YVONNE BARRETT

Yvonne Frances Barrett born in 1946 began her performing career early, commencing ballet lessons at the age of two and a half. As a young girl she was a member of Swallows Juniors the famous children's show on HSV7 that was a precursor to Young Talent Time. This led to appearances in stage shows such as Sound of Music and Carnival. She took singing lessons in her mid-teens and was able to pass an audition for Australia's national pop music TV program. The Go! Show. She soon became a regular on this show doing songs like "Off & Running", "I Walk Alone" and The Toys "A Lovers Concerto". Signed to Go!! records, a record label spin-off from the show, Yvonne achieved her most chart success in 1965 with her version of the Tony Hatch song, "You're The One" recorded by Petula Clark.

In December 1965, Barrett along with Australian television personalities Ian Turpie, Tommy Hanlon Jr. and singer Pat Carroll performed during Christmas in a tour for Australian troops in Vietnam. When she returned, she recorded another two singles on the Go!! label, ''Send Her Away / Won't Someone Say'' and ''Don't Bother Callin' / I'm Takin' Him Back'' which both failed to chart. She then joined the The Trap with former members of The Kinetics. No recorded product eventuated and they disbanded at the end of 1967.

1970 saw her voted a runner-up in the Go-Set magazine national Pop Poll. Although not achieving further chart success she retained considerable popularity through her live appearances, and on national TV shows, such as Uptight and Happening 70-72 doing songs such as, "Always Something There To Remind Me" and Rare Earth's, "Get Ready". 

In 1970 she released the single Lu (a Laura Nyro song) which featured her big voice with a brassy jazz-rock, Blood Sweat & Tears style arrangement. During the 1970s she moved into session work and club appearances, and was a regular on Mary Hardy's Penthouse Club on HSV7. Her last recording ''No Longer Part Of Your Life/Mr. 7654312'' was released in 1972. Both sides were written by Simon Napier-Bell.

In the 1980s Yvonne Barrett moved from Perth to Sydney and began working as a waitress. On 3 September 1985, Yvonne Barrett was found dead at her unit in the inner western Sydney suburb of Birchgrove. During police investigations and evidence submitted at Barrett's murder trial in the New South Wales Supreme Court, it was determined that Yvonne Barrett had been strangled by her estranged husband, Hoang Van Truong. Truong had recently returned from New Zealand and had spent the night with Barrett. He was asked to leave the following morning. He failed to comply with her request and proceeded to assault Barrett over the head with a bottle before strangling her with his belt.

SINGLES

''Little People / You're The One'' (#58) 1965 Go!!
''Send Her Away / Won't Someone Say'' 1966 Go!!
''Don't Bother Callin' / I'm Takin' Him Back'' 1966 Go!!
''Lu / Picture Me Gone'' 1970 Columbia
''No Longer Part Of Your Life / Mr. 7654312'' 1972 Albert Productions

References

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

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