| Biography | Shirley Abicair is an Australian-born singer, musician, TV personality, actress and author.
While studying in Sydney, Abicair began singing at parties and private functions to support her studies, accompanying herself on the zither. She entered and won a Sydney radio talent quest. This led to offers of engagements on radio and in theatre and cabaret, and she became popular in Sydney during the 1940s.
In the 1950s, Abicair left for London She was photographed by a newspaper looking for pretty faces while disembarkingat the airport. Her photo was spotted by a radio producer and within weeks she appeared on BBC Television. She eventually had her own programme in which she sang and played the zither. In December, she also appeared in the title role of the pantomime Cinderella with George Martin, the Casual Comedian, at the Brixton Empress Theatre. She released her first record "Careless Love."
Through the 1950s she hosted (with help from her puppet friends, Australian indigenous children, Tea Cup and Clothespeg), a series called Children's Hour, a children's TV show. Abicair accepted a request to perform at The Variety Club of Great Britain eighth annual Star Gala at the Festival Gardens, Battersea Park, in 1961. In 1962, she toured the Soviet Union and the United States, and published her children's book 'Tales of Tumbarumba.' |