Elaine McKenna

Elaine McKenna Evans (née Elaine McKenna, 24 March 1937 – 6 January 1992), was an Australian singer and actress. She is known for her television appearances from the late 1950s to the 1960s, particularly on GTV-9's Tarax Show and In Melbourne Tonight. For her TV work, McKenna won the Logie Award for Best Singer in 1961. McKenna relocated to the United States in late 1961. She appeared on The Bob Newhart Show in that year. By February 1968 she had returned to Melbourne.

Elaine McKenna
Birth nameElaine McKenna
Born(1937-03-24)24 March 1937
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Died6 January 1992(1992-01-06) (aged 54)
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Occupation(s)Singer, actress
Instrument(s)Vocals
LabelsW&G

Biography

Elaine McKenna was born on 24 March 1937 and grew up in the Melbourne suburb of Albert Park with her father George McKenna and her mother.[1][2] As an amateur singer and musical theatre actress she had a role in Cid Ellwood's production of The Red Sombrero, which began at Moonee Ponds Town Hall on 29 June 1956 for a week,[3] followed by Box Hill Town Hall (30 July–1 August)[4] and Brunswick Town Hall (30–31 October).[5] Ellwood wrote the music and lyrics, while Tina Bethell and Ian Westcott wrote the book.[6] In the following year McKenna took the role of Eliza in a professional-amateur rendition of Pygmalion at Cathedral Hall, Fitzroy.[7]

By May 1960 she was referred to as a "popular TV personality" after appearing regularly on GTV-9's The Panda Show (1958) and then, as the "Girl Next Door" on Tarax Show (c. 1960).[8][9] She was also a regular singer on In Melbourne Tonight, compèred by Graham Kennedy.[10] McKenna won the Logie Award for Best Singer in March 1961 for her work on In Melbourne Tonight and The Graham Kennedy Show (title of national version).[11]

By October 1961 she had relocated to Los Angeles, after recording her rendition of "Tammy" with Ron Tudor of W&G Records.[12][13] McKenna would intermittently return to Melbourne for local TV spots before returning to America.[13][14] She sang on The Bob Newhart Show in 1961 and hoped to become a regular by taking accent lessons to provide an "acceptable international accent."[14][15] By December 1962 she was living in Atlanta, Georgia.[16]

McKenna found work on the nightclub circuit across the US, into Canada and Mexico.[1][13] She was singing in nightclubs in Reno, Nevada, during July 1963.[17] On one of her visits to Australia she performed, "Just You Wait" (from My Fair Lady), on In Melbourne Tonight in December 1966.[18] The singer returned to live in Melbourne by February 1968.[19]

In the 1980s McKenna resumed her drama and musical theatre roles, Reedy River (September–November 1980) at the Organ Factory, Clifton Hill,[20] Come to Australia, They Said (May 1982) at La Mama Theatre, Carlton,[21] Hotel Bonegilla (November–December 1983) at Universal Two Theatre, Fitzroy,[22] Isadora (September–October 1984) at Universal Two,[23] The Barricade (June 1985)[24] and An Un-Australian Story (July) both at La Mama.[25]

Elaine McKenna Evans died in 1992. Some of her performances from In Melbourne Tonight were included in the Various Artists' 3× DVD compilation video album, In Melbourne Tonight & the Tonight Show (2014).[26]

Personal life

In October 1963 McKenna married American actor, folk singer and performer Timothy Evans.[2] Evans had gained an engineering degree at University of Texas, however he took up folk singing as a member of the Wanderers Three.[1] Although the couple initially planned to get married at St Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne in December,[1] they married in Texas instead, due to their touring schedules coinciding.[2] By 1968 the couple were living in Melbourne, where Tim became a cabaret entertainer.[19] Tim Evans became a TV comedy writer by 1980.[27] He was also a long-term judge on TV talent quest, New Faces.[28][29] Elaine McKenna Evans died on 6 January 1992 and was survived by her spouse, Tim and their three children.[30]

