Christina Amphlett
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Christina Amphlett | |
|---|---|
 Chrissy Amphlett
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Christina Joy Amphlett |
| Also known as | Chrissy Amphlett |
| Born | October 25, 1959 |
| Origin | Geelong, Victoria, Australia |
| Genre(s) | Rock, New Wave |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, Singer |
| Instrument(s) | Singing |
| Years active | 1982—present |
| Label(s) | Chrysalis Records, Virgin Records, RCA Records |
| Associated acts | Divinyls |
Christina Joy Amphlett (born October 25, 1959 in Geelong, Victoria, Australia) is the lead singer for Australian rock band Divinyls. She is also known as Chrissy Amphlett.
She grew up in Geelong as a singer and dancer. She left home as a teenager and travelled to England, France and Spain where she was thrown into prison [1] for three months for singing on the streets.
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[edit] Divinyls
Amphlett met Mark McEntee at a concert at the Sydney Opera House in 1980, and the pair formed the Divinyls shortly after. After several years of live gigs in Sydney, they recorded several songs to be used on the soundtrack of the film Monkey Grip.
Divinyls consisted of an ever-changing lineup around the core of Amphlett and McEntee, whose relationship was volatile throughout their career. Nonetheless, the band released six albums between 1982 and 1996, culminating in 1990 with the success of the single "I Touch Myself" which reached Number 1 in Australia, 10 in the UK and 4 in the US. Divinyls did not release another album for nearly six years, splitting up around the time of Underworld's release in Australia. Amphlett lived in New York City with her husband, concentrating on a solo career and writing her autobiography Pleasure and Pain: My Life.
Amphlett and McEntee barely spoke after the band split up, but resumed contact when they were inducted in the 2006 ARIA Hall of Fame, eventually announcing a new tour and album.[2]
[edit] Other work
In addition to her musical career, Amphlett has worked as an actress. She made her film debut in the 1982 film Monkey Grip, with her performance garnering a nomination for Best Supporting Actress in the Australian Film Institute Awards.[2]
In 1998, Amphlett was cast to play Judy Garland opposite Todd McKenney in the original touring production of The Boy from Oz about the life of Peter Allen. When the show made its Broadway debut, Amphlett was replaced in the role by Isabel Keating, although she resumed the role in the Australian tour.[3]
[edit] Personal life
Since 1999, Amphlett has been married to American drummer Charley Drayton, who played drums on the Divinyls' self-titled album and is currently the drummer in the reformed group. Prior to her marriage to Drayton, Amphlett had been involved in an affair with Divinyls guitarist Mark McEntee (who was married at the time).[3]
In an interview to the Nine Network program A Current Affair on December 7, 2007, Amphlett revealed she is battling multiple sclerosis,[4] although she insisted that it was unrelated to her excessive lifestyle during her early years in the show business.[5]
She is the cousin of another Australian singer, Little Pattie (Patricia Amphlett).
[edit] References
- ^ Pleasure and Pain: My Life by Chrissy Amphlett with Larry Writer. ISBN 0-7336-1959-2. Published by Hachette Livre Australia (formerly Hodder Headline Australia), November 2005
- ^ a b Divinyls, Countdown (ABC TV).
- ^ a b Blackman, Guy: A lady on the stage, The Age, August 6, 2006.
- ^ Amphlett reveals she has MS, The Sydney Morning Herald, December 8, 2007.
- ^ Rock star Chrissy's disease fight, The Daily Telegraph, December 7, 2007.
[edit] External links
- Christina Amphlett at the Internet Movie Database
- chrissyamphlett.com
- Rock Chicks:The Hottest Female Rockers from the 1960’s to Now by Stieven-Taylor, Alison (2007). Sydney. Rockpool Publishing. ISBN 9781921295065
