Kasey Chambers (born 4 June 1976) is an Australian alternative country singer-songwriter. She is the daughter of steel guitar player Bill Chambers, and the sister of musician and producer Nash Chambers.
In 1986, the family formed the Dead Ringer Band with Bill and Diane as the initial members and Kasey and Nash joining the band a year later. By 1992, the band had become full time musicians with Bill Chambers writing many of the band's songs. Bill Chambers wrote a song for Slim Dusty called "Things Just Aren't the Same on the Land" in 1992 which won the "Song of the Year" in the Country Music Awards. Their first album "Red Desert Sky" was released in 1993 on the independent Import Records label.
The Dead Ringer Band signed with EMI shortly after and released their second album "Home Fires" in 1995. It contained the single "Australian Son" which topped the Australian country charts and won an Australian ARIA award for Country song of the year in 1996. The band won a Golden Guitar Award at the Tamworth Country Music Festival for "Band of the Year" in 1995 and a Mo Award for best country music group a year later.
The band released Living in the Circle in 1997 and Hopeville in 1998. However, the Dead Ringer Band broke up in 1998 when Bill and Diane Chambers separated with Diane moving to Norfolk Island. The Dead Ringer band collectively earned two ARIA awards and seven Golden Guitars during their career. To date Kasey Chambers has sold almost 1.2 million records
The band became the inspiration for other family bands, such as The Lees.
She currently lives in Copacabana on the NSW central coast.
Solo success
Chambers and Shane Nicholson ARIA Hall of Fame
Chambers recorded her solo album The Captain on Norfolk Island over a few weeks in late 1998 with Nash Chambers producing the album and Bill Chambers on guitar. US country musicians Buddy Miller and Julie Miller added guitars and vocals to four tracks. The Captain was released in 1999 in Australia and in 2000 in the US. Chambers won the 1999 ARIA Award for "Best Country Album" for The Captain and a year later she would win "Best Female Artist". The strong word of mouth would eventually lead to The Captain going double platinum in Australia. The Captain would eventually reach the top 50 of the Billboard country albums in 2001 with Chambers touring the US as support act to Lucinda Williams. Subsequently, she supported Emmylou Harris on her Australian tour. Chambers would receive further exposure when The Captain was played on an episode of HBO's The Sopranos.
Chambers' second album Barricades & Brickwalls was released in late 2001 debuting at #4 in the ARIA album charts. The record really took off in early 2002 with lead single "Not Pretty Enough" going to #1 on the ARIA singles charts. Chambers became the only Australian country artist to have a #1 single and album on the charts in that country simultaneously. Subsequent singles "Million Tears" and "If I Were You" also made the Australian Top 40 singles charts in 2002.
Commercial Success
While "Not Pretty Enough" eventually went double platinum, Barricades & Brickwalls would achieve sales of 7*platinum in Australia - Chambers had the best selling single and album by an Australian artist in 2002. In the 2002 ARIA Awards, Chambers won "Album of the Year", "Best Female Artist" and "Best Country Album". Barricades & Brickwalls was released in the US in 2002 peaking just outside the top 100 of the Billboard 200 album charts, topping the Billboard Heatseeker Charts and reaching the top 20 of the Billboard country charts. The album also received a generally positive critical response. [5]
She recorded a cover of the Cyndi Lauper song "True Colours" which became the theme song of the 2003 Rugby World Cup and reached the top 5 in Australia in May 2003.
Chambers released her third solo album Wayward Angel in Australia on 31 May 2004. It debuted at #1 on the Australian charts and went platinum in its first week of release. The title song of the album was about her son Talon. Other singles of the album were "Hollywood", "Pony" and "Saturated". "Pony" remains a fan favorite, being requested at nearly every concert.
Following the Boxing Day Tsunami, Chambers appeared at the Wave Aid fundraising concert in Sydney, to raise funds for aid organisations working in disaster affected areas.
Chambers's next album, Carnival, debuted in the #1 position on the ARIA album charts in late August 2006. The lead single, "Nothing at All" also reached the top ten of the singles chart.
Chambers and Shane Nicholson with Troy Cassar-Daley played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 14 March 2009 for Sound Relief, a multi-venue rock music concert in support of relief for the Victorian Bushfire Crisis.12 The event will be held simultaneously with a concert at the Sydney Cricket Ground.1 All the proceeds from the Melbourne Concert will go to the Red Cross Victorian Bushfire relief.12 Appearing with Chambers in Melbourne are, Augie March, Bliss N Eso with Paris Wells, Gabriella Cilmi, Hunters & Collectors, Jack Johnson, Jet, Kings Of Leon, Liam Finn, Midnight Oil, Paul Kelly, Split Enz and Wolfmother.3
Personal life
In 2002, Chambers and her then partner actor/director Cori Hopper had their first baby Talon Jordi on 22 May weighing 6lb 6oz. They moved to the Central Coast of New South Wales.
In late 2005, Chambers married Australian singer/songwriter Shane Nicholson. She gave birth to her second child, Arlo Ray, by emergency c-section (9lb 10 oz) at 10:30am on the 16th July 2007[6].
Discography
Albums
| Year |
Title |
Chart positions |
Sales and certifications |
| AUS |
US Country |
US |
US Heat |
| 1999 |
The Captain
- First solo studio album
- Released: 1999
|
11 |
49 |
— |
— |
- ARIA certification: 2× platinum (140,000+)4
- 41st highest selling album in Australia for 2000.5
|
| 2001 |
Barricades & Brickwalls
- Second studio album
- Released: 3 September 2001
|
1 |
13 |
104 |
1 |
- ARIA certification: 7× platinum (490,000+)6
- 52nd highest selling album in Australia for 2001.7
- 3rd highest selling album in Australia for 2002.8
- 39th highest selling album in Australia for 2003.9
|
| 2004 |
Wayward Angel
- Third studio album
- Released: 31 May 2004
|
1 |
31 |
— |
15 |
- ARIA certification: 3× platinum (210,000+)10
- 20th highest selling album in Australia for 2004.11
- 82nd highest selling album in Australia for 2005.12
|
| 2006 |
Carnival
- Fourth studio album
- Released: 19 August 2006
|
1 |
— |
— |
22 |
- ARIA certification: Platinum (70,000+)13
- 51st highest selling album in Australia for 2006.14
|
| 2008 |
Rattlin' Bones
|
1 |
— |
— |
21 |
- ARIA certification: Platinum (70,000+)
|
"—" denotes albums that were released but did not chart.
Singles
| Year |
Single |
Chart Positions |
Album |
| AUS |
NZ |
| 2000 |
"Cry Like a Baby" |
71 |
— |
The Captain |
| "The Captain" |
68 |
— |
| 2001 |
"Runaway Train" |
86 |
— |
Barricades & Brickwalls |
| "On a Bad Day" |
— |
— |
| 2002 |
"Not Pretty Enough" |
1 |
4 |
| "Million Tears" |
32 |
— |
| "If I Were You" |
32 |
— |
| 2003 |
"True Colours" |
4 |
— |
Single only |
| 2004 |
"Like a River" A |
— |
— |
Wayward Angel |
| "Hollywood" |
28 |
— |
| 2005 |
"Pony" |
10 |
— |
| "Saturated" |
75 |
— |
| 2006 |
"Nothing at All" |
9 |
— |
Carnival |
| "Surrender" |
74 |
— |
| 2007 |
"Sign on the Door" A |
— |
— |
| 2008 |
"Rattlin' Bones" A |
55 |
— |
Rattlin' Bones |
| "Monkey on a Wire" A |
— |
— |
| "Wildflower" (with Shane Nicholson) A, B |
— |
— |
- A Promo-only singles for Australian radio and television.
- B Current single.
Other contributions
Awards and recognition
References
External links
&videoType=YouTube&summary=Kasey Chambers performing If I Could (Goin Fishin). Such a good, fun song.&link=http://www.youtube.com/v/XYMYaXIyJn8&fs=1&hl=en&source=uds&autoplay=1&thumb=http://3.gvt0.com/vi/XYMYaXIyJn8/default.jpg&celebrity=Kasey Chambers)
 for the first episode of series 6 of ...&link=http://www.youtube.com/v/MFe82xta-7s&fs=1&hl=en&source=uds&autoplay=1&thumb=http://3.gvt0.com/vi/MFe82xta-7s/default.jpg&celebrity=Kasey Chambers)
 this year!&link=http://www.youtube.com/v/XsPsVQ-PK-s&fs=1&hl=en&source=uds&autoplay=1&thumb=http://3.gvt0.com/vi/XsPsVQ-PK-s/default.jpg&celebrity=Kasey Chambers)
