Sharon O'Neill
Sharon O'Neill | |
---|---|
Birth name | Sharon Lea O'Neill |
Born | Nelson, New Zealand | 23 November 1952
Genres | Rock, pop, new wave |
Occupation(s) | Singer, musician, songwriter |
Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar, piano |
Years active | 1970–present |
Labels | Sony, Polydor |
Sharon Lea O'Neill
Career
1960s–1977: Career beginnings
Sharon O'Neill is a self taught musician who learned to play guitar by ear and started composing at an early age, by putting chords to her poetry. She began playing the acoustic guitar around Nelson in the 1960s.[6]
O'Neill began recording with Robin Winch and Nancy Richman under the name Suitewater. An entry into the 1970 Mobil Song Quest, saw Sharon & Nancy make the finals with a song called "Life Upon Life" written by O'Neill. Another of her songs, "Nothing Makes It Easy", got her to the finals of the New Faces television talent show in 1972 In 1972, O'Neill released "
1978–1983: CBS Records
In 1978, O'Neill performed the track "
O'Neill's third studio album
O'Neill's fourth studio album Foreign Affairs was released in May 1983. It contained the tracks "Losing You" (AUS #26) and "Maxine" (AUS #16),[4] a song which chronicled the life of a Kings Cross prostitute.[8] In a 2016 interview, O'Neill said: "I was living in a hotel in Kings Cross when I got the inspiration to write 'Maxine'. She was always out there working at 3am when we'd get home bleary-eyed from a gig."[7] Foreign Affairs was certified gold in New Zealand.[9]
1984–1999: Polydor Records and compilations
A legal battle with her then-record company CBS caused a delay in her career.[2] In 1984, CBS budget label J&B released a best of collection titled So Far. During the enforced hiatus, O'Neill wrote songs for ABC's 1984 TV series Sweet and Sour including the title song performed by Deborah Conway (later recorded by O'Neill as "In Control") and "Glam to Wham".[1] She wrote "Blood Red Roses" for the movie soundtrack of "Street Hero" and music for "Dancing Daze". O'Neill met American keyboardist and songwriter Alan Mansfield on Dragon's Body and the Beat Tour of New Zealand in 1984—they later became domestic and professional partners.[10]
In October 1987, O'Neill returned with her fifth studio album
In 1990, O'Neill released her sixth studio album Edge of Winter. Two singles were taken from this album, "Satin Sheets" and "Poster Girl", both of which failed to find chart success. The Very Best of Collette and Sharon O'Neill was released in 1991 by J&B Records. It contained eight tracks from Collette Roberts and eight tracks from O'Neill, including the previously non-album single "Power" from 1984.
In 1991, O'Neill collaborated with
2000–present: Later career
In 2001, she toured as a guest artist with New Zealand female act When the Cat's Away. In 2005, she toured Australia as a support act for Leo Sayer and a comprehensive collection of her greatest hits was released by Sony Music Australia under the title The Best of Sharon O'Neill. In 2006 and early 2007, O'Neill again toured Australia supporting Leo Sayer.
From August–September 2007, O'Neill toured as part of the 'Countdown Spectacular 2' concert series Australia-wide[11] and toured Australia and New Zealand on The Let It Be Tour (The Beatles tribute show) in November–December 2007.[12]
In 2014, Sony New Zealand released a new greatest hits collection titled Words: The Very Best of Sharon O'Neill. The album peaked at number 6 on the New Zealand albums chart.
In 2018, Sharon performed a duet with Ben Ransom titled "Young Years", the song she co-wrote for the group Dragon. The track is available via digital streaming service Apple Music.
