Jean Stafford

Background

Stafford was born and grew up in Tasmania. Her mother was a Tasmanian, and she discovered many year later that her father was a Navajo Native American.

Career

In 1989 Stafford was crowned "Australia"s Queen of Country Music" by Smoky Dawson. Stafford was also a regular on the Midday Show hosted by Ray Martin.

Achievements

• Stafford has won the Country Music Awards of Australia"s "Golden Guitar" award as Female Vocalist of the Year three times: in 1975 she became the first Australian-born artist to win this award, for What Kind of a Girl Do You Think I Am?, then in 1980 for Hello Love, and in 1981 for That Glory Bound Train. In 1979, Stafford was inducted into the Australian Country Music Hands of Fame. In 1991, she was given the key to the city of Nashville and appointed an "Honorary Citizen" of the state of Tennessee by Governor Ned McWherter for services to Country Music in America. In recognition of her significant contribution to Australian country music, in 2008, Stafford was inducted into The Country Music Roll of Renown. The plaque reads: Jean is one of our outstanding stars. Coming to prominence during the 1970s and "80s, she learnt her craft singing at hotels, country halls and dances. Recording initially with Dusty Rankin in 1965, Jean released her debut solo album in 1974, the song What Kind Of A Girl Do You Think I Am? winning the first of her three Golden Guitars and setting Jean on the road to stardom. From Northern Tasmania to Tamworth and Nashville, it has been a triumphant journey for the silver voiced girl who made her first public appearance at the age of 12. With many awards, honours and accolades to show for her long and illustrious career, we salute Jean Stafford as one of Australian country music"s finest and most enduring talents.

Works

More photos

• book

  • The Collected Stories of Jean Stafford (FSG Classics)

    ( These Pulitzer Prize-winning stories represent the majo...)

  • Stories by Jean Stafford, John Cheever, Daniel Fuchs, William Maxwell
  • Boston Adventure (Hogarth fiction) by Jean Stafford (1986-08-04)
  • The Mountain Lion (New York Review Books Classics) by Jean Stafford (2010-08-10)
  • A Mother in History by Jean Stafford (1992-05-02)
  • Selected Stories of Jean Stafford
  • The Mountain Lion THE MOUNTAIN LION BY Stafford, Jean ( Author ) Aug-10-2010 THE MOUNTAIN LION THE MOUNTAIN LION BY STAFFORD, JEAN ( AUTHOR ) AUG-10-2010 By Stafford, Jean ( Author )Aug-10-2010 Paperback