Melinda Schneider (born Melinda-Jane Bean; 7 October 1971) is an Australian country music singer.[1] She has been performing since she was three and sang with her mother, yodelling country artist Mary Schneider, on the album The Magic of Yodelling at the age of eight.[2]
Melinda Schneider | |
|---|---|
 Schneider and her son in 2018 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Melinda-Jane Bean |
| Born | 7 October 1971 Sydney, Australia |
| Genres | Country |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, radio presenter |
| Instrument(s) | Guitar, vocals |
| Years active | 1979–present |
| Labels |
|
| Website | melindaschneider |
Schneider is a multi-Golden Guitar winner at the Country Music Awards of Australia winning her sixth with Paul Kelly for 'Vocal Collaboration of the Year' for their duet "Still Here" in 2009.[3]
Career
editSchneider studied dance as a child and made her acting debut on the popular Australian drama A Country Practice when aged thirteen.[4] She also sang the theme music for the ABC TV series Something in the Air.
In 1994, Schneider featuring on Audio Murphy Inc.'s dance track "Tighten Up Your Pants" which peaked at number 39 on the ARIA Chart.[5] The song mixed electronic beats and yodelling. The success of "Tighten Up Your Pants" earned her a three-album deal with Festival Records. Unsure of what kind of singer she wanted to be, Schneider foundered, eventually quitting Festival without making an album.[4]
In 1999, Schneider performed the duet "Love Away the Night" with Adam Brand. In January 2000, the song won Schneider her first CMAA Award for Vocal Collaboration of the Year.
In 2000, Schneider released her debut studio album, My Oxygen.[4] The album was recorded with the Nashville-based Australian producer Mark Moffatt.[4]
In July 2002, Schneider released her second studio album, Happy Tears, which peaked at number 94 on the ARIA charts and was certified gold. Happy Tears was produced by her husband of five years, Graham Thompson, and released on his Compass Bros label.[4]
In 2003, Schneider won her the first solo Golden Guitar for Female Vocal of the Year.[5]
In May 2004, Schneider released Family Tree, which peaked at number 64 on the ARIA charts and was certified gold. The album earner Schneider her first ARIA Music Award nomination.
In 2006, Schneider was invited by Deborah Conway to take part in the Broad Festival project with three other Australian female artists. They performed their own and each other's songs.[6] With Schneider and Conway were Mia Dyson, Kate Miller-Heidke and Ella Hooper.[7]
In 2010, Schneider was a participant on the ABC Television program Bush Slam and a celebrity contestant on the Channel 7 show Dancing with the Stars partnered by Serghei Bolgarschii in Season 10.[8]
In 2011, Schneider starred in the theatre show Doris: So Much More Than the Girl Next Door, written by Schneider and David Mitchell. The show told the story of Doris Day's life and was first performed at the Twelfth Night Theatre in Brisbane in May 2011.
In November 2014, Schneider released Great Women of Country, a collaboration with Beccy Cole. The album became her first to peak inside the ARIA top ten.
In 2022, Schneider performed a two-hour show titled Love Songs, celebrating the love she has found with her long-time partner, Mark Gable. In May 2022, Schneider released a compilation album of the same name.[9]
Personal life
editSchneider is the daughter of singer-songwriter and yodeller Mary Schneider. She attended St Joseph's Kogarah (now known as Bethany College) for her high school years.[10] Schneider is married to Mark Gable, the lead singer of the Choirboys. They were married in September 2022 on Killcare Beach, New South Wales, after 14 years together.[11]
Radio
editSchneider was the host of her own radio progrsam, Love Songs with Melinda Schneider, on Star 104.5 FM. The program aired every weeknight in 2015 from 8 pm. As the title indicates, the program was focused on songs of a romantic nature. This was Schneider's first radio program as host.
