The Sydney Morning Herald from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia • Page 169

Statewide News All they need are the right breaks life. stars SUSAN JARVIS COUNTRY MUSIC USTRALIAN country A' music, like its counterpart in the US, is in a time of rapid change. While the established artists BOUND FOR THE TOP: Lynette Bowtell already has a string of successes behind her. Kristy Gents, IS, came into her own at Bundabere in April, dominating the junior sections of the competition and emerging the overall winner, ahead of artists more than AJbury Railway Hotel Albury Sooens Hotel Motel Aibury The Termo Hotel Anna Bay Anna Bay Tavern Armidole Railway Hotel Armidale St Kilda Hotel Ballina Ballina Hotel Ballina Westower Tavern Batemans Bay Bayview Hotel Bathurst Dudley Hotel Bathurat Oxford Tavern Belmont Belmont Hotel Bei mugui Hone Shoe Bay Hotel Bowral Bowral Hotel Bowrai Port O'Call Hotel Casino Cecil Hotel Caves Beach Caves Beach Hotel Coffs Harbour Coffs Harbour Hotel Cooma Cooma Hotel Coonabarabran Imperial Hotel Cootamundra Albion Hotel Corindi Beoch Amble Inn Coyrra Australian Hotel Cowra lochian Hotel Deniliouin Central Hotel Dubbo Western Star Hotel Dub bo Westside Hotel East Mankind George A Dragon Tavern EastMamand Windsor Hotel E-S -S- JL S.a lii I Evans Hood lllawong Hotel Forbes Albion Hotel Gateshead Golden Eagle Hotel Glen bines Railway Hotel Goulburn Empire Hotel Grafton Royal Hotel Ounnedoh Parkview Hotel Huskinsson Jervis Bay (Husky Pub) invereil Tattersalls Hotel Jindabyna Lake Jindabyne Hotel Kempsey Kempsey Hotel Lavington Boomerang Hotel Motel Lavington Springdale Heights Tavern Leeton Hydro Tavern Lennox Heads Lennox Point Hotel Lrthgow Grand Central Hotel Macksville Nambucca Hotel Maclean Argyte Tavern Mayfield Beauford Hotel Mayfield Mayfield Hotel Medowie Bull'N'Bush Hotel Merewether Prince of Wales Hotel Moree Post Office Hotel Morisset Bay HotelMorel Morisset Lake Macquarie Hotel Moss Vale Central Hotel Moss Vale Moss Vale Hotel Mudgee Woolpack Hotel MuDumbimby Chincogan Tavern Myrrleford Rorlway Hotel Narooma Hylands Tavern Norrobri Commercial Hotel Narrobri Tattersalls Hotel Norromine Norromme Hotel North Belmont Jewels Tavern Oberon Royal Hotel Ocean Shores Ocean Village Hotel Orange Hotel Co nob las Orange Robin Hood Hotel Parkes Parkes Hotel Pokolbai Tallawanra Hotel Port Macquarie fnnes Tavern Queanbeyan Oueanbeyan Hotel Raymond Terrace Junction Inn Hotel Raymond Terrace Spinning Wheel Hotel Rutherford Rutherford Hotel Salamander Bay Salamander Shores Shortland Shornond Hotel Singleton Clubhouse Hotel South West Rocks Seabreeze Hotel Speers Point Speers Point Hotel Sussex Inlet Sussex fnlet Hotel Tamworth Tamworth Hotel Tamworth The Pub Temora Terminus Hotel TenterfieM Royal Hotel Thurgoona Thurgoona Licensed Grocery Tumut Royal Hotel Motel UUadulla McnHin Hotel Urunga Ocean View Hotel Via Tare Old Bar Tavern Wagga Wagga Riverina Hotel Wagga Wagga Thomas Bkryney Hotel Wagga Wagga Tolland Hotel Wagga Wagga Turvey Tavern Hotel Wallerawang Commercial Hotel Waratah Royal Inn Hotel Warners Bay Bay si be Tavern Wauchope Hastings Hotel Wee Woo Imperial Hotel Wellington Federal Hotel Wing ham Australian Hotel Wodenga The Stump Hotel Wodonga Wodonga Hotel WoHongbar Pioneer Tavern Yamba Yamba Liquor. Supplies Young Australian Hotel twice her age.

Gents combines a strong voice with great looks and an on-stage confidence and presence that belies her years. She is putting together her own band. remain popular, there is a growing band of young talent taking over the country scene, bringing with it new ideas, new musical intluences and fresh new faces. The increasing interest in country music and the growing awareness among young performers for the need for professionalism point to a bright future for Australian country. Performers like Troy Cassar-Daley, Rosemary Ray and the Crosby Sisters are already being talked about by those in the industry.

