The Lost Songs and Legacy of Chrissy Amphlett
A two-part series has uncovered the private woman behind the rock star Chrissy Amphlett, featuring interviews with original Divinyls members and behind-the-scenes footage and photos of Chrissy and the band. The series also reveals the story behind three new songs Chrissy wrote and recorded with singer-songwriter Tim Finn in the years before her death in 2013.
Chrissy Amphlett, Australia's most iconic female rock star, left an indelible mark on the music industry with her fierce on-stage presence and husky yet strong voice. As the lead singer of Divinyls, she brought a brand of edginess to the stage that was unprecedented for an Australian female singer.
Uncovering the Private Woman Behind the Rock Star
A two-part series has uncovered the private woman behind the rock star, featuring interviews with original Divinyls members and behind-the-scenes footage and photos of Chrissy and the band. The series also reveals the story behind three new songs Chrissy wrote and recorded with singer-songwriter Tim Finn in the years before her death in 2013.
Chrissy Amphlett with guitarist and former partner Mark McEntee. (Supplied: Tony Mott)
A Path for Women in Australian Music
Record producer Mark Opitz says Chrissy "carved a path" and "created an icon ... for Australian music and particularly women in Australian music". "She set out just to be good at what she did and just follow her dream," Opitz says. "But in doing so, [she] created this fiercely independent woman that other women in this country — and men — looked up to."
The Shy and Vulnerable Side of Chrissy
Despite her tough on-stage persona, Chrissy's cousin, Patricia Amphlett, better known as Little Pattie, says Chrissy was shy and vulnerable off stage. "I'm really sad that not many people knew the real Chrissy because I was lucky enough to know how caring, how soft, how sweet she was," she says.
Chrissy Amphlett grew up a shy child in Geelong, Victoria in a musical family. (Supplied)
The Struggle with Addiction
Chrissy's wild persona began as an act, a character she created to overcome her shyness, but as her fame grew, alcohol became a crutch and she started to morph into her on-stage persona. "It just became part of her," Patricia says, "because of the alcohol."
In an interview in 2006, Chrissy admitted that, for a while, "alcohol was my everything". "It was my quick fix," she said. "And it was how I coped in the beginning. And then it was the only way I knew how to cope."
New Songs and Lost Footage
The series also features footage of the band performing in the early 1980s, discovered in storage. Bjarne Ohlin, the band's original keyboardist/guitarist, watches the film for the first time in decades and is transfixed. "It's fabulous," he says. "This is at that early stage where we were excited as hell. We had a record contract, and music was being released overseas. We were about to tour."
Chrissy Amphlett and Charley Drayton wed in Melbourne in 1999. (Supplied: Rick Grossman)
A Legacy that Lives On
Chrissy's husband, Charley Drayton, is thrilled that the songs Chrissy recorded with Finn will soon be released. Says Finn: "People are going to hear Chrissy Amphlett's voice again. Stand back, people. Get ready."