DENISE DRYSDALE

Denise Anne Christina Drysdale, (born 5 December 1948) is an Australian Gold Logie award winning television personality and comedian. She is often affectionately known as Ding-Dong. At about ten years of age, she began her television career with GTV9 in Melbourne, working in the junior ballet on the Tarax Show. Photographed at the time by a Channel Nine photographer, Drysdale went on to win the annual Girl of the Year Award with Everybody's in 1964. At age seventeen, Drysdale joined the new show Kommotion as a go-go girl, becoming Melbourne's first go-go dancer.

Despite not having previously sung professionally, Drysdale was invited to tour Australia with Ray Brown & The Whispers. She was then offered a recording contract and appeared in 26 episodes of the ABC's Dig We Must. Her first single ''Sunshine Shadows'' on the Phono Vox label was written by former Aztecs guitarist Tony Barber. The B side was a cover of the Fontella Bass hit ''Rescue Me''. Her second single ''Baby Weemus'' reached the lower end of the charts in Melbourne. In June 1967 she supported The Shadows in Perth. Drysdale's popularity led to an invitation to perform for the troops in Vietnam for three weeks in late 1967, along with Patti Newton, the Strangers, and Doug Owen. In 1969, she went to the Far East to entertain American troops. In 1974, she became Ernie Sigley's barrel girl on The Ernie Sigley Show. It was here she gained the nickname Ding Dong. In the same year the duo recorded a remake of Paul and Paula's 1962 hit ''Hey Paula'' which went on to become a huge seller reaching #2 on the national charts. In 1975, Drysdale won the TV Week Gold Logie for the Most Popular Female Personality on Australian TV.

She won her second Gold Logie the following year. In the same period, she also won consecutive Silver Logies. Over the years, Drysdale has appeared regularly on numerous television shows including: The Norman Gunston Show, Celebrity Squares, Young Talent Time, Countdown, Division 4, Homicide and Bellbird. Drysdale continued to record on the Festival label but so saw no chart action. She also worked in regional television in Victoria including guest appearances on BTV-6 Ballarat and hosting a morning magazine show on GLV-8 in the 1980s. As an actress, she has appeared in the movies, The Last of the Knucklemen, Snapshot, and Blowing Hot and Cold. In 2005, Channel 9 chose Denise as one of the most 50 important people on television for the last 50 years.

In 2008, Drysdale released an album entitled 'What A Wonderful World'. The album contained a remake of the single "Hey Paula". Originally a duet with Ernie Sigley, the new version features Mark Trevorrow. On 7 October 2009 she made an appearance in the second of the Hey Hey It's Saturday reunion specials. In 2010, Drysdale joined Network Ten's new morning show The Circle alongside Yumi Stynes, Chrissie Swan and Gorgi Coghlan as host. She remained on the show for two seasons, leaving at the end of the 2011 season. She reappeared as a special guest on the final episode of The Circle in 2013.

Drysdale regularly performed around Australia on the club circuit, often with her television partner, Ernie Sigley. Drysdale also does regular guest talks around the country. Drysdale was also formerly the face of Melbourne-based furniture chain Bev Marks. In November 2015, it was announced Drysdale would join as permanent co-host of Studio 10 in 2016 after appearing as a regular fill-in presenter. In June 2018, Drysdale joined the cast of Neighbours as Nance Sluggett. She made her first appearance on 3 October 2018

SINGLES

''Sunshine Shadows / Rescue Me'' 1966 Phono Vox
''Baby Weemus (#86) / Together'' 1967 Phono Vox
''Hey Paula (#2) / Until The End Of Time'' [with Ernie Sigley] 1974 Festival
''The Loving Song (#42) / Green (From Sesame Street)'' 1974 Festival
''Rescue Me / I'll Be Your Baby Tonight'' 1975 Festival
''Hey Baby / All I Have To Do Is Dream'' [with Ernie Sigley] 1975 Festival
''Rock Me Sweet / Please Mr. Please'' 1976 Festival
''Love May Be The Answer / Come And Smile With Me'' 1976 Festival

ALBUMS

'Denise' 1976 Festival

'Two Beauts' [with Ernie Sigley] 1990

'Hello In There' 2003

'What A Wonderful World' 

References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denise_Drysdale

http://top100singles.blogspot.com.au/