Joan Armatrading Tickets

Short Biography

“...a distinctive vocalist and lyricist...her synthesis of folk, reggae, soul and rock has made her a critical and cult favourite...” – Rolling Stone

Since 1972, and over the course of 20 critically acclaimed albums, Joan Armatrading has forged an uncompromising career. She possesses an entirely unique sound that ranges from jazz to true soul to sophisticated pop and reggae, which is all tied together and driven by her passionate guitar.

‘Love and Affection’, ‘Show Some Emotion’,’ Drop The Pilot’,’ ‘Willow’,’ Me Myself I’ … her canon of work is consummate and wide, bringing her three Grammy nominations (the first female UK artist to be nominated in the Blues Category), two Brit nominations, a debut at number 1 in the Billboard Blues chart (also the first female UK artist to do so), a highly coveted Ivor Novello Award, and a Gold Badge Award. Joan has received countless gold, platinum and silver discs, has featured in VH1’s Top 100 voting poll as ‘The Most Influential Woman in Rock’, and has been honoured by the Queen, receiving an MBE.
Joan Armatrading frequently played amongst some of the world’s finest musicians : Darryl Jones (Rolling Stones), Manu Katche (Sting), Benmont Tench (Tom Petty), Little Feat, Lou Reed, Fairport Convention, XTC, the Police, Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, Russell Lissack (Block Party) and Mark Knopfler
 
Joan’s latest Jazz flavoured release ‘Starlight’ (2012) captures the very best of her song writing talents with intimate songs that have a confession like quality- as though they are being shared from her heart to the listeners, like only Joan can. “I write” she says “because I love it”. Joan has arranged, as well as played, every instrument, with the exception of drums, on her last three albums – which has led to unanimous, widespread and, perhaps most importantly, consistent  commendation throughout this vast career.

An evening with Joan Armatrading is an evening of pure quality, offering an intimate insight into the soul of one of the world’s leading singers, songwriters, true multi-instrumentalists and devoted humanitarians.

Melbourne     The Forum            Saturday 23rd March 2013

In-depth Biography
Born in 1950 on the island of St. Kitts, British singer/songwriter Joan Armatrading was her country's -- as well as Britain's -- first woman to make commercial inroads into her chosen genre, spicing her take on folk with elements of rock, blues, and jazz, and has had a remarkably long, consistent career. Armatrading immigrated to England in 1958 and began writing songs six years later. In 1970, she met lyricist Pam Nestor at a touring production of Hair, and the two began collaborating on material later featured on Armatrading's 1972 debut, Whatever's for Us. The two ended their partnership afterward, and Armatrading resurfaced in 1975 with Back to the Night. Featuring former members of Fairport Convention, 1976's Joan Armatrading catapulted the singer into the U.K. Top 20 and produced her only Top Ten single, "Love and Affection." Armatrading's subsequent albums sold well in the U.K. to her newly established fan base but only respectably in the U.S., where it took her until 1980 to have a real hit (the all-electric Me Myself I). The Key also did quite well, but Armatrading remained largely a cult artist with a small but devoted following in America, never quite achieving the stardom she had in Britain. Armatrading has been successful enough to tour and record regularly into the new millennium. She released Lovers Speak (Denon, 2003), Live: All the Way from America (Savoy, 2004), and her first all-blues project, Into the Blues (429, 2007), which debuted at number one on Billboard's Blues Albums chart -- a first for a U.K. female artist. The rollicking This Charming Life (also 429) followed early in 2010. ~ Steve Huey, Rovi