Jewel Coburn
Australian music publisher, singer, and former actress
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jewel Evelyn Coburn (née Blanch; born 4 March 1958) is an Australian music publisher, singer and former actress.
4 March 1958
- Music publisher
- singer
- actress
Jewel Coburn | |
|---|---|
| Born | Jewel Evelyn Blanch 4 March 1958 Glen Innes, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1962–present |
Biography
Jewel Coburn was born as Jewel Evelyn Blanch on 4 March 1958 in Glen Innes, New South Wales,[1] to Berice Ida (née Collins) and Arthur Ernest Blanch.[2][3][4] Both parents were established country music performers.[1][5][6] The family were living on a farm, "Harmony Hill", 16 kilometres (10 mi) from Brisbane.[6][7] Blanch appeared on Brisbane's Coca-Cola TV Show, singing and playing a ukulele, aged 3.[6][8][9] She recorded a novelty song "I Wanna Stay on Jumbo" in 1962 at the age of four, which was issued in March 1963.[6][8][10] During her childhood, Blanch and her parents toured as the Blanch Family or the Blanches.[6]
She appeared on television programs in Australia and the United States, The Linkletter Show,[6] The Barry Crocker Show and Junior Bandstand.[9] At the age of 8, Blanch had a recording contract with EMI Records for four songs on its imprint, His Master's Voice.[9]
In 1962 The Blanch Family were signed to W&G label in Melbourne where they recorded a song written for Jewel "I Wanta Stay on Jumbo" and a duet with her father "On Accounts I Love You". "Jumbo" was an instant success and became a national hit.[11]
The family embarked on a fifteen-month tour of the United States from December 1963,[1] during which time Blanch attended a Beverly Hills Unified School District.[7] They returned to Australia in 1965,[7] but relocated to the US in 1968 where Blanch was signed to Capitol Records and worked with Al De Lory.[2]
During the 1970s, Blanch became better known for her acting, working on American television programs, The Mod Squad, Bonanza, Lassie, Night Gallery, Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law and Jigsaw John.[6][12] For secondary education she attended University High School, West Los Angeles and then Hollywood Professional School.[9] The actress appeared in the films, Baffled! (1973),[9] The Morning After (1974),[12] and Against a Crooked Sky (1975).[13] Blanch received critical praise for playing a visually impaired girl on the ABC Afterschool Special, Blind Sunday in 1976.[12][14] She had a guest role as Abbie Singleton for six episodes of Australian soap The Young Doctors in 1977.[9][12]
Blanch's singing career developed in the late 1970s and she was recognised as an emerging talent by publications such as Record World and Cashbox. She won Billboard's Country Music Award for Number One New Female Singles Artist in 1979.[citation needed]
Blanch's handprints were imprinted into the new Australian Country Music Hands of Fame monument in Tamworth, New South Wales in recognition of the success she had already achieved during her career.[15]
Blanch went on to have further success as a country music performer, winning three Golden Guitars at the Country Music Awards of Australia.[16] In 1982, she was awarded Golden Guitars for Female Vocalist of the Year and for Album of the Year, for "The Lady and the Cowboy" which she had recorded with her father.[17] The following year, Blanch was again awarded the Golden Guitar for Female Vocalist of the Year.[18]
Upon marrying Barry Coburn in 1982, she returned to the United States in 1984 where the couple opened a music publishing company called Ten Ten Music Group.[3] In 2012, Coburn co-founded the Eleven Eleven Music Group with Jason Morris.[19] Coburn sold her share of the Ten Ten Music Group in 2014.[20]
Work
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Against a Crooked Sky | Herself/Performer: Title song "Against a Crooked Sky" | Feature film, US |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | Coca-Cola TV Show | Regular - Herself/Performer | TV series Australia |
| 1970 | The Mod Squad | Guest role: Luanne McKenna | TV series US, 1 episode |
| 1970; 1971 | Lassie | Guest roles: Little Girl/Young Girl | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1970 | Lassie: Well of Love | Little Girl | TV film, US |
| 1971 | Lassie | Guest role: Jodi Tyler | TV series US, 2 episodes |
| 1971 | Night Gallery | Guest role: Monica (Segment "The Doll") | TV series US, 1 episode |
| 1971 | Bonanza | Guest roles: Neta Thatcher/Carrie Sturgis | TV series US, 2 episodes |
| 1972 | Owen Marshall, Counselor at Law | Guest role: Judy | TV series US, 1 episode |
| 1972 | Baffled! | Jennifer Glenn | TV film, US |
| 1972 | Climb an Angry Mountain | Christina Cooper | TV film, US |
| 1974 | The Morning After | Karen Lester | TV film, US |
| 1975 | The Honorable Sam Houston | Nancy Houston | TV film, US |
| 1976 | Jigsaw John | Guest role: Deedee | TV series US, 1 episode |
| 1976 | ABC After School Specials | Guest role: Eileen | TV series US, 1 episode |
| 1976 | Isis | Guest role: Hope | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1976-1977 | The Young Doctors | Recurring Guest role: Abbie Singleton | TV series Australia, 6 episodes |
| 1977; 1978; 1982 | The Mike Walsh Show | Guest - Herself | TV series Australia, 1 episode |
| 1977 | Maggi Eckhardt Show | Guest - Herself | TV series Australia, 1 episode |
| 1978 | Fantasy Island | Guest role: Charity | TV series US, 1 episode |
| 1978 | Project U.F.O. | Guest role: Sis | TV series US, 1 episode |
| 1978 | Reg Lindsay's Country Homestead | Guest - Herself/Performer | TV series Australia, 1 episode |
| 1978, 1982 | The Mike Walsh Show | Guest - Herself/Performer | TV series Australia, 1 episode |
| 1979 | Blind Sunday | Role unknown | TV film |
| 1980 | John Singleton | Guest - Herself | TV series Australia, 1 episode |
| 1982 | Country Music Awards of Australia | Herself - Winner | TV special, Australia |
| 1982 | The Mike Walsh Show | Guest - Herself/Performer | TV series Australia, 1 episode |
Discography
Albums
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Meet the Blanch Family (as part of The Blanch Family) |
|
| The Lady and the Cowboy (with Arthur Blanch) |
|
| Send All the Ghosts Away |
|
| Blanch Family Classics (as part of The Blanch Family) |
|
| The Best of Jewel Blanch |
|
Singles
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 1962 | "I Wanta Stay on Jumbo" |
| 1963 | "On Accounts I Love You" (with Arthur Blanch) |
| 1964 | "Christmas Kangaroo" (with The Kanga-Rolers) |
| 1967 | "The Funny Little Voice " |
| "Mummy's Pretty Clothes" / "Gary" | |
| 1976 | "Will I Ever Learn" |
| 1978 | "Keep Me from Blowing Away" |
| 1979 | "Can I See You Tonight" |
| 1981 | "You Bring the Best Out in Me"/"I Can Love You" (with Arthur Blanch) |
| 1982 | "There's More to Country Than Cowboys" (with Arthur Blanch) |
Awards
Country Music Awards of Australia
The Country Music Awards of Australia (CMAA) (also known as the Golden Guitar Awards) is an annual awards night held in January during the Tamworth Country Music Festival, celebrating recording excellence in the Australian country music industry. They have been held annually since 1973.[21]
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | "I Can Love You" | Female Vocalist of the Year | Won |
| The Lady and the Cowboy (with Arthur Blanch) | Album of the Year | Won | |
| 1983 | Send All the Ghosts Away | Female Vocalist of the Year | Won |
- Note: wins only