Discography
Studio albums
- This Heart This Song (1979)
- Words(1980)
- Maybe (1981)
- Foreign Affairs (1983)
- Danced in the Fire (1987)
- Edge of Winter (1990)
Awards and nominations
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
1978 | Sharon O'Neill | New Zealand Music Awards - Top Female Vocalist | Won[13] |
1979 | Sharon O'Neill | New Zealand Music Awards - Top Female Vocalist | Won[14] |
1979 | "Face In a Rainbow" | APRA Awards (New Zealand) - Silver Scroll Awards | Won |
1980 | Sharon O'Neill | New Zealand Music Awards - Top Female Vocalist | Won[15] |
Sharon O'Neill | New Zealand Music Awards - Album of the Year | Won[16] | |
1981 | Sharon O'Neill | Australian Countdown Awards - Most Popular Female | Won |
1982 | Sharon O'Neill | Nominated | |
1983 | Sharon O'Neill | Won | |
Smash Palace | New Zealand Music Awards - Best Film Soundtrack/Cast Recording/Compilation | Won | |
1984 | Sharon O'Neill | Australian Countdown Awards - Best Female Performance in a Video | Won |
Sharon O'Neill | Australian Countdown Awards - Most Popular Female Performer | Won | |
Sharon O'Neill | Australian Countdown Awards - Best Songwriter | Nominated | |
1985 | "Power" | Australian Countdown Awards - Best Female Performance in a Video | Won |
1988 | Sharon O'Neill | ARIA Music Awards - Best Female Artist | Nominated |
1989 | "We're Only Human" | ARIA Music Awards - Best Female Artist | Nominated |
2017 | Sharon O'Neill | New Zealand Music Hall of Fame | inductee[17] |
Television
Television | |||
---|---|---|---|
Year | Title | Performance | Notes |
1978 | The Entertainers | Herself sings "Luck's On Your Table" | TV series NZ |
1978-1980 | Aotearoa Music Awards | Herself | TV special NZ |
1979 | The NZ APRA Awards | Herself sings "Face In A Rainbow" | TV special NZ |
1980 | Countdown | Herself sings "Words" | ABC TV series |
1980 | Countdown | Herself sings "How Do You Talk To Boys" | ABC TV series |
1980; 1985 | The Mike Walsh Show | Herself sings "How Do You Talk To Boys" | Channel Nine |
1981 | TVNZ Radpics Kiwis Musicians In Oz | Herself | TV documentary NZ |
1981 | Countdown | Herself sings "Asian Paradise | ABC TV series |
1981 | Hey Hey It's Saturday | Herself sings "Waiting For You"/"Love Can Be Cruel" segment: Discussion | TV series, 1 episode |
1981 | Sounds | Herself | TV series |
1981;1983 | Countdown | Herself sings "Waiting For You | ABC TV series |
1981 | Countdown | Herself Guest host sings "Maybe" | ABC TV series |
1982 | Countdown Music & Video Awards 1981 | Herself sings "Maybe" | ABC TV special |
1983;1983 | Hey Hey It's Saturday | Herself sings "I've Got You To Thank" | TV series, 1 episode |
1983 | Hey Hey It's Saturday | Herself sings "Losing You"/"Kids In Our Town" | TV series, 1 episode |
1983 | Countdown | Herself Guest host sings "Losing You" | ABC TV series |
1983 | Countdown | Herself sings "Maxine" | ABC TV series |
1983;1987 | Hey Hey It's Saturday | Herself sings "Danger" | TV series, 1 episode |
1983 | Countdown | Herself sings "Danger" | ABC TV series |
1984 | Countdown Music & Video Awards | Herself | ABC TV special |
1984 | Rock Arena | Herself | ABC TV series |
1984 | Sounds | Herself | TV series |
1984 | Good Morning Australia | Herself | TV series |
1984 | Countdown 10th Anniversary Birthday Special | Herself | ABC TV special |
1985 | The Mike Walsh Show | Guest Singer | TV series, 1 episode |
1985 | Concert For E.A.T. | Herself sings "Imagine" | ABC TV special |
1987 | The Factory | Herself sings "Physical Favours" | ABC TV series |
1987 | Hey Hey It's Saturday | Herself sings "Physical Favours" | TV series |
1987 | Sounds | Herself sings "Physical Favours" | TV series |
1988 | Hey Hey It's Saturday | Herself sings "Danced In The Fire | TV series |
1988 | The Midday Show | Herself sings "Danced In The Fire" | TV series |
1988 | Video Hits | Herself introduces "Danced In The Fire" music clip | TV series |
1988 | Hey Hey It's Saturday | Herself sings "We're Only Human" | TV series |
1990 | Video Hits | Herself introduces "Satin Sheets" music video clip | TV series |
1990 | Perth Telethon | Herself sings "Satin Sheets" | TV special |
1990 | Tonight Live With Steve Vizard | Herself sings “Satin Sheets” | TV series |
