Background
Laurel Lea was born as Lorraine May Chapman.
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Laurel Lea
Edit ProfileCareer
Lea appeared regularly on television series, Bandstand, Six O"Clock Rock and Saturday Date. In 1974 and 1975 she toured throughout Australia with contemporaries Johnny O"Keefe, Johnny Devlin, Lonnie Lee and Barry Stanton. On 31 January 1992 Lea died of leukaemia.
She was raised in Armidale, New South Wales by Con Lianos and was known as Lorraine Lianos.
Her younger brother Doug (born ca 1946) performed as a drummer, Little Rock Billy in the early 1960s. At the end of 1960, Lea broke her jaw in a fall and was unable to sing for six months.
She regularly appeared on television series Bandstand, Saturday Date and Six O"Clock Rock. Lea was inspired by Brigitte Bardot, "I used to copy her mannerisms, and the way she opened her eyes and looked up like this".
In October 1963 an audience of 40,000 attended a 2UW concert with the roster including Lea, Bee Gees, Lonnie Lee, Colonel Joye and Judy Stone.
Lea recorded several singles, but had limited chart success. In 1974 and 1975, she joined her contemporaries Johnny O"Keefe, Johnny Devlin, Lonnie Lee, Barry Stanton, Jade Hurley and Tony Brady in the Good Old Days of Rock "n" Roll Tour which travelled throughout Australia. She also had a band in the 1980s called Chockarock.
From 12 October 2003, American Broadcasting Company-television series, Love Is in the Air, was a five-part documentary on Australian popular music with "Episode 2: She"s Leaving Home" describing female popular stars and how many travelled overseas to try to further their careers, Lea was described, "ccomplished television regulars like Laurel Lea had the look, the sound and the talent".
The program featured two of her tracks, "Alfie" and "Tomorrow". Graham Jackson (2001).
Pioneers of Australian rock "n" roll.
