce.”
It comes as the Victorian government could not confirm whether the family of the singer had been offered a state funeral to mourn her passing.
“I can’t comment on that, I’ll leave that for others to have conversations around that,” Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio said.
“I know Judith Durham was a very private citizen, her family are very private too.
“I think today is about remembering her and honouring her memory, those other considerations are a matter for the coming days, if that is something that requires further discussion.”
Ms D’Ambrosio said Durham was an “absolute treasure” who warmed the hearts of Victorians and people right across the world.
NATIONAL TREASURE LIT UP MUSIC WORLD
An international music legend, Ms Durham is being remembered as a “national treasure” after she died from a long battle with ill health.
Ms Durham, AO, passed away in Melbourne on Friday after complications from chronic lung disease.
She had been in palliative care at The Alfred Hospital leading up to her passing and her long time manager Graham Simpson confirmed her passing.
Ms Durham, a singer, songwriter and musician, was the lead singer of The Seekers from 1963.
The group became the first Australian pop music group to achieve major chart success in the UK and US, paving the way for the likes of Olivia Newton-John, Helen Reddy and The Bee Gees.
Ms Durham left the group in mid 1968 to pursue her solo career and released a number of albums including Climb Ev’ry Mountain, Let Me Find Love and the Australian Cities Suite.
In 1993, she began to make sporadic recordings and performances with The Seekers, though she remained primarily a solo performer.
In 2015, she was named Victorian of the Year for her services to music.
“This is a sad day for Judith’s family, her fellow Seekers, the staff of Musicoast, the music industry and fans worldwide, and all of us who have been part of Judith’s life for so long,” Mr Simpson said.
Ms Durham’s sister Beverley Sheehan recalled the closeness they shared throughout life, including their love of music.
“Judith’s joy for life, her constant optimism, creativity and generosity of spirit were always an inspiration to me,” Ms Sheehan said.
Ms Durham’s nephew Tony Sheehan, speaking for his brother Ben and sister Belinda: “We have been blessed to share our lives with her.”
Vale Judith Durham. There will never be another you 💔 https://t.co/qlIJK41BFa
— Emma (@wiccewicker) August 6, 2022
On behalf of Keith Potger AO and Bruce Woodley AO, Athol Guy AO said: “Our lives are changed forever losing our treasured lifelong friend and shining star. Her struggle was intense and heroic – never complaining of her destiny and fully accepting its conclusion. Her magnificent musical legacy Keith, Bruce and I are so blessed to share.”
George Ash, President, Universal Music Australia and New Zealand, said: “Great artists become part of our fabric and our extended family, and Judith Durham was no exception. She was a force of nature, constantly energised with a passion for music and life. We were all privileged to have known Judith and heard her heavenly voice. We are deeply saddened by her passing and will miss her dearly.”
Mr Simpson said The Seekers and their management and Ms Durham’s family wanted to thank the dedicated team of doctors and nurses at Alfred Hospital for their care and compassion.
MOLLY’S HEARTFELT TRIBUTE
Music guru Molly Meldrum described Durham as an icon and a legend.
“She was the nicest person in music. She was always ready to help people, I never heard her say a bad word about anyone, and she never let the fame that she achieved with the band ever go to her head,” Meldrum said.
“Huge stars around the world like Madonna admired her as well for what she achieved.
“They blazed a trail for Australian bands and singers in Europe, England and America.
“Judith has left us but she has left us with the gift of her music. She was a legend and she and The Seekers achieved so much success, but with no egos. They spent their time helping everybody else and that is rare, so rare.”
In her later years Durham kept writing and recording.
“I’ve got a lot of things in my head,” she said in an interview.
“My desire now is not so much to be performing as to be giving life to the things I’ve already nurtured and worked towards over many years. There’s so many songs that have never seen the light of day that I really need to give attention to.”
Durham’s long time manager Graham Simpson said there was a vast trove of unreleased music by Durham that would eventually be shared with her fans following her passing.
“People like Judith come along only every now and again,” he said.
“There will be more album releases as well. There is material that has never been released and Judith has a very supportive record company, Universal Music Australia.”
Prime Minister and devoted Australian music fan Anthony Albanese paid tribute to the revered artist declaring her “a national treasure and an Australian icon.”
“Judith Durham gave voice to a new strand of our identity and helped blaze a trail for a new generation of Aussie artists,” he said on Twitter.
“Her kindness will be missed by many, the anthems she gave to our nation will never be forgotten.”
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said: “Durham demonstrated in song after song, concert after concert, how the human voice can reach, and move, every one of us. Her language was uniquely Australian, and her voice a gift of universal beauty.”
Actor Magda Szubanski said Ms Durham’s songs were the soundtrack of her childhood.
“Oh this is just so sad,” she posted on Twitter.
“Her beautiful, crystalline voice was the naive but knowing siren song of my childhood. Deepest condolences to her loved ones.”
