IN her 32 years in the Australian music business Newcastle resident AURIEL ANDREWS has performed for POPE JOHN PAUL II, featured on variety music television shows in the 1960s and acted in film and on television.
But try to get a gig in the Hunter's pubs and clubs and Auriel rolls her eyes.
'A lot of performers in clubs here are from Sydney,' she sighs.
'It can be tough trying to find work here.'
These days most of Auriel's performances are in schools teaching children about Aboriginal culture.
Next Saturday, October 30, Andrews and her son RUBEN ANDREWS, will make a rare club performance at Mayfield Ex-Services Club as part of an ABC TELEVISION documentary BURIED COUNTRY. The mother and son will join other esteemed indigenous Australian songwriters in a live concert that will be filmed for the documentary which is set against a background of social history.
The concert will also feature performances by ROGER KNOX, COL HARDY, JOHNNY HUCKLE, BOB RANDELL who wrote BROWN SKIN BABY, EURABA which features Knox's son, and Ruben Andrews' band THE GOOD. (The Good, a rock'n'roll covers group, can also be seen this Friday night at Waratah Bowling Club.)
Born in Darwin, the youngest of seven children, Auriel's first singing job was in Cooper Pedie, in a tin shack called The Italian Club.
She made her debut on the JOHNNY MACK SHOW in 1969 on CHANNEL SEVEN in Adelaide.
Later she performed on the REG LINDSAY SHOW and THE ERNIE SIGLEY SHOW for CHANNEL NINE. Auriel released two recordings, an extended play single, and an album JUST FOR YOU, featuring American country music tunes.
When the Pope visited Australia in the 1980s Auriel performed AMAZING GRACE for the pontiff as he met and greeted residents of Alice Springs.
Her albums and a photograph of her meeting with the Pope will form the 'visual components' of Buried Country, which will mix artefacts of indigenous contemporary country musicians with live, archival and interview footage.
Auriel also acted in A COUNTRY PRATICE, BLUE HEELERS, HEARTLAND and the feature film BEDEVIL. BURIED COUNTRY will screen on SBS TELEVISION in March 2000. TE
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