Growing up

I was born in Auckland, just before midnight on the 24th August 197......apparently, I was an accident.  There were already 4 girls and a boy that mum & dad had collaborated on, so I guess the accident story could be the truth, then again, older brothers & sisters can be very cruel if you let them...and of course, I accidently got all the talent in the family too…

Ever since I can remember I have been singing.  In fact, my earliest memories of performing are of singing Shirley Bassey's version of ' Hey Big Spender' for mum & dad's friends at dinner parties...not that I was ever pushed into show business...I was actually sent to ballet classes because of a left foot that was quite pigeon-toed--yes, we all have our dark secrets--ballet led to jazz and then tap and before I knew it I was onstage in a purple unitard, with glitter on my eyelids in a children's production of 'Annie Get Your Gun' and I loved it!  For the next 12 years, theatre played a huge part in my life.  Not just the performing side, the feeling of being backstage, the people, the colour, it was like being Alice in my own little wonderland.  I remember that I loved to watch the audience from the wings--a terrible no no, but something that I had an addiction for.  I'm not sure why, but seeing peoples reactions to the magic that was happening in front of them made me feel like I was the sole orchestrator of it all . I met some really wonderful people during those years of my life.  Crazy colourful personalities that kept me intrigued and taught me so much about entertaining.  I learnt a lot, just from watching and watching and watching, whenever I could, hungry & mesmerised.

Listening to records was also a huge part of growing up for me.  Mum's, Dad's, various sister's--if they let me--I don't remember my brother having any records that interested me, in fact, I don't remember him having any records at all.  Maybe the prospect of fighting 5 girls for the use of the radiogram was just too much.   James Taylor, Elton John, Shirley Bassey, Queen, Perry Como, Neil Diamond, Roxy Music, Led Zeppelin, Neil Young, Olivia Newton-John, Cilla Black, The Muppets, Annie--The Musical (I was Annie) Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Little River Band & Split Enz….and then I listened to my sister's copy of 'Rickie Lee Jones', I still have it--I think it actually belonged to my sister's friend--whoever it belonged to, it didn't matter, it is an album that somehow changed the way I thought about music.  Not in a greatly profound way, just in a 'way'.   Other albums to have done the same thing over the years...Joni Michell's 'Blue', 'Infected' by The The, 'Neither Fish nor Flesh' Terrence Trent D'Arby, all of Bjork's albums and 'Amnesiac' & 'Kid A' by Radiohead.

I guess that I pretty much lived in a fantasy world as a kid.  No, I should say fantastical because it wasn't all in my head.  I actually got to be the White Queen in Alice in Wonderland, and hang out with adults put outrageous costumes & make-up on and take time off school to do what I loved to do--entertain people.  It was a lot of hard work, but it only ever seemed like about 20 % of it was hard at the time, the rest of the time, it was just what I did.  I'm so glad that my folks were as encouraging as they were, and still are.  They don't necessarily understand it, but they love it and respect it anyway. I'm not sure who does it harder. The tortured artist/singer/muso/painter/actor/dancer/poet,  or their parents?

I think I was about 12 when I got up at the Piha Surf Club and sang Neil Young's 'Four Strong Winds' on my sister's guitar.  I had been introduced to the guitar not only through her, but as an 8 year old, was lucky enough to have a teacher who played.   She was a hippie.  Bernadette Carey--if you're reading this Miss Carey, or you know her, please get in contact--she taught me folk songs and wore stockings and velvet skirts and encouraged my creative side and treated me like a human being.  All of us in her class were.  We were all equal & that included Miss Carey.  I don't know whatever happened to her.  She was planning to marry a cutie named Greg.  I can still remember some of the songs she taught me, and if you invite me over for dinner , cook me banana cake & ply me with tequila I might just play one of them for you sometime--a lot of tequila...I wrote my first song in Miss Carey's class back in good ol' 1980.  A lovely little ditto that goes by the title of 'Wobbly Knees',  and if you invite me over for…..

august 2003