Rose Bygrave
Encyclopedia
Rose Bygrave is an Australia
n singer/songwriter.
. Her musical career began in 1979 (early band: The Salty Dogs). Bygrave was invited to join The Goanna Band
, rising to prominence as keyboardist/vocalist alongside Shane Howard
and Marcia Howard in the early '80s. The band recorded three albums and toured extensively, performing in some of the remotest areas of Australia and forging strong bonds with Aboriginal people and their culture. Their debut album Spirit of Place
won the ARIA
Best Album of the Year, 1982, with "Solid Rock" winning Best Single of the Year.
Bygrave issued a solo single, "Maybe Midnight" in June, 1989 and commenced work on a solo album but nothing eventuated. Bygrave began performing solo in 1991, and has worked as a sought after session musician.
Goanna reprised with a fourth album, Spirit Returns, in 1998, on which Bygrave contributed three songs. The album was released at the Melbourne Concert Hall as part of the 1999 Melbourne International Festival Program. Between 1998-99 Bygrave was involved as a mentor in the Aboriginal Song Lines program, which fosters emerging indigenous musicians.
In mid 1999 Bygrave produced and released her first solo album White Bird. Four of the songs were added to compilation CDs and America's Mollie O'Brien recorded one of the songs as well. In 2000 at the Woodford Folk Festival
Bygrave was invited to be the soloist with the choir during the famous fire event. This was broadcast live to 1.5 billion people on a worldwide link via the BBC
. In 2001 she released her second solo album Walking Home.
In 2002 Bygrave performed as the support act for Luka Bloom
on his Australian National tour. In December that year she organised a major Benefit Concert called 'Bridges to Bali' to raise money for the Balinese victims of the terrorist attack.
In 2003-2004 she continued her work as a musical mentor/Artist in residence to troubled young people in regional Australia. She supported Dennis Locorriere
and Paul Brady
on their respective National Tours.
Some of Bygrave's songs have also selected for use on various soundtracks. Bygrave's work is renowned for compassionate songwriting - reflecting on the land, love, and especially issues of indigenous and social justice - and her voice and musicianship are regarded as among the best in Australian contemporary folk. In 2009 she released a third solo album, North, which was released at the Port Fairy Folk Festival
.
Bygrave lives in Queenscliff, Victoria
with her husband writer and poet Barry Hill
.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n singer/songwriter.
Biography
Roslyn 'Rose' Louise Bygrave grew up in Western Victoria and later attended art school in Ballarat and MelbourneMelbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. Her musical career began in 1979 (early band: The Salty Dogs). Bygrave was invited to join The Goanna Band
Goanna (band)
Goanna is an Australian folk rock group which formed in 1977 in Geelong as The Goanna Band with mainstay Shane Howard as singer-songwriter and guitarist...
, rising to prominence as keyboardist/vocalist alongside Shane Howard
Shane Howard
Shane Michael Howard is an Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist, he was the mainstay of folk rock group Goanna which had hits with "Solid Rock" and "Let the Franklin Flow". After their disbandment in 1985 he pursued a solo career....
and Marcia Howard in the early '80s. The band recorded three albums and toured extensively, performing in some of the remotest areas of Australia and forging strong bonds with Aboriginal people and their culture. Their debut album Spirit of Place
Spirit of Place
Spirit of Place is the first full-length album by Australian folk-rock band Goanna. It was originally released in November 1982, it peaked at No. 2 on the Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart and appeared on the US Billboard 200....
won the ARIA
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
Best Album of the Year, 1982, with "Solid Rock" winning Best Single of the Year.
Bygrave issued a solo single, "Maybe Midnight" in June, 1989 and commenced work on a solo album but nothing eventuated. Bygrave began performing solo in 1991, and has worked as a sought after session musician.
Goanna reprised with a fourth album, Spirit Returns, in 1998, on which Bygrave contributed three songs. The album was released at the Melbourne Concert Hall as part of the 1999 Melbourne International Festival Program. Between 1998-99 Bygrave was involved as a mentor in the Aboriginal Song Lines program, which fosters emerging indigenous musicians.
In mid 1999 Bygrave produced and released her first solo album White Bird. Four of the songs were added to compilation CDs and America's Mollie O'Brien recorded one of the songs as well. In 2000 at the Woodford Folk Festival
Woodford Folk Festival
The Woodford Folk Festival is an annual music festival held near the small country town of Woodford, 72 km north of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is one of the biggest annual cultural events of its type in Australia....
Bygrave was invited to be the soloist with the choir during the famous fire event. This was broadcast live to 1.5 billion people on a worldwide link via the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
. In 2001 she released her second solo album Walking Home.
In 2002 Bygrave performed as the support act for Luka Bloom
Luka Bloom
Luka Bloom is an Irish folk-rock singer-songwriter. He is the younger brother of Irish folk singer Christy Moore.-Early life:...
on his Australian National tour. In December that year she organised a major Benefit Concert called 'Bridges to Bali' to raise money for the Balinese victims of the terrorist attack.
In 2003-2004 she continued her work as a musical mentor/Artist in residence to troubled young people in regional Australia. She supported Dennis Locorriere
Dennis Locorriere
Dennis Locorriere was the lead vocalist, guitarist of the pop group Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show, later Dr Hook...
and Paul Brady
Paul Brady
Paul Joseph Brady is an Irish singer-songwriter, whose work straddles folk and pop. He was interested in a wide variety of music from an early age...
on their respective National Tours.
Some of Bygrave's songs have also selected for use on various soundtracks. Bygrave's work is renowned for compassionate songwriting - reflecting on the land, love, and especially issues of indigenous and social justice - and her voice and musicianship are regarded as among the best in Australian contemporary folk. In 2009 she released a third solo album, North, which was released at the Port Fairy Folk Festival
Port Fairy Folk Festival
The Port Fairy Folk Festival is a popular annual four-day music festival based in the historic fishing village of Port Fairy in Victoria, Australia....
.
Bygrave lives in Queenscliff, Victoria
Queenscliff, Victoria
Queenscliff is a small town on the Bellarine Peninsula in southern Victoria, Australia, south of Swan Bay at the entrance to Port Phillip. It is the administrative centre for the Borough of Queenscliffe...
with her husband writer and poet Barry Hill
Barry Hill (writer)
Barry Hill is an Australian historian, poet, journalist and academic.Hill was born in Melbourne, Australia. He studied at the University of Melbourne gaining his Bachelor of Arts , Bachelor of Education and a Doctor of Philosophy and from there went to London where he gained his Master of Arts ...
.
Albums
- White Bird - Black Market (RB001) (1999)
- Walking Home - Black Market (RB002) (2001)
- North - Black Market (RB003) (2 December 2009)