Felicity Urquhart
Encyclopedia
Felicity Ann Urquhart is an Australian country music singer-songwriter, sometimes seen as Felicity . Her single "Big Black Cloud", co-written with Randy Scruggs
, reached No. 1 on Country Tracks National Top 30 Singles Chart in 2007. She has won numerous awards including a Centenary Medal
in 2001 "For service to Australian society through country music". Urquhart married musician and producer Glen Hannah in March 2009. Since March 2010 she is the host of country music show Saturday Night Country on Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Local Radio.
in rural New South Wales
. Her maternal grandfather, Ernie Walmsley, was a jockey turned horse-trainer and with her grandmother, Anne, ran a pub in Bingara
. Urquhart began busking in Peel Street, Tamworth during the Tamworth Country Music Festival
at the age of 11. Aside from learning guitar, Urquhart had piano lessons and performed in musicals.
In 1992 Urquhart released her debut self-titled album, Felicity Urquhart on Tamworth-based Hadley Records. Her second album, Follow Me appeared in 1995 on Radio Friendly Music. Nothing to Hide was released in 1999 on EMI
with New Shadow issued in 2001. On 1 January she was awarded a Centenary Medal
by Prime Minister, John Howard
. In 2001, she met Glen Hannah who became her boyfriend. Urquhart performed with western swing
group Feral Swing Katz at the Gympie National Country Music Muster in August – the performance was broadcast a year later on Live on Stage by ABC Radio National with Vince Jones
presenting. In 2002, she travelled to Nashville to record tracks for a future album with Hannah providing acoustic guitar, harmony vocals and song writing. Album plans fell through and Urquhart left EMI. She recorded a six-track extended play, Turn out the Light on Shock Records
which was released in 2004.
Shock Records distributed My Life in 2006, which was produced by Hannah (ex-Kasey Chambers
touring band). Her single "Big Black Cloud", co-written with Randy Scruggs
, appeared in November and reached No.1 on Country Tracks National Top 30 Singles Chart on 24 January 2007. On 5 September, Urquhart performed for Howard, United States President George W Bush and Australian Defence Force personnel at a barbecue Garden Island
.
Urquhart and Hannah married on 10 March 2009 in Vanuatu
. Urquhart released Landing Lights upon return to Australia. Internationally she has opened for country music legends Willie Nelson
and Waylon Jennings
.
From 2005, Urquhart has been a presenter on Sydney Weekender
, a travel show on Seven Network
. She is the host of country music show Saturday Night Country on Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Local Radio across Australia since March 2010. She had previously filled-in for retiring host John Nutting
who had picked her as his replacement. She lives in Avoca Beach
on the New South Wales Central Coast.
| 1996 || Felicity || Mo Award – Female Country Performer of the Year ||
|-
| rowspan="2"|1998 || Felicity || Mo Award – Female Country Performer of the Year ||
|-
| Felicity Urquhart || Australian Club Entertainment Awards – Country Female Performer ||
|-
| 1999 || Felicity Urquhart || Australian Club Entertainment Awards – Country Female Performer ||
|-
| 2000 || Felicity || Australian Club Entertainment Awards – Country Female Performer ||
|-
| rowspan="4"| 2001 || Felicity || Australian Country Music Hall of Fame – The Australian Country Music Hands of Fame ||
|-
| Felicity || Australian Club Entertainment Awards – Country Female Performer ||
|-
| Beccy Cole
, Darren Coggan, Felicity, Adam Harvey
– "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind" || CMAA Country Music Awards
– Vocal Collaboration ||
|-
| Urquart, Felicity Ann – "For service to Australian society through country music" || Government of Australia
– Centenary Medal
||
|-
| 2002 || Felicity || Australian Club Entertainment Awards – Country Female Performer ||
|-
| 2003 || Felicity || Australian Club Entertainment Awards – Country Female Performer ||
|-
