Yvonne Barrett

Yvonne Barrett was the daughter of Ted and Sheila Barrett, and was raised with two siblings. The family lived in Braybrook, Victoria. Barrett started ballet lessons at the age of two and a half.

In January 1957 she performed in the pantomime, Jack and Jill, at the Princess Theatre, Melbourne.{{cite news | url = http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article71776341 | title = Jean Dances on and On... | newspaper = The Argus | date = 15 January 1957 | access-date = 9 September 2018 | page = 5 | via = National Library of Australia }} Note: includes a photo of Barrett, aged 10. In 1963 she joined the cast of Swallow's Juniors, a children's TV talent contest and entertainment show on HSV7.{{cite news | url = http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article55185415 | title = Worth Reporting: Broadway's Her Goal | newspaper = The Australian Women's Weekly | volume = 32 | issue = 8 | date = 22 July 1964 | access-date = 9 September 2018 | page = 14 | via = National Library of Australia }} Note: includes a photo of Barrett. She took singing lessons in her mid-teens, which led to musical theatre including, The Sound of Music, in the role of Louisa von Trapp, at the Princess Theatre in October 1961.{{cite web | url = https://www.ausstage.edu.au/pages/event/14802 | title = Event: The Sound of Music | publisher = AusStage | access-date = 9 September 2018 }} She subsequently appeared in Carnival!, Wild Cat and Stop the World – I Want to Get Off. Barrett described working in musicals to The Australian Women's Weekly{{'}}s correspondent in July 1964, "I love everything about the theatre. We work odd hours, but it doesn't worry me. I've never known a nine to five job – and it's wonderful to be able to sleep in in the mornings."

Barrett became a regular on pop music TV program, The Go!! Show, by 1965, where she performed her renditions, "Off & Running", "I Walk Alone" and the Toys' "A Lovers Concerto". She was signed to the related Go!! Records label, which issued her first three singles. She achieved her highest chart success with her cover version of Petula Clark's "You're the One"{{cite web | archive-url = https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20160504024600/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/43557/20160504-1246/www.poparchives.com.au/1809/yvonne-barrett/youre-the-one.html | url = http://www.poparchives.com.au/1809/yvonne-barrett/youre-the-one.html | work = Where did they get that song? | title = 'You're the One' – Yvonne Barrett (1965) | last = Nuttall | first = Lyn | publisher = PopArchives – Sources of Australian Pop Records from the 50s, 60s and 70s (Lyn Nuttall) | archive-date = 4 May 2016 | access-date = 9 September 2018 }}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} backed by her rendition of Chloee Harris' "Little People",{{cite web | archive-url = https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20170503140100/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/43557/20170504-0001/www.poparchives.com.au/2743/yvonne-barrett/little-people.html | url = http://www.poparchives.com.au/2743/yvonne-barrett/little-people.html | work = Where did they get that song? | title = 'Little People' – Yvonne Barrett (1965) | last = Nuttall | first = Lyn | publisher = PopArchives – Sources of Australian Pop Records from the 50s, 60s and 70s (Lyn Nuttall) | archive-date = 3 May 2017 | access-date = 9 September 2018 }}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} in October 1965.{{cite book | last1 = McFarlane | first1 = Ian | author-link1 = Ian McFarlane | title = Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop | chapter = Encyclopedia entry for 'Yvonne Barrett' | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20040829233845/http://www.whammo.com.au/encyclopedia.asp?articleid=78 | chapter-url = http://www.whammo.com.au/encyclopedia.asp?articleid=78 | year = 1999 | publisher = Allen & Unwin | location = St Leonards, NSW | archive-date = 29 August 2004 | isbn = 1-86508-072-1 | title-link = Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop }}{{cite book | title = Australian Chart Book 1940–1969 | last = Kent | first = David | author-link = David Kent (historian) | isbn = 0-6464-4439-5 | year = 2005 | publisher = Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd | location = Turramurra, NSW | title-link = Kent Music Report }} Note: Chart positions back calculated by Kent in 2005. In December Barrett, along with fellow TV personalities, Ian Turpie, Tommy Hanlon Jr and Pat Carroll, entertained Australian troops during the Vietnam War.{{Cite web|url=https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1278172|title = Viet Cong flag : Yvonne Barrett, Australian entertainer, Vietnam}}{{cite web | title = Bien Hoa, Vietnam. c 1965-12-23. Melbourne entertainer Yvonne Barrett on stage entertaining ... | publisher = Australian War Memorial }}{{cite news | url = http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article105874207 | title = Hanlon to visit troops | newspaper = The Canberra Times | volume = 40 | issue = 11,319 | date = 22 November 1965 | access-date = 9 September 2018 | page = 8 | via = National Library of Australia }} They were "the

first Government-sponsored entertainment team" to visit the Australian troops in Vietnam. Her next single, "Send Her Away",{{cite web | archive-url = https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20180503153600/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/43557/20180504-0136/www.poparchives.com.au/2920/yvonne-barrett/send-her-away.html | url = http://www.poparchives.com.au/2920/yvonne-barrett/send-her-away.html | work = Where did they get that song? | title = 'Send Her Away' – Yvonne Barrett (1966) | last = Nuttall | first = Lyn | publisher = PopArchives – Sources of Australian Pop Records from the 50s, 60s and 70s (Lyn Nuttall) | archive-date = 3 May 2018 | access-date = 9 September 2018 }}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} appeared in July 1966 and was followed by "Don't Bother Callin'" in October; Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, described the singles as, "minor hits in Melbourne."