References
  1. Wilson, Bill (18 September 1963). "The Singer... ...not the Song". The Australian Women's Weekly. Vol. 31, no. 16. p. 7. Retrieved 16 September 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  2. Berkley, Margaret (15 January 1964). "Quick Change by Elaine McKenna". The Australian Women's Weekly. Vol. 31, no. 33. p. 3. Retrieved 16 September 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. "Event: The Red Sombrero". AusStage. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  4. "Event: The Red Sombrero". AusStage. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  5. "Event: The Red Sombrero". AusStage. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  6. Manzie, Keith (14 July 1956). "Theatre Will Chase the Children". The Argus. Melbourne, Vic. p. 13. Retrieved 16 September 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. "Event: Pygmalion". AusStage. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  8. "Elaine McKenna on Way to Success". The Australian Women's Weekly. Vol. 28, no. 34. 25 January 1961. p. 49. Retrieved 16 September 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. Musgrove, Nan (29 March 1961). "Graham Kennedy: Yea or Nay?". The Australian Women's Weekly. Vol. 28, no. 43. p. 70. Retrieved 16 September 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. "TV Week Logie Awards: 50 Years Ago". Television.AU. 1 May 2011. Archived from the original on 29 September 2013. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  11. Ward, Kirsten (18 October 1961). "Kingston Trio Was at Sixes and Sevens". The Australian Women's Weekly. Teenagers Weekly. Vol. 29, no. 20. p. 11. Retrieved 16 September 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  12. Berkley, Margaret (6 February 1963). "Fun, Says Elaine". The Australian Women's Weekly. Television. Vol. 30, no. 36. p. 1. Retrieved 16 September 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  13. "The National Favorites". The Australian Women's Weekly. Vol. 29. 9 May 1962. p. 25. Retrieved 16 September 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  14. "Singer Elaine is Back, But Not for Long". The Age. 22 March 1962. p. 23. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  15. "Alice Through the TV Screen". The Australian Women's Weekly. Vol. 30, no. 29. 19 December 1962. p. 19. Retrieved 16 September 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  16. Roberts, Diane (31 July 1963). "New Girl Singer with Pretty Accent". The Australian Women's Weekly. Teenagers Weekly. Vol. 31, no. 9. p. 7. Retrieved 16 September 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  17. "Just You Wait". Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  18. H. de M. (9 February 1968). "Tim Evans... at the Chevron". The Australian Jewish Herald. Vol. 89, no. 44. Victoria, Australia. p. 18. Retrieved 15 September 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  19. "Event: Reedy River". AusStage. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  20. "Event: Come to Australia, They Said". AusStage. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  21. "Dates". The Australian Jewish News. Vol. L, no. 13. 25 November 1983. p. 19. Retrieved 16 September 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  22. "Event: Isadora". AusStage. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  23. "Event: The Barricade". AusStage. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  24. "Event: An Un-Australian Story". AusStage. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  25. Kennedy, Graham; Orr, Geoffrey (2014), In Melbourne Tonight & the Tonight Show: Soundtracks from the GTV9 Magnetic Tapes, Plus 3 DVD's of Video, North Caulfield, Vic.: Lyric, retrieved 16 September 2022
  26. Smith, Peter (8 October 1980). "Peter Smith". The Australian Women's Weekly. Your TV Magazine. Vol. 48, no. 19. p. 30. Retrieved 16 September 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  27. Murphy, Jim (29 October 1980). "The Other Face of Bert Newton". The Australian Women's Weekly. Your TV Magazine. Vol. 48, no. 22. p. 8. Retrieved 16 September 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  28. Murphy, Jim (2 September 1981). "Here Come the Judges". The Australian Women's Weekly. Vol. 49, no. 13. p. 128. Retrieved 16 September 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  29. "Elaine Mckenna Evans 1937–1992". BillionGraves Record. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
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