| 2004 || Turn out the Light || Australian Independent Country Music Awards – Australian Independent Female Vocalist of the Year ||
|-
| rowspan="5"|2005 || Felicity Urquhart || Australian Club Entertainment Awards – Country Female Performer ||
|-
| Felicity Urquhart, Glen Hannah – "Dear Someone" || Victorian & National Country Music Awards – Best Country Duo of the Year ||
|-
| Turn out the Light || Australian Country Music Listener's (ACML) People's Choice Awards – Best Female Vocalist ||
|-
| Turn out the Light || Tamworth Independent Artists Recognition Awards (TIARA) – Female Vocal ||
|-
| Felicity Urquhart || CMAA Australian CM Achiever Awards Winner – Independent Entertainer of the Year ||
|-
| rowspan="7"|2006 || Felicity Urquhart || Musicoz Awards – Best Country Artist ||
|-
| Felicity Urquhart || Australian Club Entertainment Awards – Country Female Performer ||
|-
| Felicity Urquhart, Glen Hannah – "The Flood" || Australian Songwriters' Association – Country Songwriter of the Year ||
|-
| Felicity Urquhart || CMAA Australian CM Achiever Awards Winner – Independent Entertainer of the Year ||
|-
| "The Flood" || APRA
-AMCOS Australian Independent Country Music Single of the Year ||
|-
| My Life || Australian Independent Album of the Year ||
|-
| "The Flood" || Australian Independent Female Vocalist of the Year ||
|-
| rowspan="4"|2007 || "Big Black Cloud" || CMAA Country Music Awards – Video Clip of the Year ||
|-
| Felicity Urquhart || Australian Club Entertainment Awards – Country Female Performer ||
|-
| Felicity Urquhart || CMAA Australian CM Achiever Awards Winner – Independent Entertainer of the Year ||
|-
| "Big Black Cloud" || APRA
-AMCOS Australian Independent Country Music Single of the Year ||
|-
| rowspan="3"|2008 || "Big Black Cloud" || CMAA Country Music Awards – Video Clip of the Year ||
|-
| Felicity Urquhart || Australian Club Entertainment Awards – Country Female Performer ||
|-
| Felicity Urquhart || CMAA Australian CM Achiever Awards Winner – Independent Entertainer of the Year ||
|-
| rowspan="2"|2009 || Landing Lights || ARIA Music Awards
– Best Country Album ||
|-
| Felicity Urquhart || Australian Club Entertainment Awards – Country Female Performer ||
|-
| 2010 || "Roller Coaster" || CMAA Country Music Awards – Female Vocalist of the Year ||
1998
she also appeared at Carols in the Domain 2010, where she sang "Away in a Manger"
Randy Scruggs
Randy Scruggs is a music producer, songwriter and guitarist. He had his first recording at the age of 13...
, reached No. 1 on Country Tracks National Top 30 Singles Chart in 2007. She has won numerous awards including a Centenary Medal
Centenary Medal
The Centenary Medal is an award created by the Australian Government in 2001. It was established to commemorate the Centenary of Federation of Australia and to honour people who have made a contribution to Australian society or government...
in 2001 "For service to Australian society through country music". Urquhart married musician and producer Glen Hannah in March 2009. Since March 2010 she is the host of country music show Saturday Night Country on Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
Local Radio.
Biography
Felicity Ann Urquhart was born on 4 May 1976 to Rex, an upholsterer, and Patricia "Trish" Urquhart. She grew up in TamworthTamworth, New South Wales
Tamworth is a city in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. Straddling the Peel River, Tamworth, which contains an estimated population of 47,595 people, is the major regional centre for southern New England and in the local government area of Tamworth Regional Council. The city...
in rural New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. Her maternal grandfather, Ernie Walmsley, was a jockey turned horse-trainer and with her grandmother, Anne, ran a pub in Bingara
Bingara, New South Wales
Bingara is a small town on the Gwydir River in Murchison County in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. In 2006, Bingara had a population of 1,207 people. and is currently the Administrative centre for the Gwydir Shire that was created in 2003. It has a culturally homogeneous...