Host of the long-running RocKwiz show, Julia Zemiro, recaptured the magical moment when The Seekers singer was the surprise guest of the first ever live show at the Myer Music Bowl in 2009.
“The final moment of the show … when everyone thought it was over … The Lights dimmed, a spotlight came up to welcome the most magnificent Judith Durham,” Zemiro wrote.
“Her voice drifted across the park, her dress billowed in the light and we were all in tears as she told us … The Carnival is Over.
“I will never forget it. Vale most brilliant one. Most original one.”
Federal Minister the Arts Tony Burke posted a tribute to Ms Durham, declaring her “once, the best known Australian voice.”
“With The Seekers and solo Judith earned her place as an icon of our music,” he wrote on social media.
“In 1967, 10 per cent of the Melbourne population attended a single gig.
“What a contribution. What a loss. I am Australian will be played forever.”
Singer Anthony Callea echoed the sentiment of many fans when he wrote: “The skies above just gained a voice of an angel.”
The band first performed together in 1962 and became Australia’s first international supergroup, topping charts around the world with hits like the Academy Award nominated song ‘Georgy Girl’ and ‘The Carnival Is Over’.
The Seekers still hold the record for the biggest concert crowd in the southern hemisphere – 200,000 – in March 1967.
Trained as a classical pianist, Ms Durham’s foray into the professional music world was performing as a pianist for a ballet school.
In her late teens, she began singing – first in jazz and gospel, before joining The Seekers.
The group travelled to the UK in 1964 where they began performing in clubs, theatres and first graced television screens.
That same year the band recorded ‘I’ll Never Find Another You’ in the famed Abbey Road recording studios in London.
The single went on to become No. 1 on the UK and Australia charts, with The Seekers becoming the first Australian group ever to hit No. 1 internationally.
Ms Durham was always modest about the huge achievements of The Seekers in helping pave the way for Australian artists to pursue their musical dreams on the world stage.
‘It should be remembered that Judith Durham was the first internationally famous Australian singer since Dame Nellie Melba, with a possible exception of (Dame) Joan Sutherland. Judith Durham and the Seekers gave musical expression to an era of charm and innocence we will never see again.,” Barry Humphries has said of her legacy.
And it wasn’t just fans who adored her voice; she won dozens of British superstar champions including Elton John, who praised her version of his 1972 song Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters for her 1996 album of covers titled Mona Lisas.
“Judith Durham, like Karen Carpenter and Eva Cassidy, possesses the purest voice in popular music. When she recorded one of my songs I was so flattered and love her version. She made the song her own – a very enviable talent,” he said in reaction to her recording.
British pop star Cliff Richard was also a fan, once declaring “A lot of people sing well – very few have individuality – there’s only one Judith Durham!”
In 1992, Ms Durham delighted fans by joining her old band members to perform a 25th anniversary performance at the Melbourne Concert Hall.
The live album recording of the concert would reach No. 9 on the ARIA charts and the success led to a sellout UK tour across 1994 and 1995 at London’s Royal Albert Hall and Wembley Arena.
Ms Durham was forced to quit touring in the mid 2010s because of her chronic illness – she had suffered the lung condition bronchiectasis since she was a child.
The band marked their 50-year anniversary in 2012 with a reunion of the band’s members, who went on a sold-out ‘Golden Jubilee Tour’ of Australia.
The tour was put on hold after Ms Durham suffered a brain haemorrhage after the first of four sold-out nights in Melbourne.
She spent six months in hospital with rehab before she was given medical clearance to be able to perform and the tour resumed.
During her recovery, a commemorative ‘Platinum Album’ was released to mark her 70th birthday.
The band then went on to perform a sold-out tour of the UK through to New Zealand.
Durham and her bandmates were each honoured with the Officer Of The Order Of Australia (AO) in June 2014.
In 2016, The Seekers attended the opening nights of Georgy Girl The Seekers Musical in both Melbourne and Sydney.
In 2019, doctors told she could no longer travel by air. That year she was inducted to the Honour Roll of the Australian Women In Music Awards but was unable to attend the ceremony in Brisbane.
After devoting her life to pursuing music across a wide genre spectrum from jazz to pop, Ms Durham said after receiving the honour she was proud to be recognised for her musical legacy.
“These awards are very broad in what they cover, which is brilliant.” she said.
“Just to have women making a mark in all the different fields related to how we make a living, and making people happy in their lives through the music that’s created in all the different genres. I feel that’s what’s been missing.”
Despite her naturally gifted voice, the beloved entertainer saved her singing for the stage, revealing she never sang around the house, preferring to percolate songs in her head.
Ms Durham’s family has asked for privacy at this time.
with Genevieve Alison
Join the conversation
Diddy allegedly doused woman in lube laced with date rape drug
Sex crimes claims against Sean Diddy Combs are flooding in with the latest a woman who claims she was doused with a mystery liquid before she was raped.
Read more
Star tearfully reveals young singer’s death
Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne fought back tears as he revealed that a teenage collaborator had been killed in an accident.
Read more