Bridgette Allen

Bridgette Allen is a New Zealand-born jazz singer who has a career going back to the 1960s. She has appeared on television in both New Zealand and Australia. She also starred in the film Hooks and Feelers, which was an adaptation of a Keri Hulme story.

Bridgette Allen
Born
New Zealand
NationalityNew Zealander
StyleJazz
AwardsMost Professional Entertainer 1977
WebsiteBridget Allen

Background

Allen was born in New Zealand, and is of Maori descent.[1][2] She is also the cousin of the singer Abe Phillips who died in 1971.[3][4]

Career

By April 1970, and with no major plans to return to Australia, Allen was now based in Auckland.[5] In 1971, having already worked in Bangkok, by late February she was in Tahiti. There were plans for her undertake an Australian tour, which she would co-compere with Howard Morrison to promote tourism.[6][7] In May, due to commitments in New Zealand, Allen turned down a contract as a supporting artist for Morrison in Honolulu.[8] It was reported in the 11 July issue of The Sunday News, that she was to stand in for Paul Fisher while he went with Ray Woolf to the United States, taking two months off of an eight month contract.[9] In April 1973, it was announced in the Sunday Herald that Allen was off to the United States as guest of Carmen McRae. She was also going to look at the possibilities or work over there.[10]

Mid 70s onwards

In June 1975, she embarked on a cabaret tour which would include Australia, the Philippines and the possibly other locations such as Singapore.[11] In 1976, in spite of her comments the previous year that the club circuit was "pretty dead", and television work limited to Australian artists, in May, that year she was off to Australia to carry on with her career there.[12][13]

1980s

In 1981, The New Zealand Listener featured an article on her life and career in its 14 February issue.[14] By September 1982, following the birth of her son, she had slowed her career down.[15] By early 1987, she was based in Melbourne.[16]

Discography
Albums
Title Release info Year F Notes
Fever
aka
Call me Bridgette
[17]		 RCA Camden CAS 149 1972 LP Backing by Trinity: Mike Harvey - Piano,
Billy Belton - Bass, Vic Williams - Drums
Appearances
Artist (s) Title Release info Year tracks F Notes
Various artists An evening at Tommo's Place Salem 1972 "On a Wonderful Day Like Today", "The Joker Went Wild", "Eight Days a Week"
"Agua De Beber", "If You Go Away", "Quando, Quando, Quando"		 LP Bridgette Allen lead vocals[18]
Tina Cross You Can Do It Phillips 6334017 1979 LP Backing Vocals[19]

Filmography
TV and film
Title Role Director / producer Year Type Notes
The Club Show Herself, singer 1979 TV show Presenters Glyn Tucker and Ernie Leonard[20]
Hooks and Feelers Mother Dr Melanie Rodriga (director) 1982 Film A 50 minute adaptation of a short story by Keri Hulme[21][22]

References
  1. Artist Trove Bridgette Allen
  2. The Age, Friday, 12 February 1993 Page 37
  3. News article, November 25th 1971 BIG ABE HEADS THEM By Judy McGregor
  4. New Zealand Woman's Weekly, 17 January 1972 Page 71
  5. Auckland Star, 14 April 1970 Bridgette Allen has now made Auckland her headquarters
  6. The New Zealand Herald, 27 February 1971 Allen is now in Tahiti
  7. Auckland Star, 17 March 1971 Up-dated Maori group to lure
  8. New Zealand Herald, 29 May 1971 Bridgette Allen had to turn down a contract
  9. The Sunday News July 1971 Hold on America - we're coming
  10. The Sunday Herald, 8 April 1973 Page 37
  11. Auckland Star, 11 June 1975 Bridgette Allen has left for Australia
  12. New Zealand Herald, 12 April 1975 Bridgette Allen has been studying the club scene in Australia
  13. New Zealand Herald, 19 May 1976 Bound for Australia
  14. The New Zealand Listener, 14 February 1981 Article on the life and career of Bridgette Allen
  15. New Zealand Woman's Weekly 20 September 1982 Page 20 - 21
  16. The Auckland Star, 13 January 1987 Sec B p 1, 4, Background on New Zealand jazz singer now based in Melbourne
  17. National Library of New Zealand Call me Bridgette (sound recording) / Bridgette Allen
  18. National Library of New Zealand An evening at Tommo's Place (sound recording) / Bridgette Allen, Ray Woolf, Martin Kini and the Trinity
  19. Discogs Tina Cross – You Can Do It
  20. NZ On Screen The Club Show - 12 May 1979
  21. Murdoch University Dr Melanie Rodriga, Selected Publications –
  22. The New Zealand Archive of Film, Television and Sound Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision Catalogue → F6624, Hooks and Feelers Archived 16 September 2016 at the Wayback Machine

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