. Urquhart began busking in Peel Street, Tamworth during the Tamworth Country Music Festival
Tamworth Country Music Festival
The Tamworth Country Music Festival is an annual music festival held in Tamworth, New South Wales, Australia and is a celebration of Australian country music culture and heritage. The festival lasts for two weeks during late January and during this period the city of Tamworth comes alive, with...
at the age of 11. Aside from learning guitar, Urquhart had piano lessons and performed in musicals.
In 1992 Urquhart released her debut self-titled album, Felicity Urquhart on Tamworth-based Hadley Records. Her second album, Follow Me appeared in 1995 on Radio Friendly Music. Nothing to Hide was released in 1999 on EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
with New Shadow issued in 2001. On 1 January she was awarded a Centenary Medal
Centenary Medal
The Centenary Medal is an award created by the Australian Government in 2001. It was established to commemorate the Centenary of Federation of Australia and to honour people who have made a contribution to Australian society or government...
by Prime Minister, John Howard
John Howard
John Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....
. In 2001, she met Glen Hannah who became her boyfriend. Urquhart performed with western swing
Western swing
Western swing music is a subgenre of American country music that originated in the late 1920s in the West and South among the region's Western string bands...
group Feral Swing Katz at the Gympie National Country Music Muster in August – the performance was broadcast a year later on Live on Stage by ABC Radio National with Vince Jones
Vince Jones
Vince Jones is an Australian jazz artist. He is a singer, songwriter, and trumpet/flugelhorn player. His music includes both original music and new contemporary versions of jazz standards. His themes are often love, inequity, injustice, peace and anti-greed.He attributes his love of jazz to...
presenting. In 2002, she travelled to Nashville to record tracks for a future album with Hannah providing acoustic guitar, harmony vocals and song writing. Album plans fell through and Urquhart left EMI. She recorded a six-track extended play, Turn out the Light on Shock Records
Shock Records
Shock Records is Australia's largest independent record label. It helps distribute records from overseas records labels such as Epitaph Records, and also for small record labels designed specifically for that band such as Cement Records...
which was released in 2004.
Shock Records distributed My Life in 2006, which was produced by Hannah (ex-Kasey Chambers
Kasey Chambers
Kasey Chambers is an Australian country singer-songwriter. She is the daughter of steel guitar player Bill Chambers, and the sister of musician and producer Nash Chambers.-Solo success:...
touring band). Her single "Big Black Cloud", co-written with Randy Scruggs
Randy Scruggs
Randy Scruggs is a music producer, songwriter and guitarist. He had his first recording at the age of 13...
, appeared in November and reached No.1 on Country Tracks National Top 30 Singles Chart on 24 January 2007. On 5 September, Urquhart performed for Howard, United States President George W Bush and Australian Defence Force personnel at a barbecue Garden Island
Garden Island, New South Wales
Garden Island is an inner-city locality of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located to the north-east of the Sydney central business district, north of the suburb of Potts Point....
.
Urquhart and Hannah married on 10 March 2009 in Vanuatu
Vanuatu
Vanuatu , officially the Republic of Vanuatu , is an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is some east of northern Australia, northeast of New Caledonia, west of Fiji, and southeast of the Solomon Islands, near New Guinea.Vanuatu was...
. Urquhart released Landing Lights upon return to Australia. Internationally she has opened for country music legends Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
and Waylon Jennings
Waylon Jennings
Waylon Arnold Jennings was an American country music singer, songwriter, and musician. Jennings began playing at eight. He began performing at twelve, on KVOW radio. Jennings formed a band The Texas Longhorns. Jennings worked as a D.J on KVOW, KDAV and KLLL...
.
From 2005, Urquhart has been a presenter on Sydney Weekender
Sydney Weekender
Sydney Weekender is a travel show featuring destinations throughout New South Wales, Australia, and airs on Channel Seven in that state. The show is hosted by Mike Whitney, a former Australian Test Cricketer. This program visits various locations in Sydney and New South Wales, and looks at...
