Candy Devine

For the Candi Devine who wrestled in the American Wrestling Association, see Candi Devine.
Candy Devine
Born Faye Ann Guivarra
Cairns, Australia
Occupation Actor, singer, musician, radio broadcaster
Years active 1970s - 2013
Spouse(s) Donald McLeod (deceased 2012)

Candy Devine is an Australian born broadcaster, singer, and actress.[1]

She was a radio broadcaster and singer in Northern Ireland for many decades.[2][3]

Early years

Candy Devine (real name Faye Guivarra) was born in Cairns to a sugar-farming family.[4] She is from a multicultural family, with Sri Lankan, Filipino, Spanish, Danish and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds.[5] Her parents were co-founders of the Cairns multicultural music group, the Tropical Troubadours and would later establish the city’s Coloured Social Club.[4]

She was educated at Innisfail Boarding School from 1948 and later at Brisbane's Lourdes Hill College in the early 50s. She developed a keen interest in music while at college.[4] Later she studied piano and cello at Queensland Conservatorium[4] before taking to the stage in Sydney.

Her appearances in Australian television include the series Skippy the Bush Kangaroo (1968) [6] and fronting for ABC's In Key.

Life in Ireland

Devine travelled to Ireland in 1969 on what was intended to be a short visit. She was hired for a cabaret slot at the Talk of the Town club in Belfast. She married her booking agent, Donald McLeod, in Dublin in 1970. They lived briefly in the Republic and moved to Belfast in Northern Ireland in 1975.[4]

She began a long career with Downtown Radio the following year.[4] They had four children, including Brisbane based celebrity chef Alastair McLeod,[2]

Candy Devine became a recipient of an MBE on The Queen's 2014 honours list. Her award was for 'Services to Broadcasting and to the Community in Northern Ireland'.[7]

She moved back to Australia in 2013 following the death of her husband the previous year. She now lives in Brisbane.[4]

References

  1. ↑ "International Women's Day Breakfast 2014 with guest speaker. Faye McLeod aka 'Candy Devine" (Press release). Lourdes Hill College. March 2014.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Me and my health: Candy Devine". Belfast Telegraph. 12 June 2008. Retrieved 21 March 2011.
  3. ↑ "Candy Devine". Belfast Telegraph. 24 Dec 2013. Retrieved 6 July 2014.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 "Women inspiring women". 14 March 2014. Retrieved 6 July 2014.
  5. ↑ "Alastair McLeod". Retrieved 6 July 2014.
  6. ↑ "Classic Australian Television". Episode 23. "Sing me back". Retrieved 6 July 2014.
  7. ↑ https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/269031/New-Year-Honours-2014-PM-list.pdf