Quick Facts
Biography
Jean Stafford at Latrobe, Tasmania) is an Australian country music artist. She has won three Golden Guitar awards. In 1989 Stafford was crowned "Australia's Queen of Country Music" by Smoky Dawson and she is known as The Golden Voice of Country world wide. Stafford has received many honours and awards, including the key to the city of Nashville, Tennessee. Stafford was also a regular on the Midday Show hosted by Ray Martin
Personal life
Stafford was born and grew up in Tasmania. Her mother was a Tasmanian, and she discovered many year later that her father was a Navajo Native American.
She has been married and divorced twice. She has three children to her first marriage, She had no children to her second marriage. She spends most her private time as a paintist and songwriter.
Awards and honors
Stafford has won the Country Music Awards of Australia's 'Golden Guitar' award for Female Vocalist of the Year three times: in 1975 she became the first Australian-born artist to win this award, for the song she recorded written by Loretta Lynn What Kind of a Girl Do You Think I Am?, then in 1980 for Hello Love, and in 1981 for That Glory Bound Train.
In 1979, Stafford was inducted into the 'Australian Country Music Hands of Fame'.
In 1991, she was given the 'Keys to the City of Nashville' and appointed 'Honorary Citizen' of the state of Tennessee by Governor Ned McWherter for services to Country Music in America.
2016, Mo Awards Jean was awarded with a Mo Award for 'Best Female Country Performer'
In recognition of her significant contribution to Australian country music, in 2008, Stafford was inducted into The Country Music Roll of Renown. The plaque reads:
Jean is one of our outstanding stars. Coming to prominence during the 1970s and '80s, she learnt her craft singing at hotels, country halls and dances. Recording initially with Dusty Rankin in 1965, Jean released her debut solo album in 1974, the song What Kind Of A Girl Do You Think I Am? winning the first of her three Golden Guitars and setting Jean on the road to stardom. From Northern Tasmania to Tamworth and Nashville, it has been a triumphant journey for the silver voiced girl who made her first public appearance at the age of 12. With many awards, honours and accolades to show for her long and illustrious career, we salute Jean Stafford as one of Australian country music's finest and most enduring talents.
Discography
- 1974: Flowers for Mama (Hadley)
- 1975: Jean Stafford (Hadley)
- 1977: I'll Sing You a Country Song (Hadley)
- 1979: Hello Love (Hadley)
- 1980: Born Again (Hadley)
- 1982: Someday I'll Take Home the Roses (EMI)
- 1987: Burning Bright (EMI)
- 1992: That Says It All (Dino)
- 1995: Tassie's Got It All LP (Sony)
- 2005: Let the Dance Begin (JLCM)
- 2015: The Golden Voice of Country EMI (Universal)