, a travel show on Seven Network
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
. She is the host of country music show Saturday Night Country on Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
Local Radio across Australia since March 2010. She had previously filled-in for retiring host John Nutting
John Nutting
John Nutting is an Australian radio presenter.Nutting is host of Country music show Saturday Night Country on ABC Local Radio across Australia....
who had picked her as his replacement. She lives in Avoca Beach
Avoca Beach, New South Wales
Avoca Beach is a coastal suburb of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia, about north of Sydney. It is located within the City of Gosford local government area.-Geography:...
on the New South Wales Central Coast.
Awards and nominations
|-| 1996 || Felicity || Mo Award – Female Country Performer of the Year ||
|-
| rowspan="2"|1998 || Felicity || Mo Award – Female Country Performer of the Year ||
|-
| Felicity Urquhart || Australian Club Entertainment Awards – Country Female Performer ||
|-
| 1999 || Felicity Urquhart || Australian Club Entertainment Awards – Country Female Performer ||
|-
| 2000 || Felicity || Australian Club Entertainment Awards – Country Female Performer ||
|-
| rowspan="4"| 2001 || Felicity || Australian Country Music Hall of Fame – The Australian Country Music Hands of Fame ||
|-
| Felicity || Australian Club Entertainment Awards – Country Female Performer ||
|-
| Beccy Cole
Beccy Cole
Beccy Cole is an Australian country music singer and songwriter. She has released six albums and won seven Golden Guitar awards....
, Darren Coggan, Felicity, Adam Harvey
Adam Harvey
Adam Harvey is an Australian country music singer. Harvey has been nominated three times for an ARIA Music Award and is a multiple CMAA Award winner.-Biography:Adam Harvey got his start musically learning country classics on the guitar as a small boy...
– "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind" || CMAA Country Music Awards
Country Music Awards of Australia
The CMAA Country Music Awards of Australia is an annual awards night held in January during the Tamworth Country Music Festival, in Tamworth, New South Wales, Australia celebrating recording excellence in the Australian country music industry. They are wholly owned and staged by the Country Music...
– Vocal Collaboration ||
|-
| Urquart, Felicity Ann – "For service to Australian society through country music" || Government of Australia
Government of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a federal constitutional monarchy under a parliamentary democracy. The Commonwealth of Australia was formed in 1901 as a result of an agreement among six self-governing British colonies, which became the six states...
– Centenary Medal
Centenary Medal
The Centenary Medal is an award created by the Australian Government in 2001. It was established to commemorate the Centenary of Federation of Australia and to honour people who have made a contribution to Australian society or government...
||
|-
| 2002 || Felicity || Australian Club Entertainment Awards – Country Female Performer ||
|-
| 2003 || Felicity || Australian Club Entertainment Awards – Country Female Performer ||
|-
| 2004 || Turn out the Light || Australian Independent Country Music Awards – Australian Independent Female Vocalist of the Year ||
|-
| rowspan="5"|2005 || Felicity Urquhart || Australian Club Entertainment Awards – Country Female Performer ||
|-
| Felicity Urquhart, Glen Hannah – "Dear Someone" || Victorian & National Country Music Awards – Best Country Duo of the Year ||
|-
| Turn out the Light || Australian Country Music Listener's (ACML) People's Choice Awards – Best Female Vocalist ||
|-
| Turn out the Light || Tamworth Independent Artists Recognition Awards (TIARA) – Female Vocal ||
|-
| Felicity Urquhart || CMAA Australian CM Achiever Awards Winner – Independent Entertainer of the Year ||
|-
| rowspan="7"|2006 || Felicity Urquhart || Musicoz Awards – Best Country Artist ||
|-
| Felicity Urquhart || Australian Club Entertainment Awards – Country Female Performer ||
|-
| Felicity Urquhart, Glen Hannah – "The Flood" || Australian Songwriters' Association – Country Songwriter of the Year ||
|-
| Felicity Urquhart || CMAA Australian CM Achiever Awards Winner – Independent Entertainer of the Year ||
|-
| "The Flood" || APRA
Australasian Performing Right Association
The Australasian Performing Right Association is a copyright collective representing New Zealand and Australian composers, lyricists and music publishers. The association's head offices located in Sydney Australia, and it has branch offices in Auckland, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth...
