Chrissy Amphlett

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Chrissy Amphlett

| image = Chrissie Amphlett (cropped).jpg

| caption = Amphlett performing in 2007

| landscape =

| birth_name = Christine Joy Amphlett

| alias =

| birth_date = {{birth date|1959|10|25|df=y}}

| birth_place = Geelong, Victoria, Australia

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2013|04|21|1959|10|25|df=y}}

| death_place = New York City, U.S.

| origin =

| genre = Rock, new wave

| occupation = Singer, songwriter, actress

| years_active = 1980–2011

| label = Chrysalis Records, Virgin Records, RCA Records

| past_member_of = Divinyls, The Tulips

}}

Christine Joy Amphlett ({{IPAc-en|æ|m|f|l|ə|t}}; 25 October 1959 – 21 April 2013) was an Australian singer, songwriter and actress, best known as the frontwoman of the rock band Divinyls. She was notable for her brash, overtly sexual persona and subversive humour in lyrics, performances and media interviews.

Amphlett, Jeremy Paul and guitarist Mark McEntee formed Divinyls in Sydney in 1980. With Amphlett and McEntee as its core members, the band underwent various lineup changes before dissolving in 1996. The band's biggest-selling single, "I Touch Myself" (1990), achieved a No. 1 ranking in Australia, No. 4 in the United States and No. 10 in the United Kingdom (UK). The band was inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Hall of Fame in 2006.

On the stage, Amphlett, who was 17 years old, played Linda Lips in the R-rated adults only musical comedy Let My People Come (1976), starred in the musical Blood Brothers (1988) and portrayed Judy Garland in multiple productions of The Boy from Oz. On the screen, she played a supporting role in Monkey Grip (1982).

Early life and education

Christine Joy Amphlett was born on 25 October 1959 in Geelong, Victoria.{{Cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/divinyls-singer-chrissy-amphlett-dies-of-breast-cancer-and-ms-aged-53-8583084.html|title=Divinyls singer Chrissy Amphlett dies of breast cancer and MS aged 53|date=22 April 2013|website=The Independent}} Her mother was from a well-off Hawthorn family, while her father was a World War II veteran whose mother was a German immigrant and his father a Melbourne chef. {{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1r_vHmeROG0C&q=chrissie+amphlett+german+father+pow+wwii&pg=PT7|title=Pleasure and Pain: My life|first1=Chrissy|last1=Amphlett|first2=Larry|last2=Writer|date=22 May 2013|publisher=Hachette Australia|isbn=978-0-7336-2595-4|access-date=4 January 2021|via=Google Books}} Amphlett was a first cousin of Australian singer Little Pattie (Patricia Amphlett).

She worked as a child model from the age of three until 12, and later said, "I didn't come from a very wealthy family so that actually clothed me and allowed me to have things".{{cite magazine| magazine= Countdown Magazine | title=Wild Child|author=Donald Robertson | volume=2|issue=5|date=January 1983}}

Amphlett attended Belmont High School.{{cite news |url=http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25991757-2902,00.html|title=ARIA Award may heal Mental as Anything rift|last=Adams|first=Cameron|newspaper=The Herald Sun|publisher=News Corporation|date=27 August 2009|access-date=14 May 2010|archive-date=30 August 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090830020045/http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25991757-2902,00.html|url-status=dead}}

Music

= Divinyls =

Amphlett met Mark McEntee at a concert at the Sydney Opera House in 1980 and they formed Divinyls with Jeremy Paul (Air Supply). Having performed in Sydney for some time, they recorded several songs for the film Monkey Grip, in which Amphlett also acted.{{cite news|title=Pleasure and pain of rock pioneer Amphlett|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/music/pleasure-and-pain-of-rock-pioneer-amphlett/story-fn9d2mxu-1226626645750|access-date=23 April 2013|newspaper=The Australian|date=23 April 2013|first=Iain |last=Sheddon}}