They simply need the breaks. So let's take a look at some of Australia's country stars of the future: Troy Cassar-Daley is on the brink of major success. He has completed his debut album, and is negotiating management and recording deals. There is no doubt that when he finally breaks into the mainstream in the next couple of months, he will have a huge impact. Tamworth's Crosby Sisters duo.

Jodie and Kelly, has already made a major impact. The sisters have been compared with American duo. The Judds, because of their spectacular harmonies and powerful voices. The sisters are working hard to build a reputation, both around the north-west of NSW and on the Sydney scene. They will take part today in the big Tamwonh on Parade show at The Sydney Opera House and are well worth catching.

Rosemary Rae, who appeared in this column a couple of weeks ago, is another on the verge of cracking the major league. She just needs a recording and record deal She has a number of things in her favour: a strong voice; she can write her own songs and does it well; an on-stage presence which should take her to the top. Dalby youngster Mark O'Shea has made his mark (no pun intended) at a very young age. O'Shea won the coveted Gympie Muster Talent Search last year aged just 16 and went on to record a three-track cassette featuring tongs written by his brother, Phillip. He also travelled to Tamworth for this year's festival and stunned the festival crowds with his talent at the West Tamworth Leagues Club.

Susan Denahy, the sister ot rising country star Peter Denahy, comes from a remarkably talented tamily. Even given that, this young lady has something speciaL Her appeal lies not only in her voice, which can reduce an audience to tears with songs like Sayonara Nakamura. but also in her warm, vibrant personality and her ease year at Downlands College in Toowoomba, got a standing ovation after his final performance at Gympie last year and will appear at the festival again 1994. As well as working solo, mainly at festivals, he performs around Dalby with a band named The Rookies. Toowoomba seems to have spawned its fair share of country stars, including Gina Jeffreys, and the latest in the crop is 17-year-old Lynette Bowtell.

Bowtell has virtually blitzed the Queensland talent quest circuit in recent times and has created quite a stir with her powerful voice, on-stage confidence and abundant talent She began performing just three years ago, when a friend talked her into entering the Brymaroo Country Music Festival. She came second in the Junior Vocal section and won the Junior Gospel Trophy. In 1992 she started collecting the first of a string of trophies. But it was at the 1993 Tamworth Festival that Bowtell's potential really began to show. Since then she has had further success, Picking up a trophy at the 1993 Toowoomba estival, and earning herself the Junior Champion of Champions Trophy in 1993.

Bowtell was chosen to take part in the highly-regarded Last Roundup concert in Tamworth this year and, along with Mark O'Shea, Clint Beattie, Olivia Jane and Kristy Gents, features on the newly-released official 1994 Tamworth Festival Video. on stage. Denahy has been working professionally for the past three years or so. The hard work has paid off in perfect pitch and superb diction. Also with quite a bit of experience under her belt is Brisbane-based singer Olivia Jane, the daughter of well known country artist Steve Cnck.

Olivia, 18, has been on the road and on stage since 1990, when she set off for a round-Australia tour with her father, playing in his band. As well as singing, she plays acoustic guitar and pedal steel, earning herself the Barry Thornton Award for her pedal steel playing in Tamworth last year. in January sne reacned the grand final of the Star Maker Quest and hopes to give Star Maker another try In fact, his scheduled spot at the club was so well received he was invited to do another. O'Shea, who is in his final next year. CM Country Tracks Tpp 20 LW Wt ON MY ROAD Graeme Connors 1 10 SUGARFOOT RAG BeccyCole 2 9 SOUTHERN SON Lee Kernaghan 5 7 SOON Tanya Tucker 4 8 BIG IRON Martin MurphyMarty Robbins 11 7 CHARLEVILLE Slim Dusty 3 12 DOES HE LOVE YOU Reba McEntireLinda Davis 10 5 I SWEAR John Michael Montgomery 12 4 THE SONG REMEMBERS WHEN Tnsha Yearwood 6 14 EVEN COWGIRLS GET THE BLUES Rodney Crowell 7 12 FROZEN EMOTIONS Anne Kirkpatrick 13 6 SONG OF THE REBUBLIC Hugh McDonald 9 10 JOSIE'SFARM Allan Caswell 14 6 DANCING IN THE RAIN Jane Saunders 16 4 WILD ONE Faith Hill 18 2 I WANNA BE ALL OVER YOU DarcyLeYear 11 12 YOU LAY A WHOLE LOT OF LOVE ON ME Shania Twain 1 AFRAID Willie Nelson 20 3 ONE MORE RODEO Steve Gibson 15 11 IT SURE IS MONDAY MarkChesnutt 1 TW Tha Mak LW Last weak Wl Weeks Aust raconftng CompWd by In HOtOOWN Radn NMwoflt.

Tamawtn. NSW. TW 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 a 10 11 12 13 14 IS 16 17 ia 19 20 iiife li j'TiA iff -J FESTIVAL HIT: Mark O'Shea. PERFECT: Susan Denahy. 102 TfE 26j 1994.