1990 | New Faces | Herself sings "Satin Sheets" | TV series |
1990 | Hey Hey It's Saturday | Herself sings "Satin Sheets" | TV series |
1991 | Today | Herself | TV series |
1998 | Good Vibrations: The Concert For Marc Hunter | Herself sings "Young Years" w Kevin Bennett & Margaret Urlich | TV special |
2005;2006 | Mornings With Kerri-Anne | Herself on keyboards w Leo Sayer | TV series |
2005 | The Footy Show Melbourne | Herself on keyboards w Leo Sayer | TV series |
2005 | Spicks & Specks | Herself | ABC TV series |
2005 | Home Grown - The Best Of New Zealand's Music Videos | Herself in music videos | TV special NZ |
2006 | Mornings With Kerri-Anne | Herself on keyboards w Leo Sayer | TV series |
2006 | RockWiz |
Herself sings "Maxine" | SBS TV series |
2007 | Mornings With Kerri-Anne | Herself w Let It Be Tour | TV series |
2007 | Close Up | Herself | TV series NZ |
2007 | Sunrise | Herself with Let It Be Tour | TV series NZ |
2007 | Sunrise | Herself performs w Let It Be Tour | TV series |
2007 | Countdown Spectacular 2 Concert | Herself sings "Losing You"/"Maxine" | ABC TV special |
2008 | Rocked The Nation: 100 NZ Music Moments | Herself | TV special NZ |
2017 | Aotearoa Music Awards | Herself as Inductee | TV special NZ |
References
- ^ APRA. Archived from the originalon 5 December 2007. Retrieved 2007-07-27.
- ^ ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
- ISBN 1-86503-891-1. Archived from the originalon 29 February 2012. Retrieved 13 February 2010. Note: [on-line] version established at White Room Electronic Publishing Pty Ltd in 2007 and was expanded from the 2002 edition.
- ^ a b Australian chart peaks:
- Top 100 (ISBN 0-646-11917-6. N.B. The Kent Report chart was licensed by ARIAbetween mid 1983 and 19 June 1988.
- Top 100 (ARIA Chart) peaks from January 1990 to December 2010: Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
- "Satin Sheets" (ARIA Chart) peak: "Response from ARIA re: chart inquiry, received 12 September 2016". Imgur.com. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
- The Very Best of Collette and Sharon O'Neill: "Response from ARIA re: chart inquiry, received 13 September 2016". Imgur.com. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
- Top 100 (
- ^ New Zealand chart peaks:
- All except "Don't Let Love Go": "charts.nz > Sharon O'Neill in New Zealand Charts". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
- "Don't Let Love Go": "charts.nz > Sharon & John in New Zealand Charts". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
- ^ a b "Sharon O'Neill". Sergent. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
- ^ a b "Twelve Questions with Sharon O'Neill". NZ Herald. 23 February 2016. Retrieved 8 March 2017.
- ^ Filmarchive.org.nz Archived 3 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Gold and platinum New Zealand albums to 2013". Teara.govt.nz. Retrieved 5 March 2017.
- ^ Taylor, Phil (P J) (24 August 2006). "The Times interview, Sharon O'Neill explain yourself to PJ Taylor". Howick and Pakuranga Times. Archived from the original on 19 October 2008. Retrieved 25 May 2008.
- ^ "The Countdown Spectacular". Frontier Touring Co. Retrieved 27 July 2007.
- ^ "The Let It Be Tour entry on Sharon O'Neill". Xazz Media Group. Archived from the original on 12 May 2008. Retrieved 2007-09-23.
- ^ "TOP FEMALE VOCALIST 1978". NZ Music Awads. RMNZ. Retrieved 23 July 2016.
- ^ "TOP FEMALE VOCALIST 1979". NZ Music Awads. RMNZ. Retrieved 23 July 2016.
- ^ "TOP FEMALE VOCALIST 1980". NZ Music Awads. RMNZ. Retrieved 23 July 2016.
- ^ "ALBUM OF THE YEAR 1980". NZ Music Awards. RMNZ. Retrieved 23 July 2016.
- ^ "HOME INDUCTEES". www.musichall.co.nz. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
External links
- Sharon O'Neill MySpace
- Official website
- The official Sharon O'Neill website at the Wayback Machine (archived 24 July 2008)
- "The unofficial Sharon O'Neill website". Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 2006-12-03.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - The essential Sharon O'Neill fan site
- The Let It Be Tour[permanent dead link]
- The Australian Sharon O'Neill Website[dead link]
- Yahoo group sharononeilldownunder