SHARON O'NEIL

Sharon Lea O'Neill (born 23 November 1952, Nelson, New Zealand) is a self-taught musician who learned to play guitar by ear and started composing at an early age, by putting chords to her poetry. She began playing the acoustic guitar around Nelson in the 1960s. O'Neill began recording with Robin Winch and Nancy Richman under the name Suitewater. An entry into the 1970 Mobil Song Quest, saw Sharon and Nancy make the finals with a song called "Life Upon Life" written by O'Neill. Another of her songs, "Nothing Makes It Easy", got her to the finals of the New Faces television talent show in 1972. In 1972, O'Neill released "Love Song" a Lesley Duncan cover on Ode Records. Between 1972 and 1977 O'Neill joined New Zealand band Chapta, a covers band called Jessica, and a rock-pop band called Shiner. In 1977, encouraged by Shiner guitarist and future husband Brent Thomas, O'Neill began concentrating on song writing. O'Neill was featured on the track "If There's Still a Little Love" on Mark Williams 1977 album 'Taking It All In Stride' and supported Williams on tour.

In 1978, O'Neill performed a track "Luck's on Your Table" on the New Zealand TV show The Entertainers, where she finished third. She subsequently signed to CBS Records and released "Luck's On Your Table" in September 1978. It reached #27 on the New Zealand singles chart and was included on her debut album 'This Heart This Song' which was released in February 1979. In June 1979, O'Neill released "Don't Say No to Tomorrow" which was featured on a Telethon. It reached #6 on the charts. That same year she received an APRA Silver Scroll Award for the song "Face in a Rainbow" from her debut album. O'Neill won best female artist at the New Zealand Music Awards in 1978, and 1979. 

In February 1980, O'Neill released her second studio album titled, 'Sharon O'Neill', which peaked at #3. At the 1980 New Zealand Music Awards, O'Neill won her third Female Artist of the Year as well as her first Album of the Year. The album was retitled as 'Words' for the Australian market that gained moderate success with the hit "Words" (#56) and the subsequent singles "Asian Paradise" (#76) and "How Do You Talk to Boys" (#25). O'Neill joined Jon Stevens on a duet called "Don't Let Love Go" which reached #5 in New Zealand in March 1980.

O'Neill's third studio album 'Maybe' was released in 1981. It produced the hits "Waiting for You" (#50) and "Maybe" (#38). O'Neill supported Boz Scaggs on his Australian tour before she moved to Australia to settle. O'Neill provided the soundtrack to Roger Donaldson's 1982 movie Smash Palace. It was a five-track EP and won Best Film Soundtrack/Cast Recording/Compilation at the 1983 New Zealand Music Awards. O'Neill's fourth studio album 'Foreign Affairs' was released in May 1983. It contained the tracks "Losing You" (#26) and "Maxine" (#16) a song which chronicled the life of a Kings Cross prostitute. In a 2016 interview, O'Neill said; "I was living in a hotel in Kings Cross when I got the inspiration to write "Maxine". She was always out there working at 3am when we'd get home bleary-eyed from a gig" 'Foreign Affairs' was certified gold in New Zealand.

A legal battle with her then record company CBS caused a delay in her career. In 1984 CBS budget label J&B, released a best of collection titled, 'So Far'. During the enforced hiatus, O'Neill wrote songs for ABC's 1984 TV series Sweet and Sour including the title song performed by Deborah Conway (later recorded by O'Neill as "In Control") and "Glam to Wham". She wrote "Blood Red Roses" for the movie soundtrack of Street Hero and music for Dancing Daze. O'Neill met American keyboardist and songwriter, Alan Mansfield on Dragon's Body and the Beat Tour of New Zealand in 1984—they later became domestic and professional partners. In October 1987, O'Neill returned with her fifth studio album 'Danced in the Fire' on Polygram which featured some biographical songs about the legal wrangles with CBS. "Physical Favours" peaked at #25 in New Zealand #39 in Australia. In 1988, CBS Records released a series of 4-track EPs, 'Volume 18' was O'Neill and featured four of O'Neill's greatest hits.

In 1990, O'Neill released her sixth studio album 'Edge of Winter'. Two singles were taken from this album, "Satin Sheets" and "Poster Girl", both of which failed to find chart success. 'The Very Best of Collette and Sharon O'Neill' was released in 1991 by J&B records. It contained eight tracks from Collette Roberts and eight tracks from O'Neill, including the previously non-album single "Power" from 1984. In 1991, O'Neill collaborated with Robert Palmer and they wrote "True Love" together for Palmer's 'Don't Explain' album. She also contributed vocals on that release. In 1994, O'Neill, Palmer, and Palmer's girlfriend Mary Ambrose co-wrote "Love Takes Time" for Palmer's 'Honey' album. O'Neill contributed vocals to that release, as well as to Palmer's 1999 'Rhythm & Blues' and 2003's 'Drive'.

In 2001 she toured as a guest artist with New Zealand female act When the Cat's Away. In 2005 she toured Australia as a support act for Leo Sayer and a comprehensive collection of her greatest hits was released by Sony Music Australia under the title 'The Best of Sharon O'Neill'. In 2006 and early 2007 O'Neill again toured Australia supporting Leo Sayer. In August–September 2007 O'Neill toured as part of the 'Countdown Spectacular 2' concert series Australia-wide and toured Australia and New Zealand on The Let It Be Tour (The Beatles tribute show) in November–December 2007. In 2014, Sony New Zealand released a new greatest hits collection, titled 'Words: The Very Best of Sharon O'Neill'. The album peaked at #6 on the New Zealand album charts. In 2018, Sharon performed a duet with Ben Ransom titled "Young Years", the song she co-wrote for the group Dragon. The track is available via digital streaming service Apple Music.

SINGLES
''Words (#56) / Dance All Night'' 1989 CBS
''How Do You Talk To Boys (#25) / Bitter The Heart'' 1980 CBS
''Asian Paradise (#76) / Ready To Love'' 1980 CBS
''Waiting For You (#50) / Love Can Be Cruel'' 1981 CBS
''Maybe (#38) / Long Distance From Singapore'' 1981 CBS
''For All The Tea In China (#98) / I Don't Wanna Touch You (I Just Wanna Ride In Your Car)'' 1982 CBS
''Losing You (#26) / Don't Let Yourself Drown'' 1983 CBS
''Maxine (#16) / All The Way Down'' 1983 CBS
''Danger (#78) / Hearts On The Sun'' 1983 CBS
''Power (#36) / Young Blades'' 1984 CBS
''Physical Favours (#39) / Silk Or Stone'' 1987 Polydor 
''Danced In The Fire (#98) / Thirst For Love'' 1988 Polydor 
''We're Only Human / Shock To The Heart'' 1988 Polydor 
''Water For The Flowers'' 1989 ABC
''Satin Sheets / Little One'' 1990 Polydor 
''Poster Girl / Missing Person'' 1991 Polydor 

EPs
'Four Play - Volume Eighteen' 1988 CBS

ALBUMS
'Words' (#3) 1980 CBS
'Maybe' (#7) 1981 CBS
'Foreign Affairs' (#12) 1983 CBS
'Danced in the Fire' 1987 Polydor
'Edge of Winter' 1990 Polydor





References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharon_O%27Neill

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