Discography
editStudio albums
edit| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications (sales thresholds) |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUS [12] | |||
| My Oxygen |
|
— | |
| Happy Tears |
|
94 |
|
| Family Tree |
|
64 |
|
| Stronger |
|
74 | |
| Be Yourself |
|
83 | |
| Melinda Does Doris |
|
24 |
|
| Great Women of Country (with Beccy Cole) |
|
9 | |
| Melinda Does Doris...Again – The Movie Songs |
|
97 |
Live albums
edit| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Live at Tamworth |
|
Compilation albums
edit| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Hits & Rarities |
|
| Life Begins At 40: The Ultimate Melinda Schneider Collection |
|
| Love Songs |
|
Extended plays
edit| Title | EP details |
|---|---|
| The Kitchen Table Tapes |
|
| Melinda Does Elvis |
|
| Be Gentle On Yourself |
Charting singles
edit| Title | Year | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| AUS [18] | ||
| "Tighten Up Your Pants" (Audio Murphy Inc. featuring Melinda) |
1994 | 39 |
Awards and nominations
editARIA Music Awards
editThe ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. Schneider has been nominated for two awards.[19]
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Family Tree | Best Country Album | Nominated |
| 2008 | Be Yourself | Best Country Album | Nominated |
Country Music Awards (CMAA)
editThe Country Music Awards of Australia (CMAA) is an annual awards night held in January during the Tamworth Country Music Festival and celebrates recording excellence in the Australian country music industry. Schneider has won six awards.[20]
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result(wins only) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | "Love Away the Night" with Adam Brand | Vocal Collaboration of the Year | Won |
| 2003 | "The Story of My Life" | Female Vocalist of the Year | Won |
| 2005 | Family Tree | Album of the Year | Won |
| 2005 | "Real People" | Song of the Year | Won |
| 2008 | Stronger | Top Selling Album of the Year | Won |
| 2009 | "Still Here" with Paul Kelly | Vocal Collaboration of the Year | Won |
Mo Awards
editThe Australian Entertainment Mo Awards (commonly known informally as the Mo Awards), were annual Australian entertainment industry awards. They recognise achievements in live entertainment in Australia from 1975 to 2016. Melinda Schneider won eleven awards in that time.[21]
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result (wins only) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Melinda Schneider | Johnny O'Keefe Encouragement Award | Won |
| 2000 | Melinda Schneider | Female Country Entertainer of the Year | Won |
| 2002 | Melinda Schneider | Female Country Entertainer of the Year | Won |
| 2003 | Melinda Schneider | Female Country Entertainer of the Year | Won |
| 2004 | Melinda Schneider | Female Country Entertainer of the Year | Won |
| 2006 | Melinda Schneider | Slim Dusty Country Performer of the Year | Won |
| 2007 | Melinda Schneider | Female Vocal Performer of the Year | Won |
| 2008 | Melinda Schneider | Female Vocal Performer of the Year | Won |
| 2011 | Melinda Schneider | Slim Dusty Country Act of the Year | Won |
| Melinda Schneider | Female Vocal Performer of the Year | Won | |
| 2014 | Melinda Schneider | Slim Dusty Country Act of the Year | Won |
References
edit- ^ "Old and new souls in country music". Debbie Kruger. 2003. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
- ^ "Great Women of Country". 26 February 2015. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
- ^ "Performer – Melinda Schneider". Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). 1 March 2009. Retrieved 17 September 2010.
- ^ a b c d e "City success, a yodel away from Tamworth". Sydney Morning Herald. 2003. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
- ^ a b "Melinda Schneider Life Begins at 40 Interview". Female. 2011. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
- ^ Elliott, Tim (19 August 2008). "Lady's Night at the Beckoning Microphone". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 5 June 2011.
- ^ "Broad 2006". Broad Festival. Archived from the original on 8 October 2007. Retrieved 5 June 2011.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ Rao, Shoba (26 July 2010). "Eliminated singer Melinda Schneider talks about sex and chemistry on Dancing with the Stars". The Daily Telegraph. News Corporation. Retrieved 17 September 2010.
- ^ "MELINDA SCHNEIDER - LOVE SONGS". Entertainment Venues. April 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
- ^ https://www.linkedin.com/in/melinda-schneider-19b15829/?originalSubdomain=au [bare URL]
- ^ "Melinda Schneider on love songs and marriage". Newcastle Live. August 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
- ^ a b c Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (pdf ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
- Melinda Does Doris...Again – The Movie Songs: "ARIA Chart Watch #392". auspOp. 29 October 2016. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
- ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2022 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
- ^ "Love Songs". Apple Music. 8 May 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
- ^ "Melinda Does Elvis EP". Apple Music. 4 September 2020. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
- ^ "Be Gentle On Yourself EP". Apple Music. 7 October 2020. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
- ^ "Melinda Schneider - Be Gentle On Yourself EP". flyctory.com. 10 October 2020. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
- ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 21.
- ^ "ARIA Awards Search Results - Melinda Schneider". ARIA Awards. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
- ^ "Past Award Winners". Country. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
- ^ "MO Award Winners". Mo Awards. Retrieved 16 March 2022.