Jeannie Lewis

As part of our commitment to capturing and sharing great Australian music stories, the Australian Music Vault asked some of the country’s most influential trailblazers and unsung heroes to open up about their lives in music.

Since 1970, singer, actor, writer and teacher Jeannie Lewis has explored the role of the voice and language in different cultures using many musical styles from jazz, folk, blues, rock, and opera to tango and torch songs. She has travelled the globe performing her own blend of performance incorporating elements of dance, theatre, visual arts, spoken word and music, and has released seven albums including the award-winning debut Free Fall Through Featherless Flight in 1974 and her most recent album SOUThHEART in 2003.

In this interview, Jeannie discusses her rise through the folk and jazz scenes in 1960s Sydney, her time performing as the legendary Edith Piaf and her passion for bringing historical women’s voices to a new audience.

Interviewer: Jenny O’Meara

Location: Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne, 2017