Divinyls consisted of an ever-changing line-up formed around Amphlett and McEntee, whose relationship was always volatile.{{cite news |url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/music/chrissy-amphlett-dead-after-losing-cancer-battle/story-e6frf9hf-1226626029214 |title=Chrissy Amphlett Dead After Losing Cancer Battle |first=Cameron |last=Adams |date=2 April 2013 |newspaper=Herald Sun |access-date=22 April 2013}} Nevertheless, the band released six albums between 1982 and 1996, peaking in 1991 with the success of their single "I Touch Myself", which reached #1 in Australia, #4 in the US and #10 in the UK.{{cite book |title=Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop |url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofau00mcfa |last=McFarlane |first=Ian |author-link=Ian McFarlane |publisher=Allen & Unwin |year=1999 |isbn=1-86448-768-2 |access-date=30 May 2008 |url-access=registration }} The band, which underwent various lineup changes, broke up in 1996.{{cite book

| last = Amphlett

| first = Chrissy

| author-link = Chrissy Amphlett

|author2=Larry Writer

| title = Pleasure and Pain: My Life

| publisher = Hodder Australia

| year = 2005

| location = Sydney

| pages = 336

| isbn = 0-7336-1959-2}}

The band was inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Hall of Fame in 2006.{{cite web |url=http://www.ariahalloffame.com.au/inductees_listing.htm |title=ARIA 2008 Hall of Fame inductees listing |publisher=Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA)|access-date=25 May 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080615011737/http://www.ariahalloffame.com.au/inductees_listing.htm |archive-date = 15 June 2008}}{{cite web|url=http://www.ariaawards.com.au/history-by-award.php?awardID=36 |title=Winners by Award: Hall of Fame |publisher=ARIA |access-date=25 May 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090608063019/http://www.ariaawards.com.au/history-by-award.php?awardID=36 |archive-date=8 June 2009 }}{{cite web|url=http://www.aria.com.au/pages/news-ARIAhalloffame2006.htm |title=2006 ARIA Hall of Fame Awards |publisher=ARIA |access-date=31 May 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111013120427/http://aria.com.au/pages/news-ARIAhalloffame2006.htm |archive-date=13 October 2011 }}

Amphlett and McEntee barely spoke after the band broke up, but resumed contact when they were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame and eventually announced a new tour and album.{{cite web |url=http://www.countdown.com.au/the_music.asp?ArtistID=23 |title=Divinyls |work=Countdown, (ABC TV) |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060820194333/http://countdown.com.au/the_music.asp?ArtistID=23 |archive-date=20 August 2006 |access-date=15 May 2014}} The band recorded and released a single, "Don't Wanna Do This", and toured Australia, but the proposed reunion album was never made.{{cite news|last=Cashmere|first=Paul|title=Divinyls Chrissy Amphlett Dies |url=http://www.noise11.com/news/divinyls-chrissy-amphlett-dies-breaking-news-20130422|access-date=23 April 2013|newspaper=Noise11|date=22 April 2013}}

= Other work =

Amphlett performed Divinyls' and other songs with a 30-piece orchestra for the Australian Rock Symphony in January 2010.{{cite news|last=Crabbe|first=Ashlee|title=Australian Rock Symphony|url=http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/australian-rock-symphony-20100112-m4ls.html|access-date=22 April 2013|newspaper=The Age|date=13 January 2010}}

In 2011, she released the single "Summer Song" under the name The Tulips, a band consisting of Amphlett, Charley Drayton and Kraig Jarret Johnson. It was used in the soundtrack for the film The Music Never Stopped.{{cite news|last=Shedden|first=Ian|title=Wild woman of Oz rock broke mould|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/music/wild-woman-of-oz-rock-broke-mould/story-fn9d2mxu-1226626654936|access-date=23 April 2013|newspaper=The Australian|date=23 April 2013}}

= Image =

Known for her brash, sexualised persona, Amphlett employed subversive humour in performances, lyrics and media interviews.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/100352/review/5945841/divinyls |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071123203647/http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/100352/review/5945841/divinyls |url-status=dead |archive-date=23 November 2007 |title=Divinyls album review |magazine=Rolling Stone |last=Farber |first=Jim |year=1992 |access-date=31 May 2008}}

