Marcia Hines’ ‘joyous’ musical return with gospel album and shows

Marcia Hines opens up about the new musical project that’s taking her back to her roots – and explains why Australian Idol “wasn’t easy”.

Marcia Hines will reconnect with her musical roots through her new album The Gospel According to Marcia, which she’ll launch with back-to-back shows inside one of Sydney’s grandest churches as part of Vivid Sydney.

It’s a chance for the Boston-born singer, 68, to revisit the music she grew up with before her casting in the musical Hair at age 16 saw her start a new life and career in Australia.

“I’m all for love songs and I’m all for the songs I usually sing, but this is how I was introduced to music,” Hines tells news.com.au of the new album – her first since 2014.

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Marcia Hines will launch her new record at St Stephen’s Uniting Church in Sydney.

Hines speaks fondly of her early memories growing up in the church – accompanying her elderly godmother, who was blind, into the choir box, then sitting back and “listening to all those incredible voices”.

“I learned a lot of stuff just from sitting in church and listening,” she says.

And she says non-religious music fans are more than welcome at the shows, which will feature instantly recognisable hits like Lean On Me and Oh, Happy Day.

“In the churches I grew up in, there’s a rhythm section and a kick-ass choir. It’s not a morbid thing; it’s a joyous thing.

“I think we all have some sort of spirituality in us, and, maybe now’s the time to call on it.”

Marcia Hines says her gospel show will be ‘a joyous thing’.

Hearing the affection in her voice as she speaks of growing up in black gospel churches, one can’t help but wonder if Hines ever felt like she missed out in some way, moving to Australia at such a young age. But she insists she never wanted for anything.

“That’s where a good record collection comes in, and I had friends who would fly in to Australia and bring me all the new hit music back in America. As musicians, all we’d ever do is swap music with each other – ‘Have you heard this? Check this out.’

“And I didn’t miss much, because I had my mum and my daughter with me,” she says. Marcia’s daughter Deni was born shortly after she moved to Australia, while her late mother Esme relocated here in the 1980s.

And from the moment Hines arrived, Australians embraced her warmly, voting her our “Queen of Pop” for three years running in the ’70s. Decades later, her stint as a judge on Australian Idol revitalised her career once more, giving her a new string of top 20 albums.

And with Channel 7 having poached the long-dormant Idol format, could we expect to see Hines back in the judging seat sometime soon?

Idol turned judges Mark Holden, Marcia Hines and Ian ‘Dicko’ Dickson into reality TV stars.

Hines is diplomatic.

“Never say never. I’m OK either way: If they don’t ask me, it’s all right, but if they do ask me, I’ll do my best to be there,” she says.

“It was one of the most integral parts of my career, the seven years I spent with Idol. I know how difficult it was for those kids, plucked out of obscurity, thrown onto national television and everybody had something to say about them.

“I know it wasn’t easy, because I watched it all unfold.”

The Gospel According to Marcia plays at Sydney’s St Stephen’s Uniting Church on June 9 and 10 as part of Vivid Sydney.

Originally published as Marcia Hines’ ‘joyous’ musical return with gospel album and shows