June Smith (9 June 1930 in Edinburgh – 6 May 2016) was a British-born Australian jazz singer, trumpeter and music teacher who performed in her later years in the region around Perth, Western Australia.[1]
June Smith | |
|---|---|
| Born | June Robinson 9 June 1930 Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Died | 6 May 2016 (aged 85) Australia |
| Nationality | British-Australian |
| Alma mater | University of Western Australia |
| Occupation(s) | Jazz musician, singer |
| Spouse | Lew Smith |
| Children | Four |
Life
editJune Robinson was born in Edinburgh, Scotland on 9 June 1930. Her mother was a singer and pianist and her father was a saxophonist.[2] At 16, she officially began her performing career as a singer and trumpeter with the girls' band of Blanche Coleman. Three years later she became a member of "Britain’s most famous all female swing band, Ivy Benson and Her All Girl Orchestra,"[2] performing in British music halls and during several overseas tours, including North Africa, to entertain the armed forces.[1] Bands like Benson's were formed during World War II when most male musicians were called up for combat duty.[2]
In 1951, she met the saxophone and clarinet player Lew Smith at Butlin’s Holiday Camp in Filey, North Yorkshire.[2] They married on 8 December 1952, and she changed her name to June Smith. In 1955, the couple were both playing in the Denny Boyce Orchestra, at the Orchid Ballroom, Purley, in London.[1]
Emigration
editIn 1961 she emigrated with her husband to Australia. In Melbourne, June and Lew were performing in the rock band Maximum Load, which had a local hit with Riding Through the Dandenong Ranges.[1][2]
In 1974, they moved to Perth, Western Australia, with June appearing on the radio, in addition to performances with the West Australia Symphony Orchestra. On the jazz scene, she became a member of Helen Matthews's Jazz Divas and she later founded her own group: June Smith and the Apple Band with her husband Lew. In 1992 she founded the club Jazz Fremantle, south of Perth.[1][2]
According to Lee:
June embodied two vital ingredients with her vocal delivery: an ability to swing and an ability to create blues inflexions with her voice... June’s deep understanding of the nuances of jazz gleaned initially as a trumpeter gave her jazz performances an integrity that can only come after years of performing and listening.[2]
The Perth Jazz Society, of which she was a founder in 1973,[2] chose Smith for its annual Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005. She continued to perform musically until 2013 at age 83.[1]
Personal life
editAlthough she had completed her childhood education in Scotland, she returned to university in Perth and in 1981 received a librarian's degree. She also found employment as a librarian at the University of Western Australia, Department for the Arts.[2]
She died peacefully on 6 May 2016 surrounded by family and her husband of 63 years.[1][2]