Acting

At the age of 17 in 1976,{{cite news |title=The show's miss-managed |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=gk8QAAAAIBAJ&sjid=SJIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5597%2C3544272 |access-date=5 August 2022 |work=The Age |date=13 December 1976}} Amphlett was part of the original cast of the Australian production of the Earl Wilson Jr. penned stage musical comedy Let My People Come, playing the role of Linda Lips. The adult-themed musical opened at the Total Theatre in Melbourne, running for nine months, before transferring to the Bijou Theatre in Sydney for an additional three months. Amphlett made her film debut in Monkey Grip (1982) in a supporting role as Angela, the temperamental lead singer of a rock band.{{cite news |last1=Scott |first1=Ronnie |title=Friday essay: sex, swimming and smudgy louvres – watching Monkey Grip 40 years on |url=https://theconversation.com/friday-essay-sex-swimming-and-smudgy-louvres-watching-monkey-grip-40-years-on-187625 |access-date=24 November 2022 |work=The Conversation |date=12 August 2022 |language=en}}

In 1988, she starred opposite Russell Crowe in the first Australian production of Willy Russell's stage musical Blood Brothers.{{Cite news |url=http://www.express.co.uk/news/showbiz/393922/Russell-Crowe-leads-tributes-to-Chrissy-Amphlett |title=Russell Crowe leads tributes to Chrissy Amphlett |date=22 April 2013 |newspaper=Daily Express |access-date=10 April 2014}}

Amphlett played Judy Garland in the original touring production of The Boy from Oz, with Todd McKenney playing the role of Peter Allen. When the highly successful show transferred to Broadway in the year 2000, Garland was played by American performer Isabel Keating and Allen by Hugh Jackman. On its return to Australia as an arena spectacular, Amphlett resumed playing the role.{{cite news|title=A lady on the stage|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/arts/a-lady-on-the-stage/2006/08/03/1154198267687.html|access-date=26 April 2013|newspaper=The Age|date=6 August 2006|first=Guy |last=Blackman}}

Personal life

Chrissy Amphlett and Mark McEntee being bandmates at the same time were romantically involved from 1982 to 1993. They met in 1980 and began a relationship two years later when McEntee split up with his wife. Their relationship was highly volatile, being marred by drug and alcohol use and physical fights. However, the band's manager, Vince Lovegrove, later stated that the nature of their "weird" relationship was the "magic of Divinyls".{{cite news|last=Adams|first=Cameron|title=Fine line between pleasure and pain for Divinyls' Chrissy Amphlett and Mark McEntee|url=http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/music/fine-line-between-pleasure-and-pain-for-divinyls-chrissy-amphlett-and-mark-mcentee/story-e6frfn09-1226630681816|access-date=3 May 2013|newspaper=Sunday Herald Sun|date=27 April 2013}}

On 27 July 1999, Amphlett married American drummer Charley Drayton,"Amphlett (Chrissy) Christina", Who's Who in Australia, Crown Content, 2010. who played drums on the Divinyls' eponymous album and was the drummer in the reformed group.

In an interview on the Nine Network program A Current Affair, on 7 December 2007, Amphlett revealed that she had multiple sclerosis.{{cite news|title=Amphlett reveals she has MS|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/music/chrissy-amphlett-has-multiple-sclerosis/2007/12/07/1196813017422.html|access-date=26 April 2013|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=8 December 2007|first1=Jano |last1=Gibson|first2=Emily |last2=Dunn}}{{Cite news |url=http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22887388-5001021,00.html |title=Rock star Chrissy's disease fight |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date=7 December 2007}} On 20 October 2010, she announced that she had breast cancer and was being treated in New York, where she lived with her husband. She also said that her sister was a breast cancer survivor.{{cite news|title=Chrissy Amphlett – cancer diagnosis|url=http://www.australiantimes.co.uk/entertainment/chrissy-amphlett-cancer-diagnosis.htm|access-date=26 April 2013|newspaper=The Australian Times|date=20 October 2010|author=Australian Times}} On 24 January 2011, she stated she was free of cancer.{{cite news|last=Devic|first=Aleks|title=Chrissy Amphlett is winning cancer fight|url=http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2011/01/28/239381_news.html|work=Geelong Advertiser|date=28 January 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110205190456/http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2011/01/28/239381_news.html|archive-date=5 February 2011}}

