Laurel Lea

Lorraine May Chapman (3 October 1942 – 31 January 1992), professionally known as Laurel Lea,[2] was an Australian popular singer of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Lea appeared regularly on TV series, Bandstand, Six O'Clock Rock and Saturday Date. In 1974 and 1975 she toured throughout Australia with contemporaries Johnny O'Keefe, Johnny Devlin, Lonnie Lee and Barry Stanton. On 31 January 1992 Lea died of leukaemia.

Laurel Lea
Birth nameLorraine May Chapman
Also known asLorraine Lianos
Born(1942-10-03)3 October 1942
OriginArmidale, New South Wales, Australia
Died31 January 1992(1992-01-31) (aged 49)
Camperdown, New South Wales[1]
Genrespop
Occupation(s)Singer, tv performer
Years active1957–1992
LabelsLeedon, CBS
External video
Please Don't Talk to the Lifeguard on YouTube
Treasure of Your Love (1964) on YouTube
It Doesn't Matter Anymore (with husband Kevin Todd) on YouTube
Easier Said Than Done on YouTube
Alfie on YouTube

Biography

Laurel Lea was born as Lorraine May Chapman. She was raised in Armidale, New South Wales by Con Lianos and was known as Lorraine Lianos. Con and his wife ran a travelling performance troupe and Laurel joined them from the age of 15.[3] Her younger brother Doug (born ca. 1946) performed as a drummer, Little Rock Billy in the early 1960s.[4] In 1958 Lea signed with Leedon Records and was promoted by its founder, United States-born Lee Gordon.[5]

At the end of 1960, Lea broke her jaw in a fall and was unable to sing for six months.[3] She regularly appeared on TV series Bandstand, Saturday Date and Six O'Clock Rock.[3][6] Lea was inspired by Brigitte Bardot, "I used to copy her mannerisms, and the way she opened her eyes and looked up like this".[7] In October 1963 an audience of 40,000 attended a 2UW concert with the roster including Lea, Bee Gees, Lonnie Lee, Col Joye and Judy Stone.[8] Lea recorded several singles, but had limited chart success.

In 1974 and 1975, she joined her contemporaries Johnny O'Keefe, Johnny Devlin, Lonnie Lee, Barry Stanton, Jade Hurley and Tony Brady in the Good Old Days of Rock 'n' Roll Tour which travelled throughout Australia.[9][10]

She also had a band in the 1980s called Chockarock.

Personal life

In 1960 or 1961 she married fellow Bandstand singer Kevin Todd (born ca. 1943), and the couple had a son Mark (born ca. 1962).[6][11] The pair often performed duets and by December 1963 had signed with CBS Records.[12] By November 1975, Lea had been married and divorced twice, "[she] has finished with two husbands and has a son of 13½".[7]

Laurel Lea died of leukemia on 31 January 1992 in Camperdown, New South Wales, aged 49.

Legacy

From 12 October 2003, ABC-TV series, Love Is in the Air, was a five-part documentary on Australian pop music with "Episode 2: She's Leaving Home" describing female pop stars and how many travelled overseas to try to further their careers, Lea was described, "[a]ccomplished television regulars like Laurel Lea had the look, the sound and the talent".[13] The program featured two of her tracks, "Alfie" and "Tomorrow".[14]

Discography
Singles
  • "I'll Save the Last Dance" (December 1960)
  • "Bermuda" (1962)
  • "Treasure of Your Love" / "What I Don't Know Won't Hurt Me" (CBS BA-221104, 1964)
  • "I Shall Take My Leave" / "You're Closer to Me" (Parlophone A-8807 1969)

Notes
  1. "Laurel Lea". IMDb. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  2. Her name is frequently misspelled as "Laurel Lee"
  3. Ward, Kirsten (1 November 1961). "Listen Here – First Baby for the Johnny Devlins". Teenagers' Weekly. The Australian Women's Weekly. p. 11. Retrieved 15 April 2012. She left school at 15 to join the touring tent show run by her father, Con Lianos, and for the past few years has appeared in TV shows regularly.
  4. "Pin-Up Trio". Teenagers' Weekly. Australian Women's Weekly. 20 December 1961. p. 11. Retrieved 15 April 2012. ... songster Laurel Lea ... the touring troupe run by her father, Con Lianos ... Little Rock Billy is really Doug Lianos, Laurel's younger brother...
  5. Sturma, Michael. "Gordon, Lee Lazer (1923–1963)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
  6. Adair, Robin (24 June 1964). "The Weekly Round". The Australian Women's Weekly. p. 2. Retrieved 15 April 2012. Laurel revealed recently that she and TV personality Kevin Todd have been married for more than two years; they have an 18-month-old son, Mark.
  7. Musgrove, Nan (5 November 1975). "Happy Days of Bandstand". The Australian Women's Weekly. pp. 8–9. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
  8. "Timeline". Long Way to the Top. Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). Retrieved 15 April 2012. Note: This source spells her last name as Lee.
  9. McFarlane, Ian (1999). "Encyclopedia entry for 'Lonnie Lee'". Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop. St Leonards, New South Wales: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86508-072-1. Archived from the original on 19 April 2004. Retrieved 15 April 2012.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  10. "Laurel Lea". The Australian Women's Weekly. National Library of Australia. 27 May 1964. p. 54 Supplement: Teenagers' Weekly. Retrieved 4 April 2012.
  11. Baker, Ainslie (14 February 1962). "Listen Here – Young Vocalist Wasn't Interested in Singing". Teenagers' Weekly. The Australian Women's Weekly. p. 11. Retrieved 16 April 2012. 'I thought if they could do it, so could I, so I decided to give [singing] a try', said handsome, 5 ft. 11 in. Kevin, who is now 19.
  12. Rogers, Bob (18 December 1963). "PopLine – New Success for Col Joye". Teenagers' Weekly. The Australian Women's Weekly. p. 11. Retrieved 17 April 2012. Now that Kevin and Laurel are working for the same company [C.B.S.] they could easily repeat ... successful duets they often do on national television shows.
  13. "Episode 2: She's Leaving Home – Transcript". Love is in the Air. Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). 19 October 2003. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
  14. "Episode 2: She's Leaving Home – Songlist". Love is in the Air. Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). 19 October 2003. Retrieved 15 April 2012.

References

Reading
  • Graham Jackson (2001). Pioneers of Australian rock 'n' roll. ISBN 0646416103.
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