-AMCOS Australian Independent Country Music Single of the Year ||
|-
| My Life || Australian Independent Album of the Year ||
|-
| "The Flood" || Australian Independent Female Vocalist of the Year ||
|-
| rowspan="4"|2007 || "Big Black Cloud" || CMAA Country Music Awards – Video Clip of the Year ||
|-
| Felicity Urquhart || Australian Club Entertainment Awards – Country Female Performer ||
|-
| Felicity Urquhart || CMAA Australian CM Achiever Awards Winner – Independent Entertainer of the Year ||
|-
| "Big Black Cloud" || APRA
Australasian Performing Right Association
The Australasian Performing Right Association is a copyright collective representing New Zealand and Australian composers, lyricists and music publishers. The association's head offices located in Sydney Australia, and it has branch offices in Auckland, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth...
-AMCOS Australian Independent Country Music Single of the Year ||
|-
| rowspan="3"|2008 || "Big Black Cloud" || CMAA Country Music Awards – Video Clip of the Year ||
|-
| Felicity Urquhart || Australian Club Entertainment Awards – Country Female Performer ||
|-
| Felicity Urquhart || CMAA Australian CM Achiever Awards Winner – Independent Entertainer of the Year ||
|-
| rowspan="2"|2009 || Landing Lights || ARIA Music Awards
ARIA Music Awards of 2009
The 23rd Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards took place on 26 November 2009 at the Acer Arena at the Sydney Olympic Park complex. The ceremony was telecast on the Nine Network at 8:30pm that night...
– Best Country Album ||
|-
| Felicity Urquhart || Australian Club Entertainment Awards – Country Female Performer ||
|-
| 2010 || "Roller Coaster" || CMAA Country Music Awards – Female Vocalist of the Year ||
1998
- Recipient of the Noel McGrugan Memorial Scholarship, awarded from the Sport & Tourism Foundation
- Inducted into the ‘Women’s Hall Of Fame’, Tamworth, for services to country music
Studio albums
- Felicity Urquhart (Hadley Records HCDM1308, 1992)
- Follow Me (Radio Friendly Music RFMCD003, 1995)
- Nothing to Hide (EMI Music AustraliaEMIThe EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
7243 4 99510 2 0, 1999) - New Shadow (EMI Music Australia 7243 5 35015 2 5, 2001)
- My Life (Shock RecordsShock RecordsShock Records is Australia's largest independent record label. It helps distribute records from overseas records labels such as Epitaph Records, and also for small record labels designed specifically for that band such as Cement Records...
FU004, 2006) - Landing Lights (Shock Records FU007, 17 January 2009)
Singles
- "The First Day of Spring" (1993)
- "Forever True (I'm Sticking with You)" (1997)
- "Sugar Town" (1998)
- "Country Girl (In the Urban World)" (1999)
- "We'll Never Get Along" (1999)
- "Planet of Love" (2001)
- "I Remember You" (2002)
- "The Flood" (2005)
- "Big Black Cloud" (2007)
Video albums
- Felicity Urquhart - Video Collection DVD (Shock RecordsShock RecordsShock Records is Australia's largest independent record label. It helps distribute records from overseas records labels such as Epitaph Records, and also for small record labels designed specifically for that band such as Cement Records...
FU006, 21 January 2008)
Other appearances
- "Keep the Lovelight Shining" (duet with Adam HarveyAdam HarveyAdam Harvey is an Australian country music singer. Harvey has been nominated three times for an ARIA Music Award and is a multiple CMAA Award winner.-Biography:Adam Harvey got his start musically learning country classics on the guitar as a small boy...
) – Concert for Slim – Recorded live on 20 January 2004 at Tamworth Regional Entertainment Centre (EMI 5999409, released 23 May)
she also appeared at Carols in the Domain 2010, where she sang "Away in a Manger"
External links
- ABC profile
- Felicity Urquhart at Tamworth rage page