= Death and legacy =

Amphlett died, aged 53, on 21 April 2013, at her home in Manhattan, after a long battle with breast cancer.{{cite news|title=Chrissy Amphlett dead at 53|url=http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/music/chrissy-amphlett-dead-20130422-2ia30.html|access-date=26 April 2013|newspaper=The Age|date=22 April 2013}}{{cite news|title=Divinyls singer Chrissy Amphlett dies|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-04-22/divinyls-singer-chrissy-amphlett-dies/4644172|work=ABC|date=22 April 2013 |access-date=22 April 2013}} Due to the multiple sclerosis that Amphlett concurrently had, she reported that she was unable to receive radiation treatment or chemotherapy as cancer treatment.{{cite web |url=http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/2013/04/22/20/10/chrissy-amphlett-queen-of-aussie-rock |title=Chrissy Amphlett, queen of Aussie rock |work=Nine News National |date=22 April 2013 |access-date=27 April 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130425032016/http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/2013/04/22/20/10/chrissy-amphlett-queen-of-aussie-rock |archive-date=25 April 2013 }} Following the announcement of Amphlett's death, numerous tributes were received from artists, performers and musicians. Russell Crowe wrote: "RIP Chrissie Amphlett, [she] played my mum in Blood Brothers, 1988."{{cite news |title=Chrissy Amphlett, Divinyls Lead Singer, Dies at 53 |url=http://reliablenewsflash.com/chrissy-amphlett-divinyls-lead-singer-dies-at-53-people-magazine/ |access-date=28 April 2013 |date=22 April 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131102200443/http://reliablenewsflash.com/chrissy-amphlett-divinyls-lead-singer-dies-at-53-people-magazine/ |archive-date=2 November 2013 }}

A Melbourne central city laneway has been named "Amphlett Lane" in Amphlett's honour, complete with a commemorative plaque and two artworks.{{cite news | last=Northover|first=Kylie |newspaper= The Age|location=Melbourne| url=http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/melbourne-puts-rock-icon-chrissy-amphlett-on-the-map-20150218-13i9jv.html | title=Melbourne puts rock icon Chrissy Amphlett on the map | date=18 February 2015 }} In November 2018, Amphlett was posthumously inducted into the Music Victoria Hall of Fame.{{cite web|url=https://musicvictoria.com.au/musicvictoriaawards/previous-winners|title=Previous Winners|website=Music Victoria|access-date=13 August 2020|archive-date=31 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190731040330/https://musicvictoria.com.au/musicvictoriaawards/previous-winners|url-status=dead}}

== I Touch Myself Project ==

Amphlett's family and friends and Cancer Council NSW launched the breast cancer awareness project "I Touch Myself" in 2014, as a tribute to Amphlett. Part of the project included a cover of "I Touch Myself" and features 10 female Australian artists (Olivia Newton-John, Megan Washington, Sarah McLeod, Katie Noonan, Sarah Blasko, Suze DeMarchi, Deborah Conway, Kate Ceberano, Little Pattie and Connie Mitchell). The song was released in June 2014 and peaked at number 72 on the ARIA charts.{{cite web|url=https://www.auspop.com.au/2014/07/chart-watch-28/|title=Chart Watch|date=5 July 2014|access-date=18 March 2021|archive-date=15 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210515054415/https://www.auspop.com.au/2014/07/chart-watch-28/|url-status=dead}}

Cancer Council NSW stated, "Through this campaign we are encouraging women to get to know their breasts better, to know what is normal for them and to participate in breast screening if they're in the right age range."{{cite web|url=https://au.news.yahoo.com/sunday-night/features/article/-/22501836/why-sunday-night-wants-you-to-touch-yourself/|title=Sunday Night wants you to touch yourself |work=Yahoo! News |access-date=21 November 2016}}

Awards

= ARIA Music Awards =

The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation and achievement across all genres of Australian music. They commenced in 1987. Divinyls were inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2006.{{cite web |url=http://www.ariaawards.com.au/history-by-award.php?awardID=36 |title=Winners by Award: Hall of Fame |publisher=Australian Recording Industry Association |access-date=23 October 2020 |archive-date=2 February 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090202052952/http://www.ariaawards.com.au/history-by-award.php?awardID=36 |url-status=dead }}

| ARIA Music Awards of 2006

| Divinyls (Chrissy Amphlett)

| ARIA Hall of Fame

| {{yes2|inductee}}

= Countdown Australian Music Awards =

Countdown was an Australian pop music TV series on national broadcaster ABC-TV from 1974 to 1987, it presented music awards from 1979 to 1987, initially in conjunction with magazine TV Week. The TV Week / Countdown Awards were a combination of popular-voted and peer-voted awards.{{Cite web | url = http://www.countdownmemories.com/magazines/pdfs/1987_03.pdf | title = Countdown to the Awards | work = Countdown Magazine |date=March 1987 | publisher = Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) | format = Portable document format (PDF) | access-date = 16 December 2010 }}

| 1982

| Chrissy Amphlett (Divinyls)

| Most Popular Female

| {{won}}

| 1984

| Christina Amphlett – "In My Life" (Divinyls)

| Best Female Performance in a Video

| {{nom}}

=Helpmann Awards=

The Helpmann Awards is an awards show, celebrating live entertainment and performing arts in Australia, presented by industry group Live Performance Australia since 2001.{{cite web | title=Events & Programs| website=Live Performance Australia | url=https://liveperformance.com.au/events-programs/ | access-date=4 October 2022}} Note: 2020 and 2021 were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

! {{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}}

| 2001

| Chrissy Amphlett – The Boy from Oz

| Helpmann Award for Best Female Actor in a Musical

| {{nom}}

|{{Cite web|url= http://www.helpmannawards.com.au/2001/past-nominees-and-winners/ | title= 2001 Helpmann Awards Nominees & Winners|publisher=Australian Entertainment Industry Association (AEIA)|website=Helpmann Awards|access-date=8 October 2022}}

= Mo Awards =

The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards (commonly known informally as the Mo Awards), were annual Australian entertainment industry awards. They recognise achievements in live entertainment in Australia from 1975 to 2016.{{cite web|url=https://www.moawards.com.au/awardwinners|title=MO Award Winners|website=Mo Awards|access-date=16 March 2022}}

{{awards table}} (wins only)

| 2000

| Chrissy Amphlett

| Supporting Musical Theatrical Performer of the Year

| {{won}}

= Music Victoria Awards =

The Music Victoria Awards are an annual awards night celebrating Victorian music. They commenced in 2005.{{Cite web|url= https://musicvictoria.com.au/musicvictoriaawards/previous-nominees|title= Previous Nominess|website= Music Victoria|accessdate= 13 August 2020|archive-date= 19 September 2020|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200919214225/https://www.musicvictoria.com.au/musicvictoriaawards/previous-nominees|url-status= dead}}{{cite web|url=https://musicvictoria.com.au/musicvictoriaawards/previous-winners|title=Previous Winners|website=Music Victoria|accessdate=13 August 2020|archive-date=31 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190731040330/https://musicvictoria.com.au/musicvictoriaawards/previous-winners|url-status=dead}}

| 2018 ||Chrissy Amphlett|| Hall of Fame || {{yes2|inductee}}

References

{{Reflist|30em|refs=

}}

External links

{{IMDb name|0025353|name=Chrissy Amphlett}}
[https://www.portrait.gov.au/portraits/2001.10/chrissy-amphlett-temperamental Chrissie Amphlett "Temperamental"] at National Portrait Gallery (Australia)

Category:1959 births

Category:2013 deaths

Category:20th-century Australian actresses

Category:APRA Award winners

Category:Australian autobiographers

Category:Australian buskers

Category:Australian contraltos

Category:Australian expatriate actresses in the United States

Category:Australian people of German descent

Category:Australian women singer-songwriters

Category:Australian musical theatre actresses

Category:Australian new wave musicians