Simone Stacey

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Simone Stacey
Birth nameSimone Angela Stacey
BornNovember 1977 (age 46)
Cairns, Queensland, Australia
GenresPop, R&B, soul, jazz
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter, label owner, child safety worker
Instrument(s)Vocals
Years active2002–2006, 2011–present
LabelsDiamond Dove/Malosi Entertainment

Simone Angela Stacey (born November 1977) is an Australian soul and jazz singer-songwriter. She was a founding mainstay member of girl pop duo, Shakaya, along with Naomi Wenitong, from 2002 to 2006. Soon after Wenitong formed a hip-hop group, The Last Kinection, while Stacey took a hiatus from the music industry. In October 2011 Stacey was featured on The Last Kinection's single, "Are We There Yet?". In April 2013 she auditioned for Season 2 of The Voice and was eliminated in "Episode 12: The Battles". At the Deadly Awards 2013 Stacey was nominated for Single Release of the Year for "My Pledge" (May 2013), and for Female Artist of the Year.

Biography[edit]

Simone Angela Stacey was born in late November 1977. Graduated from Bowen State High School, Bowen, Queensland in 1994 before moving to Cairns, Queensland.[1][2][3] In 1999 she attended TAFE North: Cairns campus, studying an ATSIC-sponsored music course.[1][4] Her first job was working in a deli.[3]

2001–06: Shakaya[edit]

Main article: Shakaya

In August 2001 Simone Stacey performed at a showcase at Sony Music Entertainment in Sydney, after which she signed with Sony along with fellow singer-songwriter, Naomi Wenitong. The pair had met while studying at TAFE North.[2] They formed a pop duo, Shakaya.[1]

Shakaya's debut single "Stop Calling Me" was released in January 2002,[5] it was co-written by Stacey, Wenitong and Reno Nicastro, their manager and producer.[3][6] The lyrics are based on the life experiences of Stacey, Wenitong and their friends.[1][3] It is the duo's highest charting single, reaching No. 5 on the ARIA Singles Chart.[6]

The group's debut self-titled album, released 5 October 2002, peaked at No. 5 on the ARIA Albums Chart.[7] Their second album, Are You Ready, released 5 March 2006, did not chart.[7]

Shakaya disbanded in 2006 when Wenitong formed a hip-hop group, The Last Kinection, with her brother Joel Wenitong and Jacob Turier, in Newcastle.[2][8] From 2006 to 2011 Stacey took a hiatus from the music industry and "worked a range of jobs, most recently helping people living with disabilities, but she never stopped thinking about music and continued to write songs in her spare time."[2]

2011 to present: Return[edit]

By October 2011 Stacey had resumed her music career and was featured on "Are We There Yet?", a single by The Last Kinection.[2][8][9] In April 2013 she auditioned for Season 2 of The Voice. She chose Seal as her coach. Her blind audition was a cover version of Nat King Cole's "For Sentimental Reasons".[2][10] Stacey was eliminated in a Battle Round against Michelle Martinez.[2][11][12]

In May 2013 she released her single, "My Pledge", on her own label, Diamond Dove.[11] The lyrics deal with the blackbirding of her great grandfather and about honouring and respecting one's elders.[11][13] At the Deadly Awards 2013 Stacey was nominated for Single Release of the Year for "My Pledge", and for Female Artist of the Year.[14][15]

In April 2015 Stacey and Wenitong collaborated for a charity single providing cover versions of "Black Roses" (originally by Inner Circle) and "Long as I Can See the Light" (Creedence Clearwater Revival).[16] Proceeds were donated to community members affected by the Cairns child killings of the previous December.[16] As from January 2015 Stacey was as a child safety worker in Cairns.[17]

Stacey wrote the music for the Australian short film, On Stage,[18] which is due to premiere at the Sydney Film Festival on 10 June 2015.[19]

Discography[edit]

Singles[edit]

Year Title
2011 "Are We There Yet?" (The Last Kinection featuring Simone Stacey)[20]
2013 "My Pledge"[21]
2013 "For Sentimental Reasons"
2015 "Black Roses" / "Long as I Can See the Light" (Naomi Wenitong featuring Simone Stacey)

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d "Shakaya". Deadly Vibe. Vibe Australia. 23 April 2013. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Simone Stacey's return to the spotlight". Deadly Vibe. Vibe Australia. 23 April 2013. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
  3. ^ a b c d Failla, Annemarie; Palmer, Michelle. "Shakaya". Girl. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
  4. ^ Thomas, Brett (21 October 2002). "Own Destiny". The Sun-Herald. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
  5. ^ "Australian Releases - January 2002". ARIA. January 2002. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
  6. ^ a b Hung, Steffen. "Shakaya – 'Stop Calling Me'". Australian Charts Portal. Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
  7. ^ a b Hung, Steffen. "Shakaya – 'Shakaya'". Australian Charts Portal. Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
  8. ^ a b "The Last Kinection – Aboriginal musicians". Creative Spirits. Jens Korff. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
  9. ^ Ward, Mat (20 November 2011). "Hip hop group's comeback album is Kin excellent". Green Left Weekly. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
  10. ^ Byrnes, Holly; Adams, Cameron (21 April 2013). "Reality Show The Voice Gives Seasoned Australian Singers Another Career Shot". The Herald Sun. News Corp Australia. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
  11. ^ a b c "Simone's still got the voice". Deadly Vibe. Vibe Australia. 24 May 2013. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
  12. ^ Ross, Annabel (30 April 2013). "The Voice recap: Much Ado about not Much at all". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
  13. ^ Graham, Mark. "Simone seals her pledge on family and culture with new song". National Indigenous Times. Archived from the original on 27 May 2015. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
  14. ^ "Star Studded Deadly Award Nominations Announced". theMusic.com.au. Street Press Australia. 19 July 2013. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
  15. ^ "2013 Deadly Awards Winners". Deadly Awards. Vibe Australia. 2013. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
  16. ^ a b McQuire, Amy (12 April 2015). "A Garden of Black Roses: Finding a Way Through the Pain of Murray St". New Matilda. Chris Graham. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  17. ^ "Cairns funeral for eight children killed draws thousands of mourners". TheGuardian.com. 10 January 2015.
  18. ^ "On Stage (2015)". IMDb. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
  19. ^ "Screen: Black – Pitch Black Shorts". Sydney Film Festival. Retrieved 27 May 2015.
  20. ^ "'Are We There Yet? (feat. Simone Stacey)' – Single by The Last Kinection on Apple Music". Apple Music AU. 14 October 2011. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  21. ^ "'My Pledge' – Single by Simone Stacey on Apple Music". Apple Music AU. 29 May 2013. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
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