Barrett and Carroll returned to Vietnam for another tour in August 1968.{{cite news | url = http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article107065684 | title =Untitled | newspaper = The Canberra Times | volume = 42 | issue = 12,069 |date=2 August 1968 | access-date = 9 September 2018 | page = 1 | via = National Library of Australia }} Barrett was presented with a Việt Cộng flag during one of her two tours.{{cite web | url = https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1278172 | title = Viet Cong Flag: Yvonne Barrett, Australian Entertainer, Vietnam | publisher = Australian War Memorial | access-date = 9 September 2018 }} Australian pop music newspaper, Go-Set (not related to Go!! Show or Go!! Records), published an annual poll of their readers, which included female-based categories, where she was listed at No. 7 Girl Vocal (1966), No. 6 Top Girl Singer (1967), No. 7 Female Vocal (1969), No. 5 Girl (1970), No. 6 Best Girl Vocal (1971) and No. 6 Female Vocalist (1972).{{cite thesis|type=MA| title = The place of Go-Set in rock and pop music culture in Australia, 1966 to 1974 | last1 = Kent | first1 = David Martin | publisher = University of Canberra | date = September 2002 |location=Canberra, ACT | url = http://erl.canberra.edu.au/uploads/approved/adt-AUC20050509.095456/public/02whole.pdf | pages = 255–264 |format=Portable Document Format (PDF) |access-date=16 December 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904073704/http://erl.canberra.edu.au/uploads/approved/adt-AUC20050509.095456/public/02whole.pdf |archive-date=4 September 2015 }} Note: This PDF is 282 pages. In 1970 she released a single, "Lu" (originally by Laura Nyro), which featured her big voice with a brassy jazz-rock, Blood Sweat & Tears arrangement.

Although not achieving further chart success she retained popularity due to live appearances, and being on national TV shows, Uptight and Happening 70-72. She performed "Always Something There to Remind Me" and Rare Earth's, "Get Ready". During the 1970s she moved into session work and club appearances, and was a regular on Mary Hardy's The Penthouse Club on HSV7. Soon after she moved to Perth. In the 1980s Yvonne Barrett moved from Perth to Sydney and was working as a waitress.

Barrett married former Vietnam War veteran, Hoang Van Truong, in December 1983; they had met in a Perth nightclub. The couple separated in the following year.

Barrett's body was found on 3 September 1985, at her unit in Birchgrove, New South Wales. Her estranged husband, Truong, was found guilty of her murder; he had spent the night with her, and strangled her in the morning when she asked him to leave.{{cite news | url = https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=T6pWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=DOgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6428,3604148&dq=yvonne+barrett+truong&hl=en | title = Veteran Gets Life for Murdering Wife | work = The Sydney Morning Herald | date = 6 August 1986 | access-date = 9 September 2018 }}

Barrett's funeral was held at Christ the King Catholic Church, Braybrook, Victoria. It was attended by Australian show business celebrities including, Bert and Patti Newton. Patti posted a condolence notice in The Age, "What wonderful times to remember of growing up together." Barrett was buried at Altona Memorial Park, Victoria.

• "Little People" / "You're the One" (October 1965) – Go!! Records KMR No. 58, Melbourne: No. 28, Sydney: No. 3
• "Send Her Away" / "Won't Someone Say" (July 1966) – Go!! Records
• "Don't Bother Callin'" / "I'm Taking Him Back" (October 1966) – Go!! Records
• "Lu" / "Picture Me Gone" (March 1970) – Columbia / EMI)
• "No Longer Part of Your Life" / "Mr 7654312" (1972) – Albert Productions

TELEVISION

The Go-Set Pop Poll was coordinated by teen-oriented pop music newspaper, Go-Set and was established in February 1966 and conducted an annual poll during 1966 to 1972 of its readers to determine the most popular personalities.{{Cite web | url = http://users.ncable.net.au/~ronjeff/top40/oz_king.htm | title = Australian Music Awards | publisher = Ron Jeff | access-date = 16 December 2010 | archive-date = 30 June 2012 | archive-url = https://archive.today/20120630220831/http://users.ncable.net.au/~ronjeff/top40/oz_king.htm | url-status = dead }}

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;General

• {{cite book | author1 = McGrath, Noel | title = Australian Encyclopaedia of Rock & Pop | date = 1978 | publisher = Rigby | isbn = 0-7270-1909-0 }}
• {{cite book | author1 = Spencer, Chris | title = Who's Who of Australian Rock | date = 1987 | publisher = Moonlight Publications | edition = 1st | isbn = 978-0-7316-0358-9 }}
• {{cite book | author1 = Spencer, Chris | title = An Australian Rock Discography: a Discography of Vinyl Product Released by Australian artists 1960-1989 | date = 1990 | publisher = Moonlight Publishing | edition= Rev. 2nd | isbn=978-0-7316-8343-7 }}
• {{cite book | author1 = Spencer, Chris | title = The Various Artist in Australia: a Rock Discography, 1960-1989 | date = 1990 | publisher = Moonlight Publications | isbn = 978-0-7316-8348-2 }}
• Gavin Ryan's Chart Books

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• [http://www.milesago.com/tv/go-show.htm The Go! Show] at MilesAgo website
• [http://au.search.yahoo.com/search?p=yvonne+barrett&ei=UTF-8&pstart=1&fr=fp&b=1 Reference to performance at Bien Hoa, Vietnam 23 December 1965]
• [http://www.mastersapprentices.com/goset.htm Go-Set Pop Poll Album cover]
• {{YouTube|0x1LnLvr9qU|Ian Turpie interview regarding Yvonne Barrett}}
• {{Find a Grave|63228709}}

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Category:1946 births

Category:1985 deaths

Category:Singers from Melbourne

Barrett, Yvonne

Category:20th-century Australian women singers

Category:People murdered in Sydney

Category:People